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 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 Practice Groups, 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; 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 Representation 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. Four attorneys in the practice group are included in the publication The Best Lawyers in America*, one since 1983, one since 1987, and two since 1995. Four attorneys have been selected as "Legal Elite"* by Business North Carolina, two since 2002, one in 2005, 2007, and 2008, and one is a member of the Legal Elite Hall of Fame in the field of Corporate Counsel. Three attorneys have been recognized as "Super Lawyers"* by North Carolina Super Lawyers from 2006-2008. One of the attorneys in the practice group is one of only 113 attorneys nationwide and the only attorney in North Carolina included in the 2007 BTI Client Service All-Star Team and also is a member of the North Carolina Bar Association Hall of Fame.
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 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.
Our attorneys belong to many organizations relating to their practices areas and are members of numerous professional organizations such as the American Intellectual Property Law Association, American College of Real Estate Lawyers, American College of Trust and Estate Counsel, Carolinas Council of Housing Redevelopment and Codes Officials, Eastern North Carolina Inn of Court, North Carolina Agribusiness Council, Inc., North Carolina Bankers Association, and North Carolina Chamber.
