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

6) BenefitFocus.com, Inc.

7) Community Care of North Carolina, Inc.

8) Cystic Fibrosis Foundation

9) DaVita, Inc.

10) Dell Technologies Inc.

11) Duke Energy Business Services LLC

12) First Flight Venture Center, Inc.

13) FirstHealth of the Carolinas, Inc.

14) Foundation Medicine, Inc.

15) Gilead Sciences, Inc.

16) Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Inc., USA

17) Granville County

18) Granville Health System

19) HORNE LLP

20) ID.me, Inc.

21) Instructure, Inc.

22) Live Nation Entertainment, Inc.

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

24) ModivCare Solutions, LLC

25) Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company

26) NC Museum of Art Foundation

27) North Carolina Biotechnology Center

28) North Carolina Dental Society

29) North Carolina Oncology Association

30) North Carolina Railroad Company

31) North Carolina Society of Anesthesiologists

32) North Carolina Travel and Tourism Coalition

33) Novartis Services, Inc.

34) Purdue Pharma LP

35) SailPoint Technologies, Inc.

36) SCI North Carolina Funeral Services, Inc.

37) ServiceNow, Inc.

38) South Granville Water and Sewer Authority

39) VMware LLC and its Affiliates

40) Volvo Group North America, LLC

41) WakeMed Health and Hospitals

42) Wolfspeed, Inc.

Number of Years as a Lobbyist

20+ years

Last Updated: June 09, 2025