Strategic and Focused Advocacy
Warner provides effective government relations strategies to achieve your business aspirations.
Warner’s Government Advocacy and Affairs group advocates on behalf of our clients by building and promoting relationships with federal, state and local policymakers and stakeholders to ensure legislative funding and policy initiatives reflect the needs of each client. We guide businesses through the complexities of state government regulations using our political access to the highest decision makers in the state, draft legislative and administrative language strong enough to withstand legal challenges and develop campaign strategies and solutions to impact decisions that affect your bottom line. Pioneering change and fostering growth for businesses is our hallmark. Unlike typical lobbying and consulting firms, as attorneys, we are bound by a legal code of conduct and steadfastly avoid conflicts of interest. In sum, we have the expertise, ethics and the political access to best serve your business needs.
experience
Politics & Policy
Relationships matter and we have built solid connections on both sides of the political aisle. With extensive experience throughout the political arena, we advocate on your behalf. Our government affairs attorneys are top lobbyists, legislative aides and advocates with decades of experience, and relationships throughout federal, state and local government. Our attorneys take the time to educate decision makers to ensure they are well-informed on your issues. They will navigate the red tape to make your voice heard. We invite you to learn more about our practice:
Lobbying & Compliance
Your initiatives are our priority. With decades of experience in government relations and advocacy, we’ll help you stay on top of the issues that matter most to your business. As zealous, but respected, advocates, our attorneys know how to get things done. If you determine the best strategy is to monitor legislation we can send you legislative updates, or develop legislation that advances and protects your business interests; we will draft it, and help guide it through the legislative process.
Campaign Finance
Campaign finance is a complex area filled with potential pitfalls. Running for office, donating to candidates, forming a PAC, all require a clear strategy and a budget that aligns with your aspirations. We’ll help you create a campaign finance game plan to meet your financial goals, adhere to ethical standards, track incoming support, document expenses, and comply with all regulations.
Legislative & Regulatory Drafting
Government officials and agencies often speak in a language of their own. We understand that language and can draft proposals and regulatory legislation that speaks to lawmakers and withstands legal challenges. No matter the cause, we have the political acumen to represent your interests and drive results.
State Procurement
Bidding for state contracts is much more complicated than simply developing and submitting a proposal. We will connect you to the right opportunities, work with you to understand the procurement process, and create access to the key decision makers to form the right alliances. We have the legal expertise to represent your interests during the bid debrief and bid protest process. Entering the arena of state procurement takes time, research, preparation, and a willingness to invest in cultivating relationships with the state agency decision makers, we understand that role and will work with you to develop a winning strategy that will set you apart from your competition.
For federal procurement assistance, please see our Government & DoD Contracting page.
Videos and Podcasts
Obtaining a Recreational Marijuana License from Your Local Municipality
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Stare Decisis: Dress Codes, Union T-Shirts and the NLRB
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The Clean Slate Act’s Impact on Employers
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What Would Sherlock Do?
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A Busy Week in the Courts — ESTA and ELCRA
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EEOC Updates COVID-19 Rules
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NLRB and Union Activity Is on the Rise
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They Did What? (How Not to Handle a Sexual Harassment Complaint)
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Updates on the OSHA ETS Litigation and CDC Isolation and Quarantine Guidelines
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What the Sixth Circuit’s OSHA ETS Decision Means for Employers
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OSHA ETS Remains in Limbo: What Does This Mean for Employers and Employees?
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Today Is the Day that OSHA Published Its Emergency Temporary Standard
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EEOC Guidance Updates and Additions for Vaccine Mandates
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- ESTA Is Gone (for Now)Warner Employment News from the Law Shanty
