Heather Smith brings more than 20 years of political experience, both in the public and private sectors, to her role as a government affairs advisor in Mayer Brown’s Government Relations & Public Law practice.
Having served in-house for leading corporations and a professional association, as well as having worked on the Hill, Heather offers clients balanced guidance on developing their legislative plans and coaches on productive engagement with relevant, regulatory decision-makers. She works closely with Mayer Brown’s lawyers to give clients thoughtful direction that is consistent with their business and legal objectives and provides them with the resources, including key relationships and an inside perspective on how Washington works, to help them achieve their goals.
Over the course of her career, Heather developed and implemented effective government affairs strategies for a leading telecommunications company, including with regards to intellectual property rights, and created and executed plans for engaging Congress and various committees on health care reform and retail issues for one of the nation’s largest pharmacy chains. Her dexterity in navigating highly regulated industries and identifying the appropriate connections to advance clients’ objectives provides them with a true advantage in engaging government agencies or congressional committees. Her experience extends to work before several US House of Representatives and Senate committees that cover a range of issues including health care, appropriations, intellectual property rights, technology, trade, consumer protection, taxation, finance and international relations.