Pounding the Pavement
Successful Lobbying Has a Huge Impact on Business
By A. Val Perkins, Director
Coats Rose – Houston
The policy interests of our clients is of top priority to Coats Rose, and our team of leading government relations lawyers provides the best in lobbying efforts on a number of critical issues. In this unique practice area, our specialty in representation and resolution expands into the offices of the Texas Legislature, State Commissions and Agencies, County officials, City electeds and municipalities across the state.
Keeping a watchful eye on the Hill and an ear to our clients’ needs, Coats Rose is a leader in Texas government relations and has been for many years. Specifically, we have helped our clients pass hundreds of pieces of legislation into law in numerous topical categories ranging from the legislative creation of special districts for our real estate development clients to the passage of the landmark Business Organizations Code for our business clients. Usury reform, school finance, health care cost drivers, affordable housing provisions, litigation venue statutes and regular legislative amendments to the State’s Business Corporations Act, Business and Commerce Code, Civil Practice and Remedies Code, Finance Code, Natural Resources Code and Water Code are included in our broad-based practice area.
Critical to the success of our clients’ advocacy and business efforts is a strategic and strong lobbying practice, wherein our unmatched expertise and relationship base can be leveraged to achieve the best results for our clients and their industries.
Led by Director Val Perkins, the Coats Rose lobbying practice stands alone in bringing its clients credibility, trust, engagement and distinction. As a lobbyist, Val has represented clients before the Texas Legislature in business, construction, health care, real estate, housing, special district creation and other issues since 1981, as well as in administrative matters and in administrative hearings before state agencies, the Houston City Council, other Houston area city councils and district school boards.
Toni Jackson, a Director in the Coats Rose Houston office, is an integral part of the firm’s government relations practice group. Toni serves as a lobbyist and governmental liaison on municipal, county and statewide matters particularly in the areas of affordable housing, construction, specialized financing tools and other real estate issues and concerns. She has also been involved in the creation and representation of Tax Increment Reinvestment Zones (TIRZs) in Houston.
From Austin, Associate Natalie Scott has extensive experience in Texas government, where she served as a legislative liaison for a state agency and worked in the Texas Senate during several legislative sessions. Her unique insight and proximity to the State Capitol and its policy makers are a vital element of the Coats Rose lobbying team.
According to Val Perkins, “While the scope of our governmental relations practice is unusually expansive, we have always prided ourselves on the individual attention we give to each legislative matter we work on and, particularly, on making all necessary legislative resources available to ensure a successful result to our efforts.”
As we look forward to the next legislative session, it’s important to survey and assess pending and potential legislation that could impact a wide variety of Texas businesses. At Coats Rose, we work hard to ensure our clients’ voices are heard in Austin and around the state on the issues that are important to them – both in and out of session.