Government Relations & Public Policy
Effective state representation is about relationships and cultivating trust.
The Jackson Walker Legislative team knows the key players under the dome, but more importantly, they know us. Our Legislative team’s reputation is unparalleled and the team has longstanding relationships with the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Speaker of the House, Comptroller, Agriculture Commissioner, the Railroad Commissioners, and key members of the Texas House and Senate. Jackson Walker knows the importance of maintaining current relationships and forming new ones to accomplish goals set by our clients. In short, this team knows state government and the people who make it work. Our experience and relationships protect and advance the interests of our clients in their business endeavors.
Our Legacy
Jackson Walker has been engaged in Texas politics since the early 1900s, and our involvement has continued throughout the firm’s history, with several of our partners and lobbyists regularly involved in legislative initiatives. In addition to the firm’s longstanding record of legislative success, Jackson Walker’s service to its clients is unparalleled among law firms in the state.
Our Legislative section is comprised of professionals with varied experience serving clients in diverse industries such as agriculture, energy, healthcare, and public utilities. These attorneys and lobbyists have significant experience representing clients before state and federal agencies and the Texas State Legislature regarding development of new legislation, responses to legislation that would disrupt or end current practices, and regulatory compliance.
Our current Legislative team has over 145 years of combined experience practicing before regulatory agencies and the Texas Legislature. We have a professional history of representing businesses and associations, and have coordinated efforts with private consultants, representatives of government agencies, elected officials and staff as a method of achieving goals and objectives for clients. We are skilled at building statewide coalitions of stakeholders to achieve consensus and make progress on complicated issues. Furthermore, we have been public servants and active members of our community.
Our relationships with members of the legislative and executive branches of state government are both personal and professional, and we have a solid reputation for implementing winning strategies, as well as thoroughly understanding the intricacies of the legislative process, working with leaders of both major political parties, and finding solutions where others only see problems.
Environmental and Energy Policy
Attorneys and lobbyists throughout Jackson Walker’s statewide offices have significant experience serving the environmental needs of clients in a broad range of industries.
- Power generation technology – Assisted in the drafting and passage of several pieces of legislation, the net result of which is the most comprehensive financial and regulatory incentive package in the nation for new electric power generation technology and related carbon dioxide storage projects, including enhanced oil recovery projects.
- Steel manufacturing and recycling – Passed targeted legislative initiatives to ease the compliance costs for members of the steel manufacturing and recycling industries, as well as the mining and reclamation industries.
- Advanced biofuels – Preserved key incentives and developed market protection mechanisms for the biodiesel industry and worked in concert with key statewide elected officials to establish the Texas Bioenergy Policy and Research Councils.
- Renewable energy – Preserved and extended key incentive programs essential to the continued growth of the renewable energy industry in Texas. We also assisted in the drafting and passage of a first-of-its-kind grant program for electricity storage projects related to renewable energy that could pave the way for utility scale solar energy projects and further expansion of Texas wind energy.
- Special utility districts – Drafted and assisted in the passage of legislation to create special utility districts, including one of the largest, geographically, in the state.
Healthcare
Jackson Walker’s healthcare lobbying team has over 40 years of experience dealing with an ever-changing healthcare landscape in Texas. Our experience includes:
- Legislative and Regulatory Issues – Representing client interests on matters pending before the Texas Legislature and various state and federal regulatory agencies; resolving regulatory and legislative issues with the Texas Health and Human Services Enterprise agencies, and the Sunset Advisory Commission on behalf of healthcare providers, healthcare trade and professional associations, and higher education; providing guidance and counsel during an agency’s rulemaking process.
- Medicare and Medicaid – Advising healthcare clients on Medicaid reimbursement and billing issues and hospital financing issues; assisted clients in contract negotiations and management.
- State Appropriations Process – Advising clients on and during the interim legislative appropriations request process; guiding clients through the state’s biennial budget process during session, including drafting and submission of budget riders and agency funding requests.
- Healthcare Workforce Issues – Representing client interests before the Legislature and various healthcare licensing bodies on issues related to clinical practice and education of healthcare professionals in Texas.
Public Utilities
The Legislative section’s experience includes service to public utilities such as electric, water, and wastewater.
- Rulemaking – Evaluated rule proposals, drafted comments and reply comments, and coordinated meetings with Commissioners and Public Utility Commission (PUC) of Texas staff regarding rule proposals, and oral presentations on rulemaking matters.
- Administrative Proceedings – Represented clients in administrative proceedings and consultations concerning creation and permitting of water and wastewater utilities, including transfers of permits and certificates issued by TCEQ, rate cases, defense of permit violations, and other enforcement proceedings before TCEQ.
Agriculture
Attorneys in the Legislative section have served the agricultural industry throughout Texas for decades. Examples of the areas in which Jackson Walker attorneys have assisted these clients are listed below:
- Agriculture Product Container Disposal Task Force – Represented clients in evaluating regulation of hazardous waste residue in grain and other agriculture product containers for permit-exempt regulation.
- Animal Health Regulatory Actions – Drafted statutory language and regulation language for Brucellosis and tick regulations.
- Wastewater / Air Environmental Regulations – Represented clients before TCEQ and Texas Legislature relating to permit-exempt regulation
- Endangered Species Regulation – Represented clients in negotiations with U.S. Fish & Wildlife Department concerning potential endangered species modification and actions necessary to avoid need for an incidental take permit.
- Water Rights – Drafted legislation, served on committees to create language for legislation on water rights and other private property issues.
- Taxation – Drafted and helped pass legislation for taxation based on value of agriculture land.
Union Pacific Begins Brazos Yard Construction in Texas
February 2, 2018
Jackson Walker Represents Williams in Significant Natural Gas Gathering Deal
September 28, 2015
Jackson Walker Represents Startex Oil & Gas in Joint Development Agreement
September 17, 2014

