Holland & Knight - Democrats Control the House by Holland & Knight

The Gridlock State of Mind: Democrats Control the House and Divided Government Is Back. Don't Let It Slow You Down Holland & Knight Has You Covered It has been a whirlwind. President Donald Trump's Administration has ushered in major headwinds that shaped policy and ideological battles over the past two years. Throughout this period, Holland & Knight's Public Policy & Regulation Group steadfastly has steered our clients through these changes. And we have a number of successes to prove it. Now, it's back to Square One. This week's wave of midterm election results is likely to test businesses and policymakers with new challenges, including the breakdown of a unified party power and a surging potential for widespread gridlock. Even for observers that anticipated these election results, planning for a new Congress and 2019 can only take them so far. In addition to textbook response plans and a sound understanding of divided government, long-term success requires leveraging the right tools and tactics, developing meaningful political relationships and executing innovative strategies that go beyond lobbying. Don't take our word for it. Many in Washington, D.C., have painfully learned firsthand over the past two years that no one is safe from regulatory change, unpredictable legislative fights and political/public relations broadsides. Holland & Knight, however, is uniquely positioned to help you make the most of a divided government and the incoming Democratic House leadership, even before Day One of the new legislative session. Although power centers sometimes drastically shift, don't discount existing key influencers and players. That's why we've assembled a strong group of talented advisors and counselors who bring innovative thinking, established relationships with influencers and policymakers, and subject matter experience that will immediately help you transition without losing a step.

When Gridlock Reigns: Republican White House and Split Congress The bad news. Our government is once again divided. Party polarization is expected to grow even more as a result, deepening the chasm between policymakers' intended agendas and their ability to succeed. Congress will grind through difficult terrain under a constant threat from its own members, the White House and the American public.

WHAT OTHERS SAY U.S. News - Best Lawyers 2018 guide Metropolitan first-tier rankings in Government Relations: Chicago | Orlando | Tallahassee | Tampa | Washington, D.C. | 2016 "Law Firm of the Year" in Native American Law The Best Lawyers in America 10 Government lawyers were included in the 2019 guide Legal 500 United States Firm recommended in Government Relations in the 2018 guide Chambers USA - America's Leading Business Lawyers 16 Government lawyers included in the 2018 guide The Hill, "Top Lobbyists 2016: Hired Guns" Partners Rich Gold, Kathryn Lehman and Gerry Sikorski listed as top lobbyists National Journal, 2015 "Membership Innovation Award" Recognized among Washington's top creative organizations for "innovation in decision-making" in advancing the craft of government affairs The National Law Journal "Influence 50" 2015 List Ranked "Top 10 most successful lobbying firms in the nation" | The Best of Legal Times" 2015 Top Law Firm Government Affairs/Lobbying Group"

This portends gridlock.

Now, for the good news. Gridlock happens to be the most misunderstood – and improperly utilized – term in Washington. Pundits, policymakers and other experts may lead you to believe that gridlock means a lack of action and activity – which many see as a strategic and business imperative to disengage and distrust the process. To the contrary, our collective experiences and deep relationships belie this. First, inactivity and gridlock in one part of government historically means that the policymaking responsibilities will simply shift. The next two years, 2019 and 2020, will be rife with agency and regulatory activity as well as congressional oversight and authorization. This interplay means that you must be at the table, helping shape and impact policy. Second, unlike prior divided governments, the newly minted Democratic House majority will play an outsized role not only because of their chamber control, but because of their potential to negotiate with the Trump Administration (against Republicans) and with Republicans (against the President). There is an unprecedented level of uncertainty in the White House and the administration, which means that policymaking prerogatives will have many masters. More broadly, a divided environment complicates advocacy strategies and commands a more innovative and creative approach to achieving results, including analyzing and adding additional advocacy tools to traditional lobbying efforts. It demands a nimble and sophisticated team that can help you bring to bear relationships with a broad range of policymakers. Finally, it requires a clear understanding of how a divided government and "gridlock" really work, as well as what it means for policymaking avenues, and new threats and opportunities to your business.

