The TAG network consists of the top lobbying firms across the US, public affairs specialists in various countries and specialty services.

US Members:
50-States
DC Council
US Congress

International:
Profile Consulting (Aust) Pty Ltd (Australia)
Tactix (Canada)
Monarch Global Strategies (Mexico, Central & South America)
Kesarev (Russia, CIS, Central Asia, Central & Eastern Europe, Turkey & Israel)
Instinctif Partners (United Kingdom & the European Union)

Specialty members:
Five Corners Strategies (Grassroots Advocacy & Public Affairs)
FOCUS, a Leonine Business (50-State Legislative & Regulatory Tracking & Analysis)
Select Litigation (Jury Selection)
Bullpen, LLC (Market Entry Strategy)
The Virtuous Cycle Collaboratory (Social Enterprise Business Development)
Law Offices of Mitchell D. Gravo, Inc. (Specialty Member)

20+ years

Mayor, City of Portland (2005-2006)

Portland City Council (2002-2008)

Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority, Board member (2021 - present). (confirmable position)

Portland Regional Chamber, Chair (2012-14), Trustee (2008-16; 2019- present)

Portland Community Chamber of Commerce, President (2019-21), Trustee (2016-present)

Maine State Chamber of Commerce, Trustee (2009 - present)

Federal Communications Bar Association, New England Steering Committee (2011 - present)

Portland Charter Commission, Vice-Chair (2009-2010)

Cumberland County Budget Advisory Committee, Chair (2005)

U.S. Conference of Mayors, Community and Faith-Based Initiatives Task Force, Vice Chair (2006)

Greater Portland Transit District, Trustee (2002-2005)

Project Green Schools, Advisory Trustee (2017-present)

Portland Trails, President (1997-1998), Advisory Trustee (2002 - present)

Mayor's Healthy Portland Task Force (2006-2008)

Portland School Department, Budget and Revenue Task Force, Chair (2013-4)

AV rated by Martindale-Hubbell

Recognized in Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business under Energy & Natural Resources Law

Listed in The Best Lawyers in America for Administrative/Regulatory Law, Government Relations Practice, Energy Regulatory Law in Portland, Maine

Selected by peers for inclusion in New England Super Lawyers under Utilities, Banking and Government Relations

Recognized by Best Lawyers as the 2020 Portland, Maine Energy Law Lawyer of the Year

Neal W. Allen Award for Leadership in the Public Sector (2009)

Ruth M. Shaper Memorial Award, Maine Public Health Association (2008)

Public Service for the Environment Award, Sierra Club, ME Chapter (2006)

As a registered lobbyist for more than 25 years, Jim has developed strong relationships with key legislative leaders, committee members, and state agency officials on both sides of the aisle and across a wide range of policy areas.

As a former municipal official of Maine's largest city, including service on the Legislative Policy Committee of the Maine Municipal Association, Jim has developed an extensive network of municipal officials throughout the State of Maine.

Jim has represented several large statewide trade associations with members throughout the state which allowed him to develop strong relationships over many years with members of the state's banking industry, the water utility industry, the wastewater and sewer district community, county commissioners, and attorneys.

Jim for many years has been an active board member of the Maine State Chamber of Commerce whose board is comprised of business leaders from many of Maine's largest companies.

Jim has in recent years served as board chair of the Portland Regional Chamber and the Portland Community Chamber, which positions are highly visible within the business and government communities in the Portland area.

As a practicing public utilities lawyer, Jim has appeared before the Maine Public Utilities Commission and its staff since the early 1990s. In this role, he has also worked closely the Governor's Energy Office, the Office of Public Advocate, the Maine Department of Transportation, and staff from the Governor's Office across multiple administrations.

As a regulatory lawyer who practice includes representing local government agencies and attorneys, Jim has developed long-standing relationships within many state agencies, including Maine's Judicial Branch, professional licensing agencies, the Maine Department of Health and Human Services, the Maine Department of Environmental Protection, the Maine Department of Administrative and Financial Services, the Bureau of Financial Institutions, the Bureau of Consumer Credit Protection, the Department of Economic and Community Development, the Maine Bond Bank, the Finance Authority of Maine, the University of Maine System, and the Maine Community College System.

Jim has also developed long-standing relationships with the members of Maine's Congressional delegations and their staff.

Jim joined Verrill in 1991 has been a partner since 1999. He currently chairs Verrill's Energy, Telecommunications, and Natural Resources practice group, and he is a founding Director of Maine Street Solutions, Verrill's government relations affiliate. Jim focuses his legal and government relations practice on the following areas:

Energy
Telecommunications
Water and Wastewater Systems
Municipal Law
Procurement
Transportation
Substance Use Disorder Treatment

Jim's unique background as a regulatory lawyer, former Mayor, and trained mediator allows him to provide clients not only with insightful legal advice, but also with creative solutions involving public relations, facilitation, and outreach to key government, business, and community leaders. His experience in public service and leadership positions on multiple business and nonprofit boards gives him a deep understanding of government and a broad range of connections within Maine's business and political community. Applying these skills across a wide range of regulated industries, Jim has helped craft or modify laws and regulations; represented clients in adjudicatory proceedings before government agencies and the courts; assisted clients in complex business transactions; facilitated thousands of board, committee, and stakeholder group meetings; served as a public speaker or moderator at numerous conferences, seminars, trade association meetings, and televised news programs; and provided a wide range of legal and public policy advice.

