20+ years
Michael started working in politics as a 17-year-old staffer in 1987 race for Governor. Since then, he has worked on campaigns in almost every role, spent time working on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC and did a short stint in state government for then Treasurer Tate Reeves. He entered the lobbying profession in 2004 at Baker Donelson before taking a ten-year detour working as a public finance banker at Bear Stearns and Raymond James. Partnering with Austin at the Clearwater Group in 2017, he returned to lobbying to get back to doing what he enjoys most, shaping public policy through the political, legislative and administrative processes.
Michael leads the firm's executive branch lobbying practice area with an emphasis on regulatory and procurement efforts. He is also deeply involved in strategic development for the firm's legislative practice area and political practice area.
919-821-6756
Post Office Box 2611, Raleigh, NC, 27602,
Dana Simpson co-chairs the Government Relations practice at Smith Anderson and regularly represents clients before the North Carolina General Assembly and with State agencies.
Dana advises clients regarding legislative and regulatory advocacy, public relations, issues management, economic development initiatives, ethics, and campaign finance law compliance. Dana has been consistently rated one of the most influential lobbyists in North Carolina by both the nonpartisan N.C. Center for Public Policy Research and The North State Journal.
Prior to law school, Dana served as Special Assistant for Communications and Policy to the Speaker of the North Carolina House of Representatives.
Dana also has experience representing clients on rule-making and administrative law matters. He served as a member of the North Carolina Rules Review Commission from 2003-2006.
5) Bellsouth Telecommunications, LLC d/b/a AT&,T North Carolina
7) Community Care of North Carolina, Inc.
9) DaVita, Inc.
11) Duke Energy Business Services LLC
12) First Flight Venture Center, Inc.
13) FirstHealth of the Carolinas, Inc.
16) Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Inc., USA
17) Granville County
19) HORNE LLP
20) ID.me, Inc.
22) Live Nation Entertainment, Inc.
23) Massage Envy -- North Carolina Region Co-op
24) Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company
25) NC Museum of Art Foundation
26) North Carolina Biotechnology Center
27) North Carolina Dental Society
28) North Carolina Oncology Association
29) North Carolina Railroad Company
30) North Carolina Society of Anesthesiologists
31) North Carolina Travel and Tourism Coalition
33) Purdue Pharma LP
34) SailPoint Technologies, Inc.
35) SCI North Carolina Funeral Services, Inc.
36) ServiceNow, Inc.
37) South Granville Water and Sewer Authority
38) VMware LLC and its Affiliates
39) Volvo Group North America, LLC
40) WakeMed Health and Hospitals
41) Wolfspeed, Inc.
20+ years
"North Carolina's Top Lobbyists" - North State Journal (2020)
Best Lawyers Government Relations Practice (2009-2022)
Business North Carolina Legal Elite
Triangle Business Journal "40 Under 40 Leadership Award (2012)
615-627-6579
1230 2nd Ave S, Nashville, TN, 37210,
2) Affordable Equity Partners, Inc.
3) American Federation for Children
5) Brightstar Global Solutions Corporation
7) Cavnue LLC
9) Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport Authority
10) CodeCrew
11) East Tennessee Children's Hospital
12) Eric A. Gang & Associates, P.A.
13) Excellence in Education National, Inc. d/b/a Excellence in Education in Action
14) Giarratana, LLC
18) HORNE LLP
21) Kira Learning
27) Nashville Teacher Residency
30) Palantir Technologies Inc.
31) PMI US Corporate Services Inc. and Affiliates
33) Purfoods, LLC
35) Ryan, LLC
36) Samsara, Inc
37) Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association
38) Sevita
40) Tennessean's for Quality Early Education
42) tnAchieves
46) Volkert, Inc.
47) Workday, Inc.
601-948-6020
200 North Congress Street, Suite 300, JACKSON, MS, 39201,
615-830-2875
611 Commerce St., Suite 2704, Nashville, TN, 37203,
615-830-2875
611 Commerce St., Suite 2704, Nashville, TN, 37203,
615-830-2875
1230 2nd Ave. South, Suite 2704, Nashville, TN, 37210,
2) Affordable Equity Partners, Inc.