Prepare for 2019 with Purpose and Leverage. Prepare with Holland & Knight

KEY RELATIONSHIPS House and Senate Democrats  Incoming Leadership  All Committee Leaders  Rank and File  Freshman Class  Congressional Black Caucus  New Dems  Progressive Caucus  Freshman Class House and Senate Republicans  Leadership Teams  New Committee Leaders  Rank and File  Freshman Class

With the midterms behind them, new and returning members of Congress are coming back to Capitol Hill with a new political order. With a divided government Trump White House and an emboldened Democratic House majority, decisions about how to structure and Executive Branch committee leaderships and agendas will be more complex and important than  White House Leadership  Transportation ever, and have critical impacts on the direction of Congress for the next two years.  Intergovernmental First, take note of which policy levers will become more important as "gridlock"  Energy/Environment takes over. This will be authorizing bills, oversight measures, hearings, and  Finance/Banking regulatory and agency rulemakings. Second, be aware of both interparty and  Trade intraparty divisions. The Republican Party has now several mature constituencies,  Cybersecurity including the Republican Study Committee and the Freedom Caucus, which  Healthcare continue to play major roles with moderate swing members. On the other side, the  Budget/Appropriations midterms propelled the Democrats but also produced fissures. Beyond Democratic leadership, the Progressive Caucus, New Democrats, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC), the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) and scores of new members with new ideas will struggle for negotiating power.

Holland & Knight's Edge for the New Congress Our firm has built a successful government affairs practice by maintaining a deep bipartisan bench, with a breadth of experience and diversity. While the effectiveness of some firms fluctuates depending on which party is in power, Holland & Knight's team is positioned to help no matter which party holds control. We nurture longstanding relationships on both sides of the aisle and across the government.

These collective relationships are stronger than ever. For the House Democrats, we have long-standing relationships with established party leaders and with the rising leadership. In addition, we have cultivated deep working relationships with every major committee leadership and their key staffs. We are particularly close with the Ways and Means, Energy and Commerce, Appropriations, Transportation and Infrastructure, Oversight and Financial Services committees. Finally, our advisors and counselors can access each of the core formal and informal caucuses within the party, including the New Dems, CBC, CHC, Progressive Caucus and the Future Forum. More broadly, our former members of Congress and former senior staff have played direct roles in developing relationships with a large portion of the incoming new members. In addition, we continue to serve as trusted advisors with Senate Democrats as well as House and Senate Republicans. On top of this, we have built, utilized and maintained deep networks in President Trump's White House and the career public servants in the executive branch.

Holland & Knight Committee for Effective Government The Holland & Knight Committee for Effective Government is our firm's federal Political Action Committee (PAC). The firm remains neutral in partisan politics and elections. In recent election cycles, we have ranked among the topthree law firms in the total amount of contributions given to candidates.

GET CONNECTED Rich Gold Partner and PP&R Group Leader Washington, D.C. 202.457.7143 rich.gold@hklaw.com

@HK_PPR

Our philosophy is to function as an extension of your team. We achieve this through a combination of policy depth and experience, political astuteness, media savvy and access to nationwide resources across a range of practices.

FACEBOOK.COM/HOLLANDANDKNIGHTPPR

@HK_PPR

The Holland & Knight Team Rich Gold, Partner Rich Gold is the leader of the firm's Public Policy & Regulation Group and focuses his practice at the intersection of complex policy and political issues involving Congress, the executive branch and the media. The Public Policy & Regulation Group has been ranked among the top law and lobbying firms in Washington by publications including American Lawyer's Influence Magazine, Chambers USA - America's Leading Business Lawyers guide, Legal 500 United States guide, Financial Times and U.S. News - Best Lawyers guide. Mr. Gold has been recognized as a top lobbyist in Washington by The Hill, The National Journal, Washington SmartCEO, Super Lawyers, Washingtonian and The Washington Business Journal. Mr. Gold served in the U.S. Senate for Sen. Lloyd Bentsen (D-Texas) as his advisor on environmental affairs where he worked on issues related to environmental side agreements of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). During the Clinton administration, he was a special assistant to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Carol Browner, with whom he helped develop the EPA's Superfund reform proposal and its administrative improvements package. Mr. Gold also served as a career lawyer in the EPA's Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance and Office of General Counsel, working on major rulemakings as well as significant Superfund cases. Jim Davis, Partner The Honorable Jim Davis, a member of the firm's Public Policy & Regulation Group, draws upon his extensive experience in the public sector to provide strategic legal, legislative and regulatory counsel to clients in Florida, the District of Columbia and across the country. Mr. Davis served in the U.S. House of Representatives for 10 years, from 1997 to 2007. He represented the City of Tampa and portions of St. Petersburg, Bradenton and Hillsborough County, Florida. In 2006, Mr. Davis was the Democratic nominee for governor of Florida. While in Congress, Mr. Davis served on the Energy and Commerce Committee where he was focused on energy, telecommunications and electronic commerce, healthcare, the environment and consumer protection issues. In addition, Mr. Davis served on the Committee on International Relations and the Budget Committee, and was elected by his peers to be the president of the Democratic Freshman Class in 1997. Shawna Watley, Senior Policy Advisor Shawna Watley is a senior policy professional and strategist with more than 16 years of experience in public policy, political, legislative and regulatory counseling, and creative solutions to corporate, nonprofit and governmental issues at the federal level. She has cultivated working relationships on the federal, state and local levels of government. This includes professional relationships with the Obama administration, leaders in the House of Representatives and the Senate, moderate Democrats and the Congressional Black Caucus. Ms. Watley forges and maintains working relationships with key elected political leaders, appointed officials and corporate executives. She has extensive experience representing public and private interests in numerous issues, including financial services, transportation, homeland security, healthcare, energy and education. Ron Klein, Partner The Honorable Ron Klein, a member of the firm's Public Policy & Regulation Group, has worked in the private sector as a business and transactional attorney for over 25 years and in the public sector as an elected official in both Tallahassee and Washington, D.C. This experience offers a distinctive combination of skill sets in having worked and advised private sector principals and management legal issues, as well as having served in the Florida House, Senate and U.S. House of Representatives. Mr. Klein's experience gives clients an added edge