Jim is a graduate of Columbia University School of Law (J.D.), Princeton University, Princeton School of Public and International Affairs, and the University of Southern Maine (Certificate Program in Mediation).

DAN RILEY chairs NHD's Government Relations Practice. He has over 25 years of experience as a lawyer/lobbyist representing clients before the Maine Legislature, the U.S. Congress, and various state and federal agencies of government. Dan also has extensive experience representing clients in government contract procurement.

His practice includes representation of a wide variety of industries and trade associations with a particular emphasis on the energy sector. Dan has participated in most of the major legislative initiatives involving this industry since the restructuring of the electricity markets in Maine in the late 1990's.

In addition to his legislative and government relations practice, Dan has broad experience representing candidates and political action committees on campaign finance issues before the Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices. He served as Counsel to the Maine Republican Party and as State Counsel to two Republican presidential campaigns and is a member of the Republican National Lawyers Association.

Dan is the sole member of the National Association of State Lobbyists representing the state of Maine. He served as the Chair of the Government Affairs Practice Group of Lex Mundi, an international association of law firms. Dan has been listed in Best Lawyers in America for his government relations practice since 2007 and was the Lawyer of the Year for that practice area in 2013.

In addition to his legal practice, Dan serves on the Board of Directors of the Maine State Chamber of Commerce and has served on the Steering Committee of The Nature Conservancy's Corporate Conservation Council of Maine. He also served on the Board of Directors of the Maine Chapter of the Coastal Conservation Association and has served as CCA's pro bono legislative counsel for over fifteen years. Between college and law school, Dan served as a deep sea diving officer in the United States Navy.

11-15 years

Since 2019, Andy has consistently been selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America, Government Relations Practice. Andy was named a New England Trailblazer in Government Affairs by Connecticut Law Tribune, 2019. Andy was also recognized in Super Lawyers as a Rising Star in Lobbying from 2016-2020. He is a graduate of the State Government Affairs Council Professional Certificate Program.

Over twenty years in Maine politics, lobbying for over twelve years.

Andy is the founder of Resolve Government Relations.

He represents a wide range of clients at every level of Maine government including the Maine Legislature, the executive branch, state agencies, and municipalities. His practice focuses on general business regulation and improving the regulatory climate for businesses.

He represents a multinational brewery, a multinational education publisher and test assessment provider, large statewide trade associations, national medical companies, national technology companies, and many others. Active in Maine politics for over two decades, Andy has strong relationships with key decision makers at the State House and all levels of Maine government.

Prior to founding Resolve Government Relations, Andy was a senior partner at Preti Flaherty, a regional law firm in New England, and practiced in the Government Affairs group there for over twelve years.

Before law school, Andy worked for Governor John Baldacci as the Director of Boards and Commissions within the Office of the Governor. In this role, he was the primary advisor to Governor John Baldacci on thousands of appointments to hundreds of state boards and commissions. Andy also worked closely with members of the Maine House and Senate on hundreds of gubernatorial appointments requiring legislative confirmation.

Andy is admitted to practice law in Maine; Massachusetts; the U.S District Court for the District of Maine; the U.S. Court of Appeals, First Circuit; U.S. Court of Appeals, D.C. Circuit; and the United States Supreme Court.

He is a graduate of the University of Maine School of Law (J.D.) and Bowdoin College (A.B.).

Andy is a member of the Maine Development Foundation, Leadership Maine, Allagash Class; served on the Board of Directors for Habitat for Humanity of Greater Portland; and the Southern Midcoast Maine Chamber, Government Liaison Committee.

15-20 years

Mike was named 2021, 2020 and 2013 (27th, 26th and 19th editions) "Lawyer of the Year" by his peers (BestLawyers.com), for his work in Government Relations Practice, and has been listed in the same publication every year as a top Maine lawyer.

In 2020, Mike received the Katahdin Counsel Recognition Program's certificate of commendation for completion of over 50 hours of pro bono work.

