Government Relations/Lobbying

Gallagher, Callahan & Gartrell maintains one of the most active legislative and regulatory practices in New Hampshire. Clients seeking sophisticated governmental advocacy turn to our team of professionals for our collective legislative and regulatory expertise, "hands on" state government affairs experience, and successful lobbying outcomes.

The Government Relations/Lobbying practice draws upon the firm's legal, legislative, regulatory, economic, and public relations expertise to fully understand client goals and design and implement successful strategies to achieve these goals. We have an extremely knowledgeable team of professionals and registered lobbyists that understands the processes and the players in state and local government, as well as our congressional delegation, and appreciates the interplay between legislative and regulatory arenas. We also understand the importance of a consistent and coordinated messaging strategy and are skilled at communicating effectively with elected officials, regulators, advocacy groups, and members of the public. We are uniquely positioned to track the direction of government activities, assess potential impacts on our clients, and tailor client-specific strategies accordingly.

Our core competencies include:

• Business and economic development
• Campaign financing
• Construction
• Consumer Law
• Energy
• Environment
• Financial services
• First amendment issues in the film industry
• Healthcare
• Insurance
• Land use
• Privacy/Security
• Public Contracting Strategies
• State budget process and opportunities
• Taxation
• Transportation.

During a typical legislative session, our Government Relations / Lobbying professionals provide an average of 20-25 businesses and associations with state lobbying services, including monitoring many of the 1,000 or so bills filed each session, counseling policy makers on intended and unintended consequences of proposed laws, and securing successful legislative outcomes. We have represented business and industry in legislative efforts including those related to:

• Advocating for pro-business tax policies and funding levels in the State budgeting process
• Installation of environmental controls at a large power plant
• Electric and natural gas utility industry restructuring
• Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS) for power generation
• Ratepayer protections under the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI)
• Taxes (e.g., business taxes, statewide property taxes, consumer taxes, real estate transfer taxes)
• Real estate taxation and current use
• Amendments to the Comprehensive Shoreland Protection Act (CSPA)
• Regulation of the homebuilding trades
• Municipal land use regulations
• Regulations relating to wetlands protection and dock permitting
• Health insurance mandates
• Use of credit information in property and casualty insurance
• Consumer protection in insurance industries
• Unemployment trust fund (e.g., employer contributions, coverage).

Our attorneys and legislative specialists regularly appear before the New Hampshire departments of:

• Insurance
• Banking
• Revenue Administration
• Transportation
• Resources & Economic Development
• Labor
• Public Utilities Commission
• Health Services Planning and Review / Certificate of Need Board
• and numerous other boards and commissions.

We also represent a wide range of clients with matters before the New Hampshire Executive Council, including business opportunities tied to government funds and public contracts. The Executive Council plays a very important role in New Hampshire, including for example overseeing the state's 10 year Highway Plan and approving spending related to the state budget, receipts and expenditures of state and federal funds, budgetary transfers within state agencies, and all contracts valued at $5,000 or more.

Furthermore, we represent clients in New Hampshire’s Administrative Rules Process. The Joint Legislative Committee on Administrative Rules (JLCAR) is composed of five Senators and five Representatives. It provides legislative oversight of administrative rulemaking by agencies in the executive branch.