in having their advocate understand their issues and concerns, as well as the knowledge, resources, and relationships to help them make the best strategic business decisions. From 1992 through 1996, Mr. Klein served as a State Representative in the Florida House of Representatives and participated actively in economic development, financial service and healthcare committee and legislative work. From 1996 through 2006, he served in the Florida Senate continuing his involvement in business development and healthcare policy, as well as being elected as the Minority Whip and Democratic Leader. In 2006, Mr. Klein was elected as Congressman to represent Florida's 22nd Congressional District (Broward and Palm Beach Counties), wherein he served two terms continuing his focus on business development, healthcare and energy issues. He served on the full Financial Services Committee, with membership on Capital Markets, Insurance and Government Sponsored entities (Fannie, Freddie); subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit; and the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations. Karl Koch, Senior Policy Advisor Karl Koch, a member of Holland & Knight's Public Policy & Regulation Group, brings significant experience in both federal and state governments, including the executive and legislative branches, as well as the private sector. Prior to joining Holland & Knight, Mr. Koch served over four years as chief of staff to Congressman Jim Davis. Mr. Koch's career in public service began in 1988 with his work for former U.S. Representative Buddy MacKay. In the 1990s, he worked on both campaigns for the late Gov. Lawton Chiles, serving as the director of the reelection campaign in 1994. He went on to serve as chief of staff to then Lt. Gov. Buddy MacKay. Mr. Koch gained national exposure as the Florida Director for the Clinton/Gore presidential reelection campaign in 1996. From 1997-2002 he served as vice-president and principal of Dewey Square Group, a national public affairs firm. Eve Maldonado O'Toole, Senior Policy Advisor Eve M. O'Toole is leader of Holland & Knight's Local Government Group. She brings more than 20 years of federal lobbying experience, with substantial background in local government/public sector advocacy, regulatory, appropriations and policy development, and in establishing and executing local public-private partnerships, successful grassroots campaigns and coalitions, and positioning state and local officials and municipalities nationally. With close working ties to Congress and the executive branch, Ms. O'Toole has a strong record of advancing a wide range of interests including but not limited to transportation and infrastructure, energy, environment, community and economic development, public safety, housing and homelessness, health and human services, workforce, education, emergency preparedness, defense and base reuse, and many more. Among other key local government/public agency and public-private partnerships, Ms. O'Toole currently represents cities from San Francisco to Philadelphia, Port of Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, San Mateo County's transportation agencies and the 480-member League of California Cities, where she previously served as head of its Washington, D.C., office. Gerry Sikorski, Partner The Honorable Gerry Sikorski, Chairman Emeritus of the Government Section, is a leading Washington, D.C., attorney who brings with him a wealth of government experience. Mr. Sikorski represented Minnesota in the U.S. House of Representatives for 10 years. During this time he served on the powerful Energy and Commerce Committee, with jurisdiction over telecommunications, finance, trade, consumer protection, health, environment, insurance, securities and energy, as well as the FCC, FTC, CFTC, FDA, SEC, CMS, HIS and FERC. He chaired the Civil Service Subcommittee in what is now the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. The New York Times and The Washington Post have acknowledged Mr. Sikorski's experience on a multitude of facets of the congressional and federal legislative process. Mr. Sikorski served with Chairman John Dingell (D-Mich.), the longest-serving member of Congress in U.S. history, on the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, with investigative purview of all the Committee's subject matter jurisdiction. Mr. Sikorski also served as vice chairman to Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) on the Health and Environment Subcommittee, where he was a leader on health reform and environmental issues.

