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 Beverage Association
4) American Federation for Children
7) Brightstar Global Solutions Corporation
9) Cavnue LLC
11) Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport Authority
12) CodeCrew
13) East Tennessee Children's Hospital
14) Eric A. Gang & Associates, P.A.
15) Excellence in Education National, Inc. d/b/a Excellence in Education in Action
16) Giarratana, LLC
20) HORNE LLP
22) JPMorgan Chase Holdings, LLC
24) Kira Learning
27) Metropolitan Government of Nashville/ Davidson County
30) Nashville Teacher Residency
32) National Mentor Holdings, LLC
34) Palantir Technologies Inc.
35) PMI Global Services Inc., Swedish Match North America LLC, and Affiliates
36) PMI US Corporate Services Inc. and Affiliates
38) Purfoods, LLC
40) Ryan, LLC
41) Samsara, Inc
42) Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association
44) Tennessean's for Quality Early Education
46) tnAchieves
50) Volkert, Inc.
51) Workday, Inc.
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 Beverage Association
4) American Federation for Children
7) Brightstar Global Solutions Corporation
9) Cavnue LLC
11) Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport Authority
12) CodeCrew
13) East Tennessee Children's Hospital
14) Eric A. Gang & Associates, P.A.
15) Excellence in Education National, Inc. d/b/a Excellence in Education in Action
17) Giarratana, LLC
21) HORNE LLP
23) JPMorgan Chase Holdings, LLC
25) Kira Learning
31) Nashville Teacher Residency
33) National Mentor Holdings, LLC
35) Palantir Technologies Inc.
36) PMI Global Services Inc., Swedish Match North America LLC, and Affiliates
37) PMI US Corporate Services Inc. and Affiliates
39) Prisma Health
40) Purfoods, LLC
42) Ryan, LLC
43) Samsara, Inc
44) Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association
45) SharpRank
47) Tennessean's for Quality Early Education
50) tnAchieves
51) Tootsies Entertainment LLC
56) Volkert, Inc.
57) 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
8) Cummins Inc
10) Excellence in Education National, Inc. d/b/a Excellence in Education in Action
12) Giarratana, LLC
14) HORNE LLP
16) JPMorgan Chase Holdings, LLC
23) PMI Global Services Inc., Swedish Match North America LLC, and Affiliates
24) PMI US Corporate Services Inc. and Affiliates
26) Prisma Health
27) Purfoods, LLC
29) Ryan, LLC
30) Samsara, Inc
31) Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association
32) SharpRank
33) Tennessean's for Quality Early Education
35) tnAchieves
36) Tootsies Entertainment LLC
40) Volkert, Inc.
41) Workday, Inc.
615-357-4923
611 Commerce Street, Suite 2704, Nashville, TN, 37203,
615-357-4923
611 Commerce Street, Suite 2704, Nashville, TN, 37203,
615-598-4336
1230 2nd Ave S, Nashville, TN, 37210,
2) American Beverage Association
6) CodeCrew
7) East Tennessee Children's Hospital
8) Eric A. Gang & Associates, P.A.
10) Excellence in Education National, Inc. d/b/a Excellence in Education in Action
11) Giarratana, LLC
13) HORNE LLP
