News & Events
Experienced Legislative Consultant Walt Smith Joins Locke Lord Strategies as Senior Policy Advisor
10/11/2010
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(WASHINGTON, D.C.) October 11, 2010 – A legislative strategist and consultant with over a decade of experience in the nation's capital has joined Locke Lord Bissell & Liddell’s Locke Lord Strategies group as a senior policy advisor. Walt Smith brings a wealth of legislative experience to his role with the Firm and has represented clients before Congress, the administration, and state and local governments on a wide range of issues.
Before joining Locke Lord, Smith was president of The Mallard Group, LLC, a full-service federal relations firm. His consulting experience includes advocating for authorization and appropriations changes for a diverse client base, including a major land grant university, national scientific societies, agricultural policy professionals, national trade associations and private businesses. He also represented the National Rural Water Association on appropriations, EPA regulations and USDA law.
Earlier in his career, Smith was a veteran of public service in both the legislative and executive branches. He worked as the appropriations associate for Rep. Henry Bonilla, R-Texas, then-chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture. Smith was Bonilla’s liaison to the committee for nearly five years, handling numerous issues, including energy, natural resources, agriculture, environment, trade, taxes, finance and small business. Smith is a graduate of Texas A&M University, where he received his master’s degree in Agricultural Development and his undergraduate degree in Agricultural Science.
Locke Lord Strategies LP, the Firm’s Washington, D.C., related entity, is a public affairs team of proactive, bipartisan problem solvers with extensive political and public policy experience. Team members are recognized for their strategic and direct counsel, distinctive style, comprehensive tact, proactive determination, discretion, and most importantly, their ability to get the job done at all levels of government.
Locke Lord Bissell & Liddell LLP is a full-service, national law firm with offices in Atlanta, Austin, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, London, Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York, Sacramento, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. With a vast geographic scope, and a national reputation in complex litigation, regulatory and transactional work, Locke Lord is focused on achieving client success as a team. Among Locke Lord’s many strong practice areas are appellate, aviation, corporate, class action litigation, employee benefits, energy, environmental, financial services, health care, insurance and reinsurance industries, intellectual property, labor and employment, public law, real estate, REIT, tax and technology.