Beth Viola, Senior Policy Advisor Beth Viola is a senior policy advisor in Holland & Knight's Washington, D.C., office where she is among the leadership team for the firm's Energy and Natural Resources Industry Sector Group. Ms. Viola focuses on energy and the environment, tax, trade, appropriations and public relations. Ms. Viola provides strategic, policy and political advice to energy companies seeking to create or improve their market opportunities. Through her many years working in Washington, D.C., Ms. Viola has the deep connections as well as an impressive track record in building effective coalitions that are essential to shaping legislation and regulation. Previously, Ms. Viola served as a senior advisor to the White House Council on Environmental Quality. In this role, she advised the president, vice president and senior government officials on environmental and energy issues, concentrating on climate change, natural resources and smart growth. She was also the primary White House liaison on these issues to elected officials, industry, environmental, religious and labor leaders, as well as the media. Paul Bock, Partner Paul Bock is a partner in Holland & Knight's Washington, D.C., office and a member of the firm's Public Policy & Regulation Group. As the firm's senior liaison to the U.S. Senate's Democratic leadership and caucus, Mr. Bock brings more than 20 years of experience working with key Senate decision-makers, including lawmakers, senior staff members and interest groups involved in public policy. Mr. Bock has developed and executed legislative, regulatory and political strategies for a wide range of clients, including corporations, trade associations and nonprofit organizations across several industries, such as financial services, transportation, healthcare, telecommunications and energy, among others. Mr. Bock served as chief of staff for Sen. Herb Kohl (D-Wis.) for 12 years (1997-2009), where he was responsible for formulating and implementing the senator's legislative agenda through the creation of effective bipartisan coalitions with members of the Senate, U.S. House of Representatives and the administration, along with outside interest groups. While serving as Kohl's chief of staff, Mr. Bock was effective at developing networks of government contacts, bringing together members of both parties to address a range of policy topics. Michael Werner, Partner Michael Werner is a Washington, D.C., public policy and regulatory attorney and a co-leader of Holland & Knight's Healthcare & Life Sciences Team. Mr. Werner has almost three decades of healthcare law, lobbying, regulatory and reimbursement experience in Washington. He focuses on issues affecting FDA-regulated entities, including biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies developing and manufacturing prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) drugs, biosimilars, cosmetics, dietary supplements and digital-health technologies. His specific areas of knowledge include FDA regulations regarding product approval, marketing and distribution; Medicare, Medicaid and commercial insurance reimbursement; regulation and reimbursement of cell therapy, gene therapy, tissue engineering and regenerative medicine products; the Physician Sunshine Act; human subject protection issues such as institutional review board (IRB) review and informed consent; as well as conflicts of interest and other bioethics issues arising from research and uses of new technologies. Leon Fresco, Partner Leon Fresco is an immigration attorney in Holland & Knight's Washington, D.C., office where he focuses his practice on providing global immigration representation to businesses and individuals. He also represents clients in administrative law and government relations matters and has extensive appellate, commercial litigation and legislation experience. Mr. Fresco was the primary drafter of S.744, the U.S. Senate's comprehensive immigration reform bill of 2013. He uses his broad range of experience to develop creative solutions to achieve his clients' objectives, which often may involve multistage representation before administrative agencies, federal courts and Congress. Prior to joining Holland & Knight, Mr. Fresco was the Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Immigration Litigation at the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Civil Division. Prior to joining the DOJ, Mr. Fresco was the staff director for the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, handling matters involving immigration, Copyright ÂŠ 2018 Holland & Knight LLP All Rights Reserved

