Case Studies

These case studies demonstrate the collaborative nature of the work performed by Lockridge Grindal Nauen P.L.LP. and Synergetic Endeavors on behalf of clients.

Interchange Payment Credit Card Litigation Case Study

We represented the Lead Counsel of the plaintiffs in this matter which had obtained a $7 billion settlement with Visa and Mastercard related to price-fixing on fees for the credit cards. We were hired to protect the settlement and prevent any state from trying to interfere by passing legislation. We hired lobbyists in 23 states to defeat or prevent legislation from moving forward. This process lasted over two years. In not one state did legislation pass that would have prevented the settlement from going forward. This effort required a tremendous amount of management after the best persons or firms were hired. We worked in close coordination with the Lead Counsel and we brought proposals for each state forward to get approval before we obligated any resources for hiring lobbyists.

West Publishing (now Thomson Reuters) Case Study

We executed a targeted national strategy of hiring lobbyists in key states related to legislative battles on intellectual property issues. This effort involved 15 plus states and required vetting, meeting with, and hiring the best lobbyist in each of the key states. This battle lasted two years and we defeated all the proposals in each of the states that this legislation was brought forward. At that time, it required traveling to each of the key states and interviewing potential lobbyists and retaining them.

Civics Education Initiative Case Study

We were hired as the primary national consultant for this nationwide state legislative initiative that wanted to pass legislation around the country to require that all high school students had to take and pass the same test that applicants for U.S. citizenship have to take. In this capacity we vetted, interviewed, retained, and managed on-the-ground lobbying teams, overseeing legislative strategy throughout the country on behalf of our client. Ultimately, our collaboration on this project netted the result of over 36 states passing some form of this legislation. Additionally, our team helped to substantially raise the profile of the organization through involvement with the National Conference of State Legislatures as well as public relations, media training, and message development that resulted in significant earned media opportunities for the organization.

Motorola Solutions SIRN Project

The state of North Dakota had been involved in an almost decade-long process to completely replace the radio communications system used by law enforcement, firefighters, first responders, and other government agencies such as the Department of Transportation. Primacy Strategy Group was retained by the largest provider of public safety communications equipment, who had previously worked with other government relations firms but were unable to secure the finances necessary to move the project forward. The PSG team engaged with legislative leaders and key committee members to successfully secure passage of legislation that provided $120 million in funding to purchase equipment and cover installations costs, so those protecting citizens on the frontlines will have a world-class network to rely upon during the most challenging of situations.

Boys & Girls Clubs of America

Our team has had considerable success over several years in securing a direct appropriation for youth workforce development funding on behalf of the Minnesota Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs. While many states have utilized the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program to fund several initiatives around workforce development, Minnesota’s TANF program is such that dollars are largely allocated towards adults rather than children. We were able to position the Boys & Girls Club for success by identifying the Department of Employment and Economic Development budget as a target for line-item funding and then cultivate bipartisan relationships to secure almost $1 million annually for Clubs across the state. While the initial appropriation was a one-time appropriation, our team was successful in converting it to a base appropriation in the following legislative session.

Minnesota Self Storage Association

The Lockridge Grindal Nauen (LGN) State Government Relations team was retained by the Minnesota Self Storage Association to seek changes to a wide range of outdated statutes that had proven problematic for the state’s 800+ self storage businesses. In the face of vigorous opposition from competing interests and procedural obstacles from state regulators, the LGN team led a successful effort across multiple legislative sessions to completely overhaul archaic lien laws and reform industry-specific insurance regulations—winning consensus at a divided and often polarized state capitol. Building on this success and our long-term commitment to our clients across the region, the PSG team has recently achieved similar outcomes in Bismarck for the North Dakota Self Storage Association.