The Government Affairs Practice Group at Gardere Wynne Sewell LLP has once again topped the Texas Lawyer Lobbying Scorecard after representing more clients and reporting more compensation than any other firm in the state during the 84th Texas Legislature.
To compile its lobbying scorecard, Texas Lawyer's editors reviewed the legislative results for 12 of the state's busiest law firm lobby shops. During the regular session, which began on Jan. 13 and ended on June 1, Gardere’s lobbying group represented a total of 90 clients. This is an increase from the 60 clients the Firm represented during the 2013 session and almost double the number of clients represented by any other firm. Subscribers can access the complete lobbying scorecard here.
During the 2015 session, the Firm assisted clients with several key pieces of legislation, many of which were listed as “hits” on the scorecard. Gardere successfully assisted clients on matters relating to taxation, insurance, energy, special districts, general business issues, transportation, the environment and other issues. The Firm’s clients range from some of the world’s largest companies, to national trade associations and Texas-based businesses.
"The Firm’s government affairs team continues to grow, and we are honored to be recognized for our hard work and dedication during this year’s legislative session,” said Austin Office Executive Partner Kimberly A. Yelkin. "Advocating before lawmakers is a responsibility we take very seriously, and our rankings this year is just another example of the commitment we have to our clients. We couldn’t be more proud of what we have accomplished this session."
Gardere’s legal lobbying team is led by Ms. Yelkin and includes Attorneys Mark Vane, Arthur Val Perkins and Royce Poinsett.
Earlier this year, the Gardere group was named the second most powerful legal lobbying team by Capitol Inside in its Annual Texas Lobby Power Rankings. In addition to the Firm's overall ranking, Mr. Poinsett, who joined the Firm in December 2014, and Mr. Vane, a veteran lobbyist, both secured spots on Capitol Inside’s “Hired Guns” list, ranking them among the top 30 lobbyists in the state.
The Austin-based Government Affairs Practice Group provides legislative, regulatory and legal representation services to private corporations and public entities that are facing issues before state governments. The team is made up of attorneys who have worked both inside and outside government, have extensive experience managing major state agencies, and have held top litigation, legislative and public policy positions.