refugees and border security, including managing the subcommittee's oversight functions involving the DOJ, DHS, HHS, DOL and DOS. He was the principal advisor to Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), former chairman of the subcommittee, on all aspects of immigration law and policy. Charles Borden, Partner Charles E. Borden is a Washington, D.C., attorney who focuses his practice on the intersection of law and political activity, and regularly counsels multinational corporations on the regulatory and compliance obligations. Mr. Borden advises clients on the political and reputational consequences, of political activity relating to campaign finance law, the Lobbying Disclosure Act (LDA), state and local lobbying law, the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) and U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) regulation of municipal advisors. He has extensive experience in federal pay-to-play rules for municipal dealers (Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board, or MSRB, Rule G-37), investment advisers (SEC Rule 206(4)-5), and swap dealers (CFTC Rule 23.451). Mr. Borden also is wellversed in the Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge Act (STOCK Act), laws regulating the solicitation of contracts and investments from public sector entities (placement agent regimes), and state and local pay-to-play laws, as well as federal, state and local laws concerning gifts, entertainment, post-employment restrictions for former public employees, procurement, public financial disclosures and government ethics. In addition, Mr. Borden counsels individuals appointed to senior positions in the Executive Branch of the federal government, including senior White House and State Department officials. He also advises such individuals' private sector employers on federal conflictof-interest, security clearance and financial disclosure requirements, and helps such appointees formulate strategies for resolving legal and political issues connected to their nomination. Daniel Maldonado, Senior Policy Advisor Daniel Maldonado is a senior policy advisor in Holland & Knight's Washington, D.C., office and a member of the firm's Public Policy & Regulation Group. Mr. Maldonado has over 30 years of federal appropriations, legislative and budget experience. He has extensive expertise in federal financing of a range of critical public policy areas, including economic development, redevelopment and transportation projects; workforce investment; energy, water and environmental programs; hospital and healthcare systems; public health programs; small business policies; telecommunications; and various renewable energy projects. Mr. Maldonado served 11 years as the chief of staff for former California Congressman Edward Roybal, one of the "cardinals" on the House Appropriations Committee. As the Congressman's chief of staff, he provided legislative and appropriations analyses and recommendations on federal funding of infrastructure development, transportation, energy and water resources, workforce development, public health, biomedical research and health services. Mr. Maldonado also assisted the congressman in the formation of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) and the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO). Norma Krayem, Senior Policy Advisor Norma Krayem is a senior policy advisor in Holland & Knight's Washington, D.C., office and chair of the firm's Global Cybersecurity and Privacy Policy and Regulation Team, as well as a member of the Public Policy & Regulation Group. Ms. Krayem provides strategic advice on key issues in a range of areas, including homeland security, transportation, defense, international trade and environmental, as well as appropriations issues for all aspects of critical infrastructure. She also focuses on the impacts of cyber and privacy issues on the banking and financial services, energy, communications, health, transportation and other critical sectors. Ms. Krayem has more than 20 years of experience addressing major issues within the national policy-making arena and has worked both in and with state, local and federal governments, as well as Fortune 500 clients to develop strategies designed to build and maintain a competitive edge. During her extensive career in Washington, D.C., Ms. Krayem has held executive-level positions in the U.S. Departments of State, Commerce and Transportation, and was a consultant at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). She has provided key insight and guidance to major officials at the White House, in Congress, and at state and local levels around the country.