- Obtaining a Recreational Marijuana License from Your Local MunicipalityWarner’s Legal News For the Cannabis Industry
- Stare Decisis: Dress Codes, Union T-Shirts and the NLRBWarner Employment News from the Law Shanty
- The Clean Slate Act’s Impact on EmployersWarner Employment News from the Law Shanty
- The New Inflation Reduction Act ExplainedLegacy Matters
- What Would Sherlock Do?Warner Employment News from the Law Shanty
- A Busy Week in the Courts — ESTA and ELCRAWarner Employment News from the Law Shanty
- Michigan Court of Claims Reinstates Earned Sick Time Act and Improved Workforce Opportunity Wage Act As Originally AdoptedWarner Employment News from the Law Shanty
- EEOC Updates COVID-19 RulesWarner Employment News from the Law Shanty
- NLRB and Union Activity Is on the RiseWarner Employment News from the Law Shanty
- They Did What? (How Not to Handle a Sexual Harassment Complaint)Warner Employment News from the Law Shanty
- Updates on the OSHA ETS Litigation and CDC Isolation and Quarantine GuidelinesWarner Employment News from the Law Shanty
- What the Sixth Circuit’s OSHA ETS Decision Means for EmployersWarner Employment News from the Law Shanty
- OSHA ETS Remains in Limbo: What Does This Mean for Employers and Employees?Warner Employment News from the Law Shanty
- Today Is the Day that OSHA Published Its Emergency Temporary StandardWarner Employment News from the Law Shanty
- EEOC Guidance Updates and Additions for Vaccine MandatesWarner Employment News from the Law Shanty
- Air & Waste Management Association Fall Joint Conference
- TerraLex Presents: Critical States, Critical Votes: The 2024 U.S. Election Landscape
- Black Women in Michigan Politics Annual Luncheon
- Michigan Municipal League’s Cap Con 2024
- Lifting Our Voices: 2023 Inaugural Michele Corey Child Advocacy Summit
- Michigan Municipal League’s 2023 Spring Legislative Conference
- Peckham’s iThrive Community Leadership Panel
- Webinar — The Return of the Earned Sick Time Act as Originally Adopted
- State Bar of Michigan Environmental Law Section: 2022 Fall Joint Environmental Conference
- Webinar — A Return to the Earned Sick Time Act and Improved Workforce Opportunity Wage Act as Originally Adopted
- In-person Event: Cannabis Thought Leaders: Small + Craft Cannabis CEO Roundtable
- Warner In-Person Event on June 15: Real Estate and Environment Issues in the Cannabis Industry
- Warner Privacy Webinar Two-Part Series
- Webinar: Cannabis Labor and Employment Issues in the Workplace
- Warner Privacy Webinar Two-Part Series
- What Employers Need to Know About the OSHA Emergency Temporary Standard
- Cannabis Law Seminar – Industry Insights and Trends From the Legal Perspective
- Webinar: Warner Employee Benefits Two-Part Series Retirement Plan Legal Update
- Webinar: Warner Employee Benefits Two-Part Series
Retirement Plan Legal Update - Webinar: Warner Employee Benefits Two-Part Series on Health and Welfare
- Webinar: COVID-19 One Year Later: Employment Issues
- Webinar: How Much Does Your Business Rely on Federal Policy?
- COVID-19 Panel: What Your C-Suite Should Be Thinking About
- Webinar: From the Capitol: COVID-19 Update
- Manufacturing + Mobility in 2019 and Beyond: An Automotive, Environmental, Incentive and Political Update
- James Liggins and Charlie Quigg Elected to New Positions in the West Michigan Chapter of the Federal Bar Association
- Aida Dismondy Joins Warner’s Growing Aerospace and Defense Industry Group
- Experienced Attorney, Lobbyist and Business Leader Ronald R. Stallworth Joins Warner
- Troy Cumings Elected to Michigan Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors
- Warner Leads Calumet Electronics to Secure Nearly $50 Million in Federal and State Incentive Packages
- Warner Selected Top-Tier Law Firm by Best Lawyers®
- Michael J. Bovill Joins Warner
- James Cavanagh Appointed to Lansing Board of Ethics
- Warner Partner Monique C. Field-Foster Named to Lawyers of Color’s 2023 Power List
- Shane Hansen Weighs in on New M&A Legislation
- Warner Attorneys Represent Bay City in Innovative Public-Private Partnership Bridge Agreement
- Score One for Free, Fair Elections: Warner Secures Win for Kent County as Judge Quashes MyPillow Subpoena
- Robert Hendricks Discusses Rescheduling Cannabis in Metro Times Article
- De- Or Reclassification? Bob Hendricks Talks With FOX 17 on the Future of Cannabis
- Warner Welcomes Berton Brown to Government Advocacy and Affairs Practice
- Michigan Supreme Court Decisions Shift Sentencing Landscape for Juveniles and Young Offenders
- Warner Executive Partner Monique Field-Foster Named to Michigan Lawyers Weekly ‘Influential Women of Law’ Class of 2022
- Michigan Supreme Court Rules that ELCRA Includes Protection Against Discrimination Due to Sexual Orientation
- Robert Dubault Quoted in MiBiz Article on Court Ruling Upending Business Model for Restaurants and Bars
- Robert Dubault Interviewed by MiBiz on Adopt-and-Amend Ruling; Warn of Restaurant and Lodging Closures
- Nick Colvin Joins Greater Grand Rapids NAACP Board