At Maine Street Solutions, Mike and the team serve everyone from fortune 50 companies to the local statewide food bank. They believe in a multi-lateral strategic approach to problem solving wherein they leave egos aside and focus on achieving positive results for clients. Mike and the team do not believe in silos in government relations. They know that everyone on the team needs to have the right information so they can provide the right message to the right person at the right time. They also know that to broaden the impact of their client's message they need to use all the levers of communication: from direct advocacy to media relations, from grass roots influencing to social media, from legal advocacy to coalition building. Mike and the team know that this integrated, strategic approach brings the best chance of success for clients. AT MSS, Mike and the team are extremely competitive and want their clients to always win.
Mike and the team frequently work with clients on national strategies using Maine as a test-case to hone messages, tactics, and policy, and then help those clients develop a national strategic approach to implement their strategy. Through that work they have achieved great successes across the country, ranging from expanding access to prescription drugs and healthcare to creating best practices for good government initiatives.
If an issue touches the public, whether it be government or community relations, crisis communications or procurement, national or local issues, the MSS team has the relationships and skills to advance your interest.
Mike grew up in Bangor, graduated from Bowdoin College and the University of Maine School of Law, represented the West End of Portland in the Legislature and currently resides in Belgrade with his wife and daughter. When Mike is not on the phone with a client or lawmaker, he can be frequently found walking in the woods near his home with the family dog, Dory.

Mike Cuzzi joined Cornerstone's federal and state government relations teams in February 2021 as a principal. Mike's expertise is focused on energy and environmental issues. He is based in Maine and is assisting the firm in building out its Northeast Regional capabilities for states including Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts.

Mike has two decades of experience working with businesses, industry associations and political leaders throughout New York, Massachusetts, Maine and New Hampshire. Prior to joining Cornerstone, Mike held senior positions at a major global renewable energy company, a Washington, D.C.-based strategic communications consultancy, and managed his own government relations practice servicing clients across the northeast and Washington, D.C. He has two decades of political campaign experience and relationships, having previously served in senior positions on both presidential and congressional campaigns. Mike has extensive experience advocating before state and federal legislative and regulatory bodies, including the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the U.S. Department of Energy, Congress and the White House. Mike's practice focuses on clean energy and climate change, blending his experience in both the public and private sectors.

Mike lives in Scarborough, ME with his wife and two children

20+ years

Senior Planner, Maine State Planning Office 1992-1998

William V. Ferdinand Jr.
Shareholder & Chair, Legislative & Government Relations Practice Group

Bill Ferdinand's practice focuses on representing clients in the Maine Legislature and practicing energy, environmental and land use law. Bill leads the legislative lobbying team for the firm. He represents a wide variety of clients in the Maine Legislature, from multi-national corporations to small businesses and individuals. Bill also provides state and municipal regulatory advice and assistance, particularly in the areas of energy, environmental and land use law.

Areas of Practice for William V. Ferdinand Jr.
Economic Development
Environmental & Land Use
Legislative & Government Relations
Natural Resources & Timberlands

Bar Admissions
Maine
Connecticut

Education
Vermont Law School, Masters of Environmental Law, 1992
Tulane University Law School, J.D., 1987
St. Lawrence University, B.A., 1984

Memberships and Affiliations
E2Tech Council, Board Member
Maine State Bar Section on Environmental Law, Member
Maine State Bar Association, Member
American Bar Association, Member
Brunswick Topsham Land Use Trust, Board Member

20+ years

Jay has been with Maine Street Solutions since 2001 in his role as a government affairs consultant. Previously, Jay served as a legislative assistant in Washington for then-Congressman John Baldacci where he focused on agricultural, environmental, and taxation issues. Jay provides direct advocacy services on behalf of clients in a wide array issues, including energy, transportation, telecommunications, public safety, natural resource utilization, taxation, and professional regulation and licensure.

In 2007, he spearheaded the effort to pass legislation to increase safety on Maine's roads, receiving the AAA Traffic Safety Excellence Award in recognition for his efforts. Jay provides campaign finance and strategic advice to numerous political action committees, including with respect to ballot initiatives and the campaign activities of legislative leadership.

Jay was awarded the 2009 Eisenhower Fellowship for Agriculture, which allowed him to travel to the European Union and India to study agricultural and energy related issues. Jay grew up on a dairy farm in Leeds, Maine, and he attended Virginia Tech where he graduated with a degree in Agricultural and Applied Economics.

11-15 years

Sara has been with Maine Street Solutions since 2011 as a government affairs consultant. Previously, Sara spent 11 years working for the Maine Senate Republican Office, including the last year as Chief of Staff. In addition to serving as a trusted political and strategic advisor to Maine leaders, Sara has served as a key aid on numerous public policy issues ranging from health care, to energy and telecommunications, to education, to taxation, to the environment.

She is a well-known and well-respected part of the team that engineered the 2010 Republican victories in the Maine Legislature, and she uses her experience to guide MSS' lobbying and political efforts at the state and federal level. Sara provides a wide range of legislative and lobby services for businesses, educational institutions, regulated entities, and nonprofit organizations. She also assists clients in community outreach and grassroots/grasstops efforts, and as a member the Maine State Chamber of Commerce's Public Policy Committee on Human Resources, she helps guide the Chamber's position on public policy issues.
Sara is a graduate of the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Prior to politics, Sara worked as a substitute teacher, tutor, and cross-country running and track coach at both the middle school and high school level. When she is not working in the legislative or campaign arena, Sara lives in Oxford where she spends much of her time with her husband and teenage son running cross-country, skiing, mountain biking, and racing their sled dogs.