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Government Relations

The government relations attorneys at McDaniel Wolff understand that businesses facing legislative and regulatory challenges require sound and strategic advice to ensure that their views are heard in legislatures, in regulatory agencies, by governors, and among state attorneys general. The extent to which a business or other organization succeeds in its mission may be directly impacted by state government in a variety of ways. An entity’s public policy strategy can be a key component to its overall success, as well as the success in a particular transaction or dispute.

Our government relations team is led by Dustin McDaniel who was elected in 2007 as the 55th Attorney General for the State of Arkansas where he served until 2015.

If we can assist you with any government relations matters, please call or email one of our attorneys featured on this page, or submit an inquiry via our contact form available here.

Full-Service Government Relations Practice

McDaniel Wolff regularly represents clients before state and local governments and state administrative agencies, protecting our client’s business interests and promoting their concerns before legislative and regulatory decision makers. Our government relations team provides clients optimal guidance, lobbying, and advocacy before Arkansas legislative and executive bodies to allow our clients the opportunity to proactively participate in the development of statutes and regulations that affect them.

Our government relations team is composed of lawyers committed to representing our clients’ interests at all levels of local, regional, national and cross-border governing bodies in Arkansas and throughout the nation. In this wide-ranging practice, we combine legal and advocacy skills with strategic experience that has been developed over years of work on an extensive variety of legislative, regulatory and public-policy projects.

On behalf of our clients needing government relations services, we:

• Analyze advocacy requirements and opportunities, including the legislative and regulatory content of issues
• Monitor and report on legislative and regulatory developments
• Develop and implement legislative policy and strategy
• Advocate the client’s interest directly with members of the legislature and executive branch
• Coordinate with other industry participants and policy or trade advocacy groups
• Identify key stakeholders and interests
• Develop strategic relationships to key executive officials and represent clients at fundraisers, receptions, political functions and other gatherings
• Analyze industry trends and forecasts
• Identify optimal client opportunities
• Develop advocacy messaging and presentations and testimony
• Support client internal or external communication requirements

Our government relations section is comprised of professionals with extensive experience serving clients in diverse industries such as agriculture, casino gaming, healthcare, social media, data and telecommunications, tobacco, medical cannabis, multi-state retailers, and manufacturing. These attorneys and lobbyists have significant experience representing clients before state and federal agencies as well as the Arkansas State Legislature regarding development of new legislation, responses to legislation that would disrupt or end current business practices.

Our relationships with members of the legislative and executive branches of state government are both personal and professional, and we have a solid reputation for implementing winning strategies, as well as thoroughly understanding the intricacies of the legislative process, working with leaders of both major political parties, and finding solutions where others only see problems.

State Attorney General Investigations

Our government relations team also maintains a focus on representing clients facing state attorney general investigations. State attorneys general play a significant role overseeing consumer protection, antitrust enforcement, environmental protection, fair credit practices and neutralization of false claims and advertising.  In this role, they can have a tremendous impact on how a company, or an entire industry, operates. Given our experience as former members of AG offices, we understand the necessity to strike the right balance between cooperation, negotiation and litigation when facing an investigation.

Our state AG investigation representation includes:

• Unfair trade practices
• Consumer protection: False advertising, false claims
• Data collection, breach and privacy
• Environmental enforcement
• Antitrust and merger review
• Credit reporting
• Anti-kickback allegations
• Consumer fraud
• Civil rights
• Wage and hour investigations
• Securities investigations

We will help you develop and execute your strategy for creating lines of communication with investigators and represent you in all interactions from initial administrative meetings through courtroom proceedings should they occur. If the circumstances call for it, we have the experience to confidently try these cases on your behalf. We possess the resources to respond to all levels of investigation and have access to additional assets as needed if media attention threatens to negatively impact your business or reputation.  

Administrative & Regulatory Law

Government regulation can have a profound impact on a company’s business operations and is a crucial factor in corporate strategic planning. Regulatory and enforcement actions by federal and state agencies can impose significant costs, foreclose promising opportunities, and at times threaten a company’s vitality or even an entire industry.

The correct response to government regulatory actions will vary. Sometimes a court challenge is necessary. Other times, the best approach involves further proceedings before the relevant agency. In either case, a thorough understanding of the principles governing agency conduct is essential. Our government relations attorneys are well-versed in these principles and have an exceptional capacity to represent clients in this area. The group’s lawyers include many with high-level government experience and prior service in top legal, policy and enforcement positions at state agencies. Our cross-disciplinary teams work with top subject matter practitioners across the firm, including those from our litigation, business and corporate law, and criminal defense practice groups.

Our attorneys have practiced before numerous professional licensure boards, including the Arkansas State Board of Pharmacy, Arkansas State Medical Board, Arkansas State Board of Dental Examiners, Arkansas State Board of Nursing, Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board, Arkansas Social Work Licensing Board, Arkansas Appraiser Licensing and Certification Board, Arkansas State Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers and Professional Surveyors, and the Arkansas Health Services Permit Agency.

We also have extensive experience representing our clients before the the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration, the Arkansas Alcoholic Beverage Control Board, Arkansas Claims Commission, the Arkansas Insurance Department, the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Commission, and the Arkansas Racing Commission.

If we can assist you with any government relations matters, please call or email one of our attorneys featured on this page, or submit an inquiry via our contact form available here.