The Government Representation Practice Group assists clients with a variety of government-based concerns and lobbying issues. The group consists of three practice groups geared toward providing our clients with the best representation. The Government Relations Practice Group assists clients in all levels of government contact; the Government Contracts Practice Group handles all aspects of government contracts; and the Government Representations Practice Group serves government entities. The section routinely assists clients in complex matters involving domestic and international negotiations and transactions, and our attorneys have the benefit of personal experience in elected and appointed offices, in senior positions in state and federal government, and on corporate boards. As a section, the team represents businesses, trade associations, nonprofit organizations, government entities, political action committees, and individuals at the local, state, national, and international levels.
The Government Relations Practice Group participates in legislative, regulatory, and lobbying efforts at the state and federal levels and actively assists clients in dealing with governments at all levels. Through a variety of personal experiences, our attorneys have developed a unique knowledge and understanding of the personalities and practical workings of the legislative and regulatory processes and the agencies and entities involved in those processes. The practice group has lobbied for complex legislation and has participated in drafting bills and legislation at local, state, and federal levels. The Government Relations Practice Group supports clients in dealing with agencies and military commands and with obtaining assistance from their elected officials. The practice group also works with political action committees and candidate committees, including formation, documentation, and ongoing compliance concerns.
The attorneys of the Government Relations Practice Group are global problem-solvers, seeking to settle conflicts through discussions and by making the right contacts, rather than through dispute. We not only draw on the experience of other attorneys in the firm such as those in the Business, Construction, International, and Litigation Sections, but we also build strong working relationships with government officials and use a network of attorneys, state officials, and court officials to get the job done. As one attorney says, "Sometimes 10 minutes of conversation is worth an hour of research."
The Government Contracts Practice Group assists clients in procuring, negotiating, and administering government contracts at all levels. The practice group advises clients on federal acquisition regulations; works with general contractors and their subcontractors on government contracts; and assists in resolving disputes and, when necessary, in contract terminations and bid protests. The practice group employs a broad strategy to achieve efficient and effective results.
The Government Representations Practice Group actively represents government entities and agencies, including municipalities, public housing authorities, economic development entities, the state of North Carolina, state agencies, and boards and commissions formed by the state government. Our attorneys also assist other state governments that have business in North Carolina. The practice group provides a range of services, including acting as city and board attorneys; counseling governments on planning, land use, and development issues; drafting contracts and alliance agreements; drafting ordinances and policies; providing representation on political issues; dealing with matters of procurement, environmental regulations, government mandates, and policies for disbursing government funds; and assisting housing authorities and municipalities on compliance with state and federal laws.
Our attorneys provide solutions for clients by using all the resources of Ward and Smith and tapping the resources we cultivate outside the firm. Six attorneys in the Government Affairs Section are included in The Best Lawyers in America and in "Legal Elite," a list of the 200 best attorneys in the state by Business North Carolina.
Attorneys in the Government Representation Practice Group bring to their work a range of complementary experience including the following: legal advisor to a number of major North Carolina companies; legal counsel in private businesses including PepsiCo and Nutri/Systems; chief executive officer of a privately held company and a large franchising company; Assistant Judge Advocate General and Judge Advocate General of the U.S. Army (the attorney brings with him extensive contacts around the world); presidential appointment to serve as the Secretary of Defense's representative to the Organization on Security and Cooperation in Europe; senior policy advisor and chief of staff to the late U.S. Senator Terry Sanford; law school instructor; member of commissions and boards of the state government, the University of North Carolina system, and private business and nonprofit enterprises; member and officer of the state chapter and Coastal Plains Chapter of the North Carolina World Trade Association; member of boards of for-profit, nonprofit, and educational institutions; chairman of the board of a legal foundation and member of a business commission; continuing legal education lecturer for the North Carolina Bar Association; and author and lecturer.
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