Introduction

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.

Achievements

"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)

Clients

1) Acadia Healthcare, Inc.

2) Accenture LLP

3) Acentra Health

4) Action Now Initiative, LLC

5) BDO Government Services, LLC

6) Bellsouth Telecommunications, LLC d/b/a AT&,T North Carolina

7) BenefitFocus.com, Inc.

8) Blue Ridge Atlantic Development, LLC, d/b/a Blue Ridge Cascade

9) Community Care of North Carolina, Inc.

10) Cystic Fibrosis Foundation

11) DaVita, Inc.

12) Dell Technologies Inc.

13) Duke Energy Business Services LLC

14) Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, Inc.

15) First Flight Venture Center, Inc.

16) FirstHealth of the Carolinas, Inc.

17) Foundation Medicine, Inc.

18) Gilead Sciences, Inc.

19) Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Inc., USA

20) Granville County

21) Granville Health System

22) ID.me, Inc.

23) Instructure, Inc.

24) Investors Title Insurance Company

25) Knoa Pharma LLC

26) Live Nation Entertainment, Inc.

27) Massage Envy -- North Carolina Region Co-op

28) Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company

29) NC Museum of Art Foundation

30) North Carolina Biotechnology Center

31) North Carolina Dental Society

32) North Carolina Oncology Association

33) North Carolina Railroad Company

34) North Carolina Society of Anesthesiologists

35) North Carolina Travel and Tourism Coalition

36) Novartis Services, Inc.

37) SailPoint Technologies, Inc.

38) SCI North Carolina Funeral Services, Inc.

39) ServiceNow, Inc.

40) South Granville Water and Sewer Authority

41) Upper Neuse River Basin Assoc., Inc.

42) VMware LLC and its Affiliates

43) Volvo Group North America, LLC

44) Vulcan Elements, Inc.

45) WakeMed Health and Hospitals

Number of Years as a Lobbyist

20+ years

Last Updated: June 25, 2026