January 26, 2022
Insights
Key Highlights from OSHA’s COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing Emergency Temporary Standard
Update: On January 25, 2022, OSHA announced it is withdrawing the vaccination-or-test emergency temporary standard. The withdrawal will be published in the Federal Register and take effect on January 26. The standard will remain in the federal register as a notice of proposed rulemaking. Expect the Department of Labor to move to dismiss pending litigation as moot. Challengers to the vaccination-or-test rule will have to voice their concerns during the notice and comment period.

December 1, 2021
Podcasts
How the $1.2 Trillion Infrastructure Plan Affects Texas
~6.5 minutes | With President Biden signing the $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill into law, Texas is set to receive an estimated $35.4 billion to improve infrastructure. Amanda Crouch and Kate Goodrich walk through a number of projects listed in the plan and discuss how improvements for Texas roads, highways, bridges, broadband, ports, and more are allocated in the law.

November 29, 2021
Insights
Texas Counties Challenge Governor Abbott’s Order Banning Mask Mandates
In response to Governor Abbott’s Executive GA-38, which banned local governments from issuing mask mandates, several of Texas’ largest counties filed lawsuits challenging GA-38 and seeking permission from the courts to issue local orders.

November 4, 2021
Spotlight
Jackson Walker Earns 25 National and 114 Regional “Best Law Firms” Rankings in 2022 Edition
Jackson Walker proudly announces the Firm’s inclusion in the 2022 edition of the U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers “Best Law Firms” list. Rankings are based on client feedback on several criteria, including its practice groups, responsiveness, understanding of each client’s business, cost-efficiency, civility, and whether they would refer another client to the Firm. The selection process also includes the collection of peer evaluations and a final review by leading attorneys in each field.


October 20, 2021
Webinars
“Covering All Aspects of ESG”
In this webinar, Jackson Walker attorneys provide an overview of how companies of all sizes can develop and follow Environmental, Social, & Governance practices to create great value for their organizations.


September 27, 2021
Attorney News
Denise Rose Presented With First-Ever Pink Granite Supporter of Women Award
Jackson Walker proudly congratulates Denise Rose on receiving the first-ever Pink Granite Supporter of Women Award in honor of her work at the Texas Capitol and her service to the community.



September 22, 2021
Attorney News
Jackson Walker Congratulates Its 57 “Texas Super Lawyers” of 2021
Each year, less than 5% of attorneys in Texas are named to the list. Selection is based off of peer nominations that are then reviewed by a research team. Each nominee is evaluated on his or her professional accomplishments, peer recognition, and community involvement.


September 17, 2021
Insights
COVID-19 Employment Update: President Biden’s Vaccine Mandates
By Sarah Mitchell Montgomery
On September 9, 2021, President Biden introduced his administration’s “Plan to Stop the Delta Variant and Boost COVID-19 Vaccinations,” which will be instituted through two executive orders that will mandate vaccines for employees of the Executive Branch of the federal government and for employees of federal contractors and subcontractors.


September 8, 2021
Mentions
The Changing Face of Fraud During the Pandemic | D Magazine
“The intersection between COVID-19 relief funds and health care fraud is one of their highest priorities,” Jackson Walker partner Arthur Gollwitzer told D Magazine as the Department of Justice sets out to investigate COVID-19 related fraud.


September 2, 2021
Insights
New Texas Laws Impacting Businesses
On September 1, 2021, more than 650 new Texas laws went into effect. As businesses ensure compliance with several of the new laws, Jackson Walker provides a summary below of a number of newly effective and upcoming laws related to “Constitutional Carry”; COVID-19; diversity, equity, and inclusion; open government; sexual harassment claims; and the Texas Business Organizations Code.