Our Work

For the past 25 years, our firm has worked successfully with numerous organizations to design and implement strategies to achieve realistic, data-driven goals. Our expertise includes
Government Procurement; Grassroots Engagement and Coalition Building;
and Legislative Advocacy.

Government Procurement

The many facets of government offer numerous business opportunities for corporations with the right qualifications, yet a lack of access to decision makers often presents an insurmountable obstacle. Our experience and depth of relationships allow us to position skilled corporations to make their case before the governmental entities that need their services the most.  Additionally, our continuous monitoring of critical agencies and departments gives us real-time knowledge of their needs before a public request for proposal (RFP) is issued.  

• Long-term Contract: We worked with a multinational information technology services and consulting firm as they pursued a significant RFP with the State of Georgia. Throughout the engagement, we met regularly to guide them through the procurement process and provide feedback on each of their submissions and overall strategy. Ultimately, the firm was successful and won a statewide, multi-million-dollar contract that will span multiple years.

• Trusted Resource: The JLM team worked with major consulting firms such as Google Cloud, ServiceNow, and Mauldin & Jenkins to position them as a trusted resource to state government agencies and private sector businesses with a significant presence in Georgia.

legislative advocacy

The J.L. Morgan team has the relationships, expertise, and attention to detail required to ensure our clients’ interests are represented throughout all levels of government. Identifying, informing, and building relationships with key influencers is a cornerstone of our process. We specialize in state-level legislative advocacy at the Georgia General Assembly, providing corporations, coalitions, candidates, and business associations with solid strategic plans for execution of government affairs tactics.

Heavy-Duty Equipment Legislation: In 2022 our firm completed a multi-year campaign to pass legislation that allows heavy-duty equipment rental companies to line-item on customer invoices the pro rata share of personal property tax owed for the duration of the rental. This legislation faced unrelenting opposition for years, yet a coordinated grass tops campaign in tandem with a precise legislative strategy yielded final passage of the bill. Gov. Brian Kemp signed the bill into law.  

Bicycle Product Suppliers Association: In 2019 the Bicycle Product Suppliers Association retained the JLM team to advance legislation that establishes a three-tier classification system for electric bicycles in Georgia code. Our team worked with key stakeholders, including local governments, competing micro-mobility companies, and General Assembly leadership to navigate the bill through the complex legislative process. Despite having a bill sponsor from the minority party in one of the most politically fraught years in recent Georgia history, we found a path to success that ended with Gov. Brian Kemp signing the bill into law effective July 1, 2019.

Epinephrine Access: Our firm led a campaign to expand access to epinephrine — a medication used in emergencies to treat very serious allergic reactions — throughout the state by securing the passage of HB 337 in 2013 and subsequently SB 126 in 2015. Each piece of legislation required our firm to strategically build a coalition of supporters, cultivate key allies throughout state government, educate key influencers on the impact of the legislation, and navigate the complexities of the legislative process within a short timeframe. After the General Assembly approved the legislation and it was signed by then-Gov. Nathan Deal, our firm worked closely with the Department of Public Health to ensure that effective rules and regulations were put into place to administer the new laws and that training programs were made available to those taking advantage of the expanded access to epinephrine.

Grassroots Engagement & coalition development

Our company’s roots are in grassroots campaigns, and we put that experience to work every day on behalf of our clients.

Georgia Hotel & Lodging Association: A key success for GHLA in 2022 was the awarding of a $150 million grant to help restore the hotel industry to pre-pandemic levels of success. Since 2015, we have worked to reposition the association’s leadership as thought-leaders in the tourism industry; a trusted source of information; and a full participant in public policy decisions that impact the industry. We worked tirelessly to learn GHLA’s history, embrace its goals and craft a strategy and legislative agenda that earns it more political capital over the long-term for the benefit of the entire tourism industry. 

Data Center Coalition: JLM’s team led a coalition of data center companies in a 2022 effort to extend tax incentives to high technology companies and data centers. In an election year, this legislation faced stiff opposition from all sides given the fiscal and tax policy implications of the proposal. A compromise version of the legislation was eventually passed by the general assembly and signed into law by Gov. Brian Kemp.  

Bike Safety Coalition: Georgia Bikes and the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition retained the JLM team in 2018 for a coalition development initiative aimed at reforming Georgia’s out-of-date hit-and-run laws. This partnership was created to support legislation that will provide the option of enhanced penalties for a hit-and-run driver who knowingly causes and flees the scene of an accident that has resulted in a severe injury. Throughout a two-year campaign, our firm worked closely with stakeholders, including the families of hit-and-run victims and the Prosecuting Attorneys Council to navigate the bill through the legislative process. Although members of the minority party almost exclusively supported the measure, our team successfully forged alliances across party lines to ensure both chambers approved of the bill. Gov. Brian Kemp signed the bill into law in 2019. 

The American Transaction Processors Coalition: We worked with numerous Fortune 500 companies and key executive branch agencies to create the American Transaction Processors Coalition, which now represents the more than 70 Georgia-based companies that develop the products and provide resources supporting the financial service industry's technology needs. Our work with the Coalition includes educating key legislators; defending against legislation that could have unintentional or negative impacts on Coalition members; securing passage of a joint House and Senate study committee that provided unparalleled opportunities for industry executives to cultivate champions in key leadership positions throughout the legislature and state government; and leading statewide efforts to create a University System of Georgia curriculum to educate the next generation of financial technology experts to meet existing and future workforce needs of the industry. 

Newborn Screenings: We worked with patient advocates and their families to secure the addition of Adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD) to the Newborn Screening (NBS) Panel in Georgia. We mounted a grassroots campaign that included a wide range of stakeholders including advocates, state agencies, and legislators to successfully secure $2.3 million in recurring state funds in the fiscal year 2020 budget for newborn screening. These funds will pay for needed infrastructure upgrades to the Georgia Public Health Laboratory and costs associated with screening every newborn in Georgia ALD and three other diseases that were simultaneously added to the panel.

Imagine Hope: In 2020 as 14% budget cuts loomed over the state government, our firm worked with Imagine Hope to mount a full-scale grass tops campaign in support of restoring the state funds that support the organization’s statewide Hepatitis C testing program. Each member of the State Budget Conference Committee a personal call and letter from an executive at a Medication Assisted Treatment clinic and Community Service Board in their district in support of restoring the funds. JLM’s team also activated stalwart champions House Health Chair Sharon Cooper (R-Marietta) and House Human Services Appropriations Subcommittee Chair Katie Dempsey (R-Rome) to put continuous pressure on the conference committee members to restore the funds.  In the conference committee report on the budget half of the proposed cut to the Imagine Hope program (a total of $125,000) was restored under DBHDD and the entirety of the proposed cut to Hepatitis C testing kits ($40,000) was restored under DPH (total of $165,000). 

J.L. Morgan Company Clients In The News