Government policy affects nearly every aspect of business. It is critical for companies to understand existing policies, anticipate future government actions, and be prepared to engage with policymakers on issues important to the success of their enterprise. Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®) understands how to navigate the political, legislative, and regulatory landscape, offering clients a powerful public policy and government affairs solution to identify opportunities, create value, solve problems, and advance our clients’ business objectives.
What sets us apart from others is our well-honed institutional focus on the complex intersection of science, law, and public policy. Our deep understanding of the underlying science of our clients’ products helps us deliver superior evidence-based advocacy support.
What We Do
B&C helps clients understand, navigate, and succeed in the multi-dimensional policymaking ecosystem that includes federal and state legislative bodies and agencies, think tanks, NGOs, and international scientific standards organizations. We work with clients to identify opportunities for business growth and development, commercialize new and innovative products, defend existing products from regulatory and legislative challenges, and build and maintain durable bipartisan relationships that ensure their voice is heard on critical issues. We develop successful client-focused solutions by thoroughly understanding our clients’ corporate culture, product and process innovations, role in the supply chain, competitive challenges, and desired commercial outcomes.
B&C deploys our nimble, efficient, matrix-based approach to problem solving to prepare our clients for interaction with all levels of legislative and regulatory bodies to ensure successful outcomes. Our services include:
- Providing timely intelligence about emerging policy risks and opportunities by monitoring, analyzing, and reporting on federal and state legislation and regulations
- Developing and implementing strategies and tactics to achieve legislative and regulatory objectives
- Identifying government support and funding opportunities to accelerate business growth and market expansion
- Drafting legislation and position papers
- Preparing and submitting comments on legislation and regulations
- Engaging in direct advocacy (lobbying) with policymakers
- Providing additional support to existing government relations and public policy teams
- Identifying opportunities (e.g., testifying before Congress, speaking engagements) for clients to show thought leadership on critical issues
- Creating and supporting consortia and coalitions to achieve legislative and regulatory objectives
- Helping clients build and maintain relationships with key stakeholders in the policymaking process, including legislators and staff, government agencies, standard-setting organizations, NGOs, think tanks, and trade associations
B&C’s advocacy, compliance, and strategic public policy services serve a vast scope of complex products and industries, including:
- Industrial Chemicals
- Agricultural Chemicals
- Specialty Chemicals
- Construction Materials
- Energy, Including Battery Materials
- Household and Consumer Products
- Import/Export
- Metals and Mining
- Nanotechnology
- Paints and Coatings
- Products of Biotechnology and Synthetic Biology
- Pulp and Paper
- Transportation
Our Experience
B&C’s Public Policy and Regulation practice group includes seasoned chemical product lawyers, public policy experts, including former congressional staff and former U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) officials, and scientists (seven Ph.D.s) who understand the ever-shifting political landscape and how to navigate the increasingly complex federal legislative and regulatory processes. Trusted, respected, and highly experienced, B&C has a well-known reputation for stellar regulatory, scientific, and legislative acumen, providing trusted data and analysis to policymakers, and for extraordinary responsiveness and efficiency.
James V. Aidala brings years of experience in senior government positions at EPA, closing his time there as the Assistant Administrator for what is now EPA’s Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention (OCSPP), after spending almost a decade on Capitol Hill working on a variety of pesticide and chemical regulatory issues. While at EPA, Mr. Aidala led the team charged with drafting (and shepherding enactment of) the Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA).
Richard E. Engler, Ph.D., is a 17-year veteran of EPA, where he served as a senior staff scientist in EPA’s Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics (OPPT). Dr. Engler participated in policy development efforts related to emerging technology areas under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), including green chemistry, biobased chemicals, and biotechnology.
Lynn L. Bergeson has been working on industrial and agricultural chemical policy issues for over 30 years. She has worked extensively on Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) reform; emerging technologies, including nanotechnology, biotechnology, and synthetic biology; and the application of legal and governance systems to these emerging technologies. Ms. Bergeson’s work has brought her to Capitol Hill, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and other governance and standard-setting bodies on chemical policy and management issues.
Representative Engagements
- B&C provides strategic advice and management to a coalition of chemical manufacturers and users seeking to improve the process to bring new chemicals to market in the United States.
- B&C provides strategic advice to a coalition that supports science-based regulation of pesticides.
- B&C regularly assists clients with chemical product approvals under TSCA, hastening their commercialization and diminishing manufacturing and use limitations based on compelling product advocacy.
- B&C successfully obtained from EPA a written clarification of policy interpretation that saved a client over $900,000 in a commercial dispute between pesticide registrants.
- B&C persuaded EPA that its interpretation of certain food tolerance requirements was incorrect, which otherwise would have eliminated all uses of a client’s product. The product continues to be available on the market and is flourishing.
- B&C has engaged regulatory officials to consider in their evaluation of a pending matter the most recent scientific information. Those recent developments were key to the client’s position.
- B&C routinely advises clients on how best to approach officials at all levels of regulatory bodies to ensure that the most accurate scientific information and legal arguments are incorporated into pending decisions.
- B&C assisted a multinational company in identifying potential new partners and allies to support expansion to new markets.
- B&C assisted a global construction company in identifying and leveraging government programs to accelerate growth opportunities and build a network of contacts.
- B&C routinely prepares and submits comments on pending proposals by federal agencies concerning specific client products or more general policy or regulatory proposals about which clients have identified an interest.