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) Cummins Inc
14) East Tennessee Children's Hospital
15) Eric A. Gang & Associates, P.A.
17) Excellence in Education National, Inc. d/b/a Excellence in Education in Action
18) Giarratana, LLC
22) HORNE LLP
24) JPMorgan Chase Holdings, LLC
26) Kira Learning
29) Metropolitan Government of Nashville/ Davidson County
32) Nashville Teacher Residency
34) National Mentor Holdings, LLC
36) Palantir Technologies Inc.
37) PMI Global Services Inc., Swedish Match North America LLC, and Affiliates
38) PMI US Corporate Services Inc. and Affiliates
40) Purfoods, LLC
42) Ryan, LLC
43) Samsara, Inc
44) Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association
47) Tennessean's for Quality Early Education
49) tnAchieves
53) Volkert, Inc.
54) 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) Cummins Inc
14) East Tennessee Children's Hospital
15) Eric A. Gang & Associates, P.A.
17) Excellence in Education National, Inc. d/b/a Excellence in Education in Action
19) Giarratana, LLC
23) HORNE LLP
25) JPMorgan Chase Holdings, LLC
27) Kira Learning
33) Nashville Teacher Residency
35) National Mentor Holdings, LLC
37) Palantir Technologies Inc.
38) PMI Global Services Inc., Swedish Match North America LLC, and Affiliates
39) PMI US Corporate Services Inc. and Affiliates
41) Prisma Health
42) Purfoods, LLC
44) Ryan, LLC
45) Samsara, Inc
46) Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association
47) SharpRank
50) Tennessean's for Quality Early Education
53) tnAchieves
54) Tootsies Entertainment LLC
59) Volkert, Inc.
60) Workday, Inc.
615-357-4923
1230 2nd Ave. South, Suite 2704, Nashville, TN, 37210,
2) Affordable Equity Partners, Inc.
3) American Beverage Association
4) American Federation for Children
6) Brightstar Global Solutions Corporation
8) Cavnue LLC
10) Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport Authority
11) Cummins Inc
13) Excellence in Education National, Inc. d/b/a Excellence in Education in Action
15) Giarratana, LLC
18) HORNE LLP
20) JPMorgan Chase Holdings, LLC
27) PMI Global Services Inc., Swedish Match North America LLC, and Affiliates
28) PMI US Corporate Services Inc. and Affiliates
30) Prisma Health
31) Purfoods, LLC
32) Reagan Outdoor Advertising
34) Ryan, LLC
35) Samsara, Inc
36) Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association
37) SharpRank
40) Tennessean's for Quality Early Education
41) Tennessee Academy of Anesthesiologist Assistants
42) Tennessee Fire Service Legislative Coalition
44) tnAchieves
45) Tootsies Entertainment LLC
49) Volkert, Inc.
50) 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
3) American Federation for Children
8) Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport Authority
9) CodeCrew
10) East Tennessee Children's Hospital
11) Eric A. Gang & Associates, P.A.
13) Excellence in Education National, Inc. d/b/a Excellence in Education in Action
14) Giarratana, LLC
17) HORNE LLP
18) JPMorgan Chase Holdings, LLC
20) Kira Learning
23) Nashville Teacher Residency
25) National Mentor Holdings, LLC
27) PMI US Corporate Services Inc. and Affiliates
28) Purfoods, LLC
30) Samsara, Inc
31) Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association
34) Tennessean's for Quality Early Education
35) Tennessee Academy of Anesthesiologist Assistants
36) Tennessee Fire Service Legislative Coalition
38) tnAchieves
39) Volkert, Inc.
40) Workday, Inc.
