Government Relations

HWG provides full service state and local government relations in Virginia.  Our clients range from small non-profit organizations to large municipalities and Fortune 500 corporations.  Regardless of the issue, the keys to success are both knowing how to navigate the process at all levels of state and local government and having strong relationships with important policy makers throughout the Commonwealth.   Our experienced government relations team members have worked as aides to state legislators, staff attorneys to the Virginia General Assembly and as senior attorneys in the Office of the Virginia Attorney General.  Our law practice includes local and regional government clients throughout the state.  So we know the process and the people in state and local government. As advocates, we work closely with our clients to understand their priorities in order to develop and implement strategies that will provide them with the best chance to achieve their goals.

Legislative and Administrative Advocacy

With over 3,000 pieces of legislation introduced each 45-60 day General Assembly session, having an experienced team in Richmond to sift through all the daily noise in order to protect or advance the interests of your organization is vital.  We have researched and drafted hundreds of legislative measures and state budget proposals over the past 20 years and routinely work directly with key elected officials and their staff to successfully advance legislation each year. Our legislative team devotes all of their time and attention to the General Assembly when it is in session.  We advocate vigorously for measures sought by our clients and work to fend off or mitigate the impacts of legislation that may have negative impacts. HWG strives to keep clients informed throughout the process with regular, weekly calls and reports and we are always available at a moment’s notice for consultation during the hectic-paced session.  During the rest of the year, when the legislature is not in session, we advocate through the administrative and regulatory processes for client initiatives that can be achieved without legislation, which is often the most effective strategy if applicable.

Doing Business with the Government

As a private vendor, pursuing business opportunities with state agencies or local governments can be daunting.  Our GR team understands the public procurement process and maintains relationships throughout state and local government that help us identify and pursue opportunities for our clients.  Good government requires careful husbandry of limited taxpayer dollars, which can understandably lead to institutional or bureaucratic hurdles to innovation. But, in our ever changing economy, innovation is vital to identifying efficiencies and providing better public services. So, we regularly facilitate meetings with key public officials in order to educate them on the potential savings and improvements that can be derived from new approaches offered by many of our clients, ranging from energy savings measures to better information technology applications to improved public facility construction.  We work with private sector clients who understand the importance of improving government and public services through innovation, transparency and quality.