- Nick Colvin Joins Ele’s Place West Michigan Board
- Warner’s Troy M. Cumings and Monique C. Field-Foster Selected to Crain’s Names to Know in Lobbying
- Warner Names New Practice, Industry Group Leaders
- Monique C. Field-Foster Named Executive Partner of Warner’s Lansing Office
- Warner Names Four Attorneys as Partners
- 51 Warner Attorneys Rated 2022 Top Lawyers by Grand Rapids Magazine
- Warner Executive Partner Troy M. Cumings Among Michigan Leaders in the Law
- 105 Warner Attorneys Rated Best Lawyers in America©
- Government and Economic Development Attorney Nicholas M. Colvin Joins Warner
- Monique Field-Foster Appointed to Two Boards of Directors
- Warner Partner Appointed Chair of Michigan Chamber of Commerce Energy + Environment Committee
- 102 Warner Attorneys Rated 2021 Best Lawyers in America
- Warner Partner Receives Award for International Work Supporting Family Preservation, Adoption services in Africa
- Warner Lobbyist Featured in New Book
- Warner Serves as U.S. Counsel to Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority on Historic Agreement for Gordie Howe International Bridge
- One Hundred Warner Attorneys Rated Best Lawyers in America
- Monique C. Field-Foster Joins Warner as Senior Counsel
- Chevron Doctrine is Dead: 40 Years of Agency Deference Overturned
- Proposed Title IX Regulation Addresses Transgender Student Eligibility for Athletic Teams
- SCOTUS Strikes Down Affirmative Action
- Michigan Attorney General Supports FTC’s Proposed Ban on Noncompete Agreements
- Employers: Proceed with Caution when Offering and Enforcing Severance Agreements
- Big Changes for Michigan Employers: Right-to-Work Repeal and Prevailing Wage Reinstatement
- The Cannabis Regulatory Agency Significantly Expands the Scope of Allowed Transfers Between Equivalent Licenses
- ESTA Is Gone (for Now)
- The Earned Sick Time Act and Increase to Minimum Wage are Gone (for Now)
- The Complexity of Rescheduling or Descheduling Marijuana Under Federal Law
- Presidential Pardon of Marijuana Possession: Users Beware
- UPDATE: Telehealth in a Changing World – Mitigating Risks
- Obtaining a Recreational Marijuana License from Your Local Municipality
- What’s Old Is New Again: DOL Proposes a Sort-of-New Employee v. Independent Contractor Rule
- President Biden’s Pardon of Federal Marijuana Convictions Makes Good Sense, But Rescheduling Marijuana Does Not
- Corporate Transparency Act: FinCEN Issues Final Rule for Beneficial Ownership Reporting
- Stare Decisis: Dress Codes, Union T-Shirts and the NLRB
- Justice Department: Hate Crime Initiative
- The Clean Slate Act’s Impact on Employers
- Department of Justice Reauthorizes VAWA
- The New Inflation Reduction Act Explained
- What Would Sherlock Do?
- Michigan Supreme Court Decisions Shift Sentencing Landscape for Juveniles and Young Offenders
- A Busy Week in the Courts — ESTA and ELCRA
- Michigan Supreme Court Rules that ELCRA Includes Protection Against Discrimination Due to Sexual Orientation
- DOJ Remains Focused on Combatting Opioid Misuse
- Michigan Court of Claims Reinstates Earned Sick Time Act and Improved Workforce Opportunity Wage Act As Originally Adopted
- DOJ Formally Ends Trump Administration’s China Initiative
- EEOC Updates COVID-19 Rules
- DOJ Focuses on Cryptocurrency Crime
- New Laws Roll Back COVID-19 Protections for Michigan Businesses, Employers and Workers
- Travel Resumes: Time To Revisit Your FCPA Policy
- NLRB and Union Activity Is on the Rise
- They Did What? (How Not to Handle a Sexual Harassment Complaint)
- Congress Passes Bill Limiting Mandatory Arbitration and Class Action Waivers in Sexual Abuse and Harassment Cases
- Updates on the OSHA ETS Litigation and CDC Isolation and Quarantine Guidelines
- What the Sixth Circuit’s OSHA ETS Decision Means for Employers
- OSHA ETS Remains in Limbo: What Does This Mean for Employers and Employees?
- Today Is the Day that OSHA Published Its Emergency Temporary Standard
- Further Extension and Modification of the Gatherings and Face Mask Order
- Further Extension and Modification of the Gatherings and Face Mask Order
- Extension of the Gatherings and Face Mask Order
- DHHS Order Further Limits Indoor and Outdoor Gatherings and Restricts Higher Education In-Person Learning
- MI Supreme Court Doubles Down: Governor’s Executive Orders Are Void
- The State of Mask Requirements and Other Limitations
- CDC Order Renews Moratorium on Residential Evictions
- Governor Whitmer Partially Reopens Retail, Restaurants and Offices in Upper Peninsula, Traverse City Regions
- Warner Helps You Navigate “Business As Anything But Usual”
- Governor Whitmer Issues Michigan’s Safe Start Plan
- Governor Whitmer Issues New Revised Stay Home, Stay Safe Executive Order
- Governor Whitmer Issues New Stay Home, Stay Safe Executive Order
- Summary of Stay Home, Stay Safe Executive Order
- From the Capitol – September 2018
- Women and Minority Owned Business Paths to Opportunities in State Procurement
- From the Capitol – August 2017
- From the Capitol – July 2016
- From the Capitol – January 2016
- From the Capitol – July 2015
- From the Capitol – January 2015