Strategic Guidance for Interactions with Government Bodies and Officials

Dealing with the government is a struggle, no matter how often you do it. Every industry and every business can face a compelling need to coordinate and work with and around governmental entities. Even under ideal circumstances, government relations issues pose unique challenges.

At Smith & Fawer, our team of attorneys has the experience and knowledge of how to work with and around governmental entities to achieve our clients’ goals. We work with businesses and individuals across New Orleans and all over Louisiana who need to use the machinations of the government to achieve their goals. Our team has substantial governmental relations and political experience that spans the ideological spectrum, whether it is coordinating lobbying strategies, developing bespoke public relations campaigns, managing crises, or drafting legislation.

Our Services

We can serve you through many issues, including:

• Civil rights issues: Facing allegations of a violation of civil rights can lead to serious legal troubles.
• Elections: Pursuing public office can come with many surprising hurdles regarding campaign finance and advertising.
• Lobbying: Providing guidance to public officials is a sensitive matter that you must pursue with considerable attention to detail.
• Ethics: When you seek to make an impact on how the government does business, there may inevitably come a time when your ethics are questioned.

The attorneys at Smith & Fawer have successfully written and facilitated the enactment of new statutes and regulations at the state, agency, and local level. We have extensive experience appearing before the Louisiana Legislature, zoning boards, library boards, the City Council, and other local governing bodies. While many government relations issues pose nuanced and delicate intricacies that many law firms avoid, our team can expertly navigate your issues across or between ideological or party lines. Stephen M. Gelé, in particular, has been expertly consulting clients on public policy, legislation, campaign and election law, and public interest advocacy for decades­­­­­­­.

Whether your needs require agency rule changes, navigating administrative disputes, or successfully representing clients in Anti-SLAPP lawsuits, we are well positioned to help you make an impact.

Understanding Anti-SLAPP In Louisiana

One of the most disruptive aspects of doing business in Louisiana is the presence of a robust Anti-SLAPP law. The law seeks to protect individuals’ freedom of speech and ability to partake in public discourse. However, these protections can come at the expense of a company’s attempts to vigorously defend its name.

While Anti-SLAPP laws do not preclude claims for defamation, they do warrant caution when pursuing libel, slander, or other defamation lawsuits.

Contact us today at 504-445-4913 or send us an email to find out how we can help your company.