3) American Federation for Children
5) Brightstar Global Solutions Corporation
7) Cavnue LLC
9) Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport Authority
10) CodeCrew
11) East Tennessee Children's Hospital
12) Eric A. Gang & Associates, P.A.
13) Excellence in Education National, Inc. d/b/a Excellence in Education in Action
15) Giarratana, LLC
19) HORNE LLP
22) Kira Learning
28) Nashville Teacher Residency
31) Palantir Technologies Inc.
32) PMI US Corporate Services Inc. and Affiliates
34) Prisma Health
35) Purfoods, LLC
37) Ryan, LLC
38) Samsara, Inc
39) Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association
40) Sevita
41) SharpRank
43) Tennessean's for Quality Early Education
46) tnAchieves
47) Tootsies Entertainment LLC
51) Volkert, Inc.
52) Workday, Inc.
615-357-4923
1230 2nd Ave. South, Suite 2704, Nashville, TN, 37210,
2) Affordable Equity Partners, Inc.
3) American Beverage Association
5) Brightstar Global Solutions Corporation
7) Cavnue LLC
11) HORNE LLP
615-357-4923
611 Commerce Street, Suite 2704, Nashville, TN, 37203,
615-357-4923
611 Commerce Street, Suite 2704, Nashville, TN, 37203,
601-948-6020
200 North Congress Street, Suite 300, JACKSON, MS, 39201,
3) American Petroleum Institute
4) American Research and Policy Institute (ARPI)
6) AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals, LP and its Affiliates
7) Asurion
10) BetterLesson
14) Centene Corporation on behalf of its affiliates and subsidiaries
15) Cicero Action
16) Comcast Cable Communications Management, LLC
17) Community Health Center Association of Mississippi, Inc.
18) Crooked Letter Picture Company
19) Data Recognition Corporation
20) Diamondhead Water & Sewer District
21) Drax Group
22) Equifax, Inc.
23) Ergon, Inc.
26) Fortinet, Inc.
29) Hazel Health
30) HB Strategies on behalf of Good Rx
32) Horne LLP
35) Intervest Corp.
37) Kohler Co.
38) LS Power Midcontinent, LLC
39) Madison County Board of Supervisors
41) MedeAnalytics
42) Medical Transportation Management, Inc.
43) MedImpact Healthcare Systems, Inc.
44) Memorial Hospital at Gulfport
46) Milliman, Inc.
47) Mississippi Academy of Pediatric Dentistry
48) Mississippi Association of REALTORS
49) Mississippi Chapter of the American College of Emergency Physicians
50) Mississippi Charter School Authorizer Board
51) Mississippi Consumer Finance Association
52) Mississippi Counseling Association
53) Mississippi Economic Council
54) Mississippi Economic Development Council, Inc.
55) Mississippi Healthcare Collaborative
56) Mississippi Optometric Association
57) Mississippi Orthopaedic Society
58) Mississippi Physicians Care Network
59) Mississippi Public Broadcasting Foundation
60) Mississippi Section, American College of Obstertricians & Gynecologists
61) Mississippi State Board of Medical Licensure
62) MS Alliance of Boys and Girls Clubs
63) NextEra Energy Resources, LLC
66) OneImaging
67) PATH Company LLC
69) PMI US Corporate Services Inc. and Affiliates
71) Regional Medical Center (Regional One Health)
72) Republic Services of MS / BFI Waste Services LLC
73) Samsara Inc.
74) Scholastic Inc
75) Secure Democracy USA And It's Affiliates
77) Sharecare
78) Singing River Health System
79) Southern Beverage Company, Inc.
80) Southern Renewable Energy Association
83) STChealth LLC
86) The Learning Internet, Inc. DBA Learning.com
87) The University of Southern Mississippi
88) Thrivist
89) Toyota Motor North America, Inc.
90) Turo Inc.
92) Unite USA Inc. (dba Unite Us)
93) Universal Health Services, Inc.
95) Wonderschool
96) Workday
97) yes. every. kid
98) Youth Villages
615-598-4336
1230 2nd Ave S, Nashville, TN, 37210,
(512)4810277
919 Congress Avenue, #550, Austin, TX, 78701,
