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) Community Care of North Carolina, Inc.

9) Cystic Fibrosis Foundation

10) DaVita, Inc.

11) Dell Technologies Inc.

12) Duke Energy Business Services LLC

13) Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, Inc.

14) First Flight Venture Center, Inc.

15) FirstHealth of the Carolinas, Inc.

16) Foundation Medicine, Inc.

17) Gilead Sciences, Inc.

18) Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Inc., USA

19) Granville County

20) Granville Health System

21) ID.me, Inc.

22) Instructure, Inc.

23) Knoa Pharma LLC

24) Live Nation Entertainment, Inc.

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

26) Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company

27) NC Museum of Art Foundation

28) North Carolina Biotechnology Center

29) North Carolina Dental Society

30) North Carolina Oncology Association

31) North Carolina Railroad Company

32) North Carolina Society of Anesthesiologists

33) North Carolina Travel and Tourism Coalition

34) Novartis Services, Inc.

35) SailPoint Technologies, Inc.

36) SCI North Carolina Funeral Services, Inc.

37) ServiceNow, Inc.

38) South Granville Water and Sewer Authority

39) Upper Neuse River Basin Assoc., Inc.

40) VMware LLC and its Affiliates

41) Volvo Group North America, LLC

42) Vulcan Elements, Inc.

43) WakeMed Health and Hospitals

Number of Years as a Lobbyist

20+ years

Last Updated: May 05, 2026