BKBH’s Government Relations Practice Group Attorneys:

• Leo Berry (Helena), Chair, BKBH Government Relations Practice Group
• Stan Kaleczyc (Helena)
• Mark Taylor (Helena)
• Steve Wade (Helena)
• Jessie Luther (Helena)

Governmental Relations

Not all solutions to business problems will be found in the boardroom, the courts, or before regulatory tribunals. Today, businesses may find that they require assistance from Congress or the Montana State Legislature, or need to be vigilant of legislative proposals that may adversely affect their business interests. To address these concerns, BKBH offers a full range of legislative services in Montana, the Pacific Northwest and our nation’s capitol. Our work on legislative matters is both defensive and offensive; that is, we work both to defeat legislation opposed by our clients and enact legislation that is favored by our clients. Some of the firm’s lawyers are registered as lobbyists both in Washington, D.C., and in Helena, Montana.

Our firm’s state legislative support resources and systems in Helena are the best available in Montana. Attorneys at BKBH have developed a wide array of technical support services to enhance their effectiveness in communicating with our clients, grassroots contacts, and government employees in the legislative process, and most importantly, the legislators themselves. We have developed a proven sophisticated process to monitor legislation, to provide a comprehensive review of legislative or administrative proposals, and to keep our clients apprised quickly and regularly of legislative or administrative activities that could potentially impact their interests.

Federal and state election and campaign finance laws often present challenging compliance issues to many businesses and associations. In addition, in recent years there has been an increase in the use of initiatives and referendums to regulate business in Montana. Our attorneys advise clients on issues related to contributions, election law, and reporting related to candidate campaigns, initiatives, and referendums. BKBH develops and implements public relations campaigns related to initiatives and referendums.

BKBH has also successfully represented clients in government procurement activities and contract disputes. Our governmental contract practice consists of negotiation of contracts, litigation in state and federal courts, including the Court of Claims, as well as a wide variety of state and federal administrative proceedings. Additionally, our attorneys represent clients with interests in procurement before the Montana State Legislature.

The firm also advises clients on competitive bidding and procurement with the State of Montana. These projects have included representing clients before the Montana State Legislature when bidding opportunities are created or enhanced, and continuing that representation during the governmental entity’s drafting and creation of the request for proposals or request for bids. BKBH is committed to providing guidance during the formulation of the client’s response to the proposal or bid requests product demonstrations and contract awards.

Sub-Practice Areas:

• Governmental Relations & Public Affairs
• Election Law, Initiatives & Referenda
• Campaign Finance
• Government Procurement

Representative Matters:

• Successfully lobbied Congress for the creation of a major private endowment to fund public access. The Montana Fish & Wildlife Conservation Trust, which was funded by sale of public lands to cabin owners on two major federal reservoirs in Montana has resulted in the purchase of scores of private land purchases that has vastly increased public access to public lands in Montana.
• Sucessfully lobied the Montana Legislature for favorable tax treatment for advanced energy projects.
• Sucessfully lobied the Montana Legislature for the sequestration of carbpn dioxide.
• Sucessfully lobied the Montana Legislature for changes to MEPA to protect properly issued permits.
• Successfully lobbied the Montana Legislature to adopt a tax credit that has created over $100 million in planned gifts to charities over the past fifteen years.
• Successfully lobbied Congress to appropriate construction funds for a major research facility in Montana.
• Over a ten year period, BKBH attorneys successfully lobbied the Montana Legislature for the enactment of bank merger laws, branch banking laws and interstate banking law.
• Successfully lobbied Congress to obtain a matching appropriation for the construction of a federal interpretative center for Montana.
• Successfully lobbied Congress for enactment of land exchange amendments for a forestry client.