Government Relations

Successful companies need a strategy to manage government relations activities that impact their business. Butler Snow’s Government Relations Team offers the experience and expertise to help companies navigate today’s complex legislative and regulatory environment. Our team has the insight and contacts to deal with any challenge.

We develop strategies to help businesses take advantage of opportunities, overcome obstacles, and educate policymakers at the local, state and federal level. We also provide “corporate troubleshooting” or crisis management. Our Government Relations Team has the experience in handling major regulatory, compliance or enforcement legal issues utilizing a combination of political, public relations, and mass media expertise.

Our Government Relations Team operates directly in the legislative arena where we coordinate and direct lobbying efforts for our clients. We track legislation in real time at the state and federal levels so that we can alert clients to new developments as soon as they occur. One of our key assets is knowledge of the chain of command and the respective areas of responsibility and influence of the hundreds of state boards and commissions in government offices, enabling us to provide more expedient and effective service to our clients.

Our firm’s legislative work consists of monitoring for statutory or regulatory changes or problems on behalf of business clients, drafting and reviewing legislation of interest to clients, preparing client arguments on draft legislation, advising clients on the construction and effect of proposed or pending legislation, intelligence gathering, and providing strategic and political guidance and advice for lobbying efforts. This legislative work requires an intimate understanding of the legislative process, the rules under which both houses operate and the individuals who control the flow of legislation. Often a major legislative issue involves such frenetic work inside the legislature that the project requires a manager for the entire effort, who has the ability to assess the big picture and offer a more dispassionate perspective than the emotionally charged legislative process allows. Our Government Relations Team members are skilled in providing this specialized expertise to our clients.

Our strategic approach not only provides traditional lobbying services for clients but also provides business development services. Because we have a wide array of contacts at every level of government and the private sector, the Government Relations Team can connect clients with key decision makers across the state, region, and nation. Our bipartisan experience helps us operate effectively on both sides of the aisle. By working directly with policy makers, we develop and execute government relations strategies that help our clients meet their goals.

With our capabilities, we serve as a key resource for our clients by leading and executing business development plans. We work closely with our clients to understand key business development goals, formulate specific action plans, and ensure we regularly measure progress. Our team develops plans for business of all sizes, from small start-ups to mid-size firms to larger corporations, serving as a sole resource for business development activities, or enhancing our clients’ internal team to help implement and achieve strategies for business growth.