Benjamin Dunham, Senior Policy Advisor Ben Dunham is a Washington, D.C., senior policy advisor who counsels clients on legislative and regulatory affairs, with an emphasis on the consumer product and renewable chemical industries. He has represented clients on issues related to the environment, chemical safety, climate change, over-the-counter drug safety, transportation and energy. Prior to joining Holland & Knight, Mr. Dunham spent nearly five years as a senior advisor to the late Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.), including roles as chief counsel and legislative director. He also has experience directing the activities of the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works' Subcommittee on Superfund, Toxics and Environmental Health under Lautenberg and negotiated a bipartisan bill to reform the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). Leslie Pollner, Senior Policy Advisor Leslie Pollner is a senior policy advisor in the firm's Public Policy & Regulation Group. Ms. Pollner focuses on several key industries, including transportation, economic development and housing. Her extensive experience in government at both the federal and local level allows her to help clients develop innovative solutions and advocacy strategies to achieve results. Prior to joining the firm, Ms. Pollner was the deputy mayor for federal affairs in Los Angeles under Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. She led the city of Los Angeles' office in Washington, D.C., directed its federal advocacy efforts, and managed lobbying teams at the Los Angeles port, airport and public utilities commissions. Prior to that, Ms. Pollner was a two-time chief of staff for U.S. Reps. Suzanne Kosmas and Tim Mahoney, both of Florida. She has also worked in public affairs consulting and crisis communications support for Fortune 500 companies and helped develop communications strategies for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, concentrating on the nonprofit's education investments. Miranda Franco, Senior Policy Advisor Miranda Franco is a senior policy advisor in Holland & Knight's Washington, D.C., office and a member of the firm's Public Policy & Regulation Group. She has more than a decade of collective experience in health policy and government relations, representing advocacy positions to policymakers, national physician specialty societies, state medical societies, hospitals and other healthcare organizations. Ms. Franco has designed and promoted a variety of legislative and regulatory remedies on behalf of hospital, hospital system, life science, patient and provider groups. She has the ability to translate complex legal and regulatory issues into a practical, real-world framework to help her clients find solutions to healthcare's most challenging problems. Paolo Mastrangelo, Senior Public Affairs Advisor Paolo Mastrangelo is a senior public affairs advisor in Holland & Knight's Washington, D.C., office. Mr. Mastrangelo executes lobbying, political and stakeholder engagement strategies for a wide range of companies and trade associations of all sizes. He works extensively with Congress, federal agencies and third-parties in support of priorities across issue areas and industries, including: financial services, diversified manufacturing, mining, tech and data privacy and economic development. Mr. Mastrangelo's recent work focuses on coalition and tradeassociation efforts in financial services, ranging from consumer finance, financial planning and physical commodities, to private equity. In this role, he helps lead efforts to develop policy agendas and educate the policymaking community. Prior to joining Holland & Knight in 2011, Mr. Mastrangelo worked for Congresswoman Suzanne Kosmas, D-Fla., in the U.S. House of Representatives, serving as her legislative assistant on work before the House Financial Services Committee during the development of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.

Samuel Brown, Senior Counsel Samuel C. Brown is a Washington, D.C., attorney who advises clients on the unique political law issues associated with doing business with public sector entities or engaging in government affairs campaigns. Mr. Brown counsels multinational corporations, banks and asset managers on placement agent regulations, lobbying laws, gifts and entertainment rules, revolving door restrictions, campaign finance laws, and issues relating to the federal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and state Public Records Acts. Mr. Brown has significant experience with state and federal pay-to-play laws, including regimes that apply to investment advisers, third-party placement agents, swap dealers and firms engaged in municipal securities or municipal advisory activities. Mr. Brown served as counsel to Democratic Commissioner Ellen Weintraub of the Federal Election Commission (FEC), where he played a key role in formulating the Commission's response to the Citizens United decision, among other developments. Michael Obeiter, Senior Public Affairs Advisor Michael Obeiter is a senior public affairs advisor in Holland & Knight's Washington, D.C., office and a member of the firm's Public Policy & Regulation Group. Mr. Obeiter is experienced in energy, environment, natural resources, and climate policy and regulation, as well as the federal appropriations process. In addition, Mr. Obeiter has a significant background in federal budget issues, including the budget reconciliation process, having spent several years on the Senate Budget Committee. Prior to joining Holland & Knight, Mr. Obeiter served as Energy & Climate Advisor to Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii). He also was a Senior Associate at the World Resources Institute and a Senior Environmental Markets Analyst for World Energy Solutions (now part of EnerNOC). Marissa Serafino, Senior Public Affairs Advisor Marissa Serafino is a Washington, D.C., senior public affairs advisor in Holland & Knight's Public Policy & Regulation Group, where she develops federal advocacy strategies for local government municipalities, nonprofits and associations. Ms. Serafino focuses on identifying innovative solutions to legislative and regulatory matters involving transportation, housing, infrastructure, judiciary and environment issues. Prior to joining Holland & Knight, she advised on and coordinated legislative efforts for U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) on energy and environment appropriations, forestry, public lands and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issues. Ethan Jorgensen-Earp, Public Affairs Advisor Ethan Jorgensen-Earp is a member of the firm's Public Policy & Regulation Group and a Washington, D.C., public affairs advisor with considerable experience in healthcare and life sciences policy development and government affairs. He develops and executes legislative and regulatory strategies for the firm's nonprofit and private sector healthcare clients, including patient, provider and life sciences organizations, as well as hospitals and health systems. Mr. Jorgensen-Earp's recent work focuses on furthering both individual and coalition efforts on a wide range of healthcare issues, assisting clients in the development of policy agendas and helping generate consensus on legislative and regulatory strategies before Congress and relevant agencies, including the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).