Filter By Service Area
Filter By Title
Filter By Office
Governmental Relations and Ethics
Governmental Relations and Ethics

Governmental Relations and Ethics

    Our governmental relations team and strategic partners are able to protect your interests in Louisiana across many industries by monitoring and reporting on regulatory developments, drawing high level support in favor of or opposition to proposed legislation as well as drafting legislation beneficial to your operations. When challenged by laws and regulations, our clients depend on us to provide effective representation before governmental agencies and other regulatory bodies in the state.

    We provide detailed representation in the public sector by integrating our clients’ State and local business goals and participating in the legislative and executive branch processes. We understand that a broad range of public policy tools can be applied to achieving our clients’ business and other strategic objectives. Beginning with a clear articulation of a client’s needs, we implement strategies that may touch upon legislative or executive processes at a State or local level. We believe in working with clients to devise solutions to business and organizational challenges, formulate changes in the State law, ensure access to key decision makers in business and government, and develop strategies to implement those solutions with reliance on public policy tools.

    We have strong relationships with officials in the Legislative branch, the Judicial branch and especially, the Executive branch of State government. We have relationships with State department heads and their staffs. We also have strong relationships in place with lobbyists and technical professionals throughout Louisiana to provide clients with the breadth and depth needed to address issues and projects that touch multiple jurisdictions. In addition, we are comfortable with participating in or managing broad initiatives. The Governmental Relations Team routinely joins forces with outside lawyers, lobbyists, event planners and other specialists to create the best approach for meeting objectives of our clients.

    We remain committed to furthering the economic well being of Louisiana and surrounding areas. We recognize the need for businesses and citizen groups to unite in their efforts to promote trade, commerce and industry. The involvement of many of our attorneys in the civic activities of the region, combined with the varied backgrounds of our governmental relations professionals, enables us to have access to government affairs at many levels.

    We maintain close working relationships with State and local government officials and their staffs. We have substantial experience with the legislative process and an extensive understanding of budgets, appropriations and authorization processes. We recognize that the profitability, reputation and existence of any business in today’s highly regulated and competitive environment depends upon its success at adapting to rapidly changing market forces and industry regulations, avoiding and combating legal entanglements and access to appropriate government officials and business leaders.

    Our attorneys include active participants in a host of industry-specific organizations which keep our firm on top of emerging issues in those industries.Our attorneys and strategic partners in this area protect the interests of BSW clients across many industries by monitoring and reporting on regulatory developments; drawing high-level support in favor of or opposition to proposed legislation; and drafting legislation beneficial to their operations. When challenged by laws and regulations, clients depend on us to provide effective representation before governmental agencies and other regulatory bodies.

    Within governmental relations, our attorneys advise organizations with employees who interact regularly with Louisiana’s public officials on the comprehensive rules – mostly restrictions – imposed by Louisiana’s governmental ethics laws. These laws contain restrictions and other requirements on providing gifts and other things of value to public officials and prohibiting numerous types of contractual arrangements involving public officials. They also advises Louisiana governmental entities and their employees concerning those restrictions and requirements upon them, as well as their inability to participate in certain transactions and the financial disclosure requirements that are imposed upon them.

    Our attorneys regularly writes opinion letters to clients in response to their inquiries. Concerning whether a particular action is prohibited under the ethics code and, if so, any potential ways around the prohibition.

    Related Articles

    View More