Kummer Kaempfer

Your Nevada Law Firm

Legislative Affairs

Kummer Kaempfer Bonner Renshaw & Ferrario has considerable experience in state legislative affairs, representing clients before state governmental entities and the Nevada Legislature. The Firm’s attorneys and staff members work year-round with lawmakers, governmental officials and business and community leaders on important issues that affect Nevada.

The Legislative Affairs Team is co-chaired by Mark H. Fiorentino and Robert L. Crowell. Additionally, the Firm  has established a professional services relationship with John Pappageorge, a premier legislative and government affairs consultant in the State of Nevada.

In 2007 alone, Kummer Kaempfer successfully represented the interests of more than 30 businesses and organizations worldwide on important and complex issues ranging from land use and property rights to transportation, utilities, gaming, taxes and natural resources. The legislative affairs team played an integral role in negotiating Nevada’s revised Leadership in Energy, Efficiency, and Design (LEED) standards. Additionally, Kummer Kaempfer successfully secured funding for regional economic development authorities, enhancements to a non-profit children’s museum, and funding to expedite construction of a Nevada highway.

At the 2005 legislative session, the team secured passage of legislation clarifying the transfer of ownership provisions for publicly-owned telecommunications companies, regulating local government licensing of employed professionals, clarifying indemnification provisions of public works projects, revising contractor license requirements for master developers, and obtained funding for regional economic development authorities.

During the 2003 session, the legislative affairs team achieved the adoption of legislation that created a new water district for Lincoln County, revised provisions governing taxation of centrally-assessed properties, and participated in the adoption of a sweeping construction defects reform bill.

Among its accomplishments in 2001, the team secured passage of a contested property rights protection bill, a boundary line adjustment between Nye and Clark County, interactive gaming provisions, professional liability amendments, and the only constructional defect measure to become law in 2001.

Following the 2007 Nevada Legislature, political pundit Jon Ralston released his annual survey of Nevada lobbyists regarding their peers. Fellow lobbyists recognized several members of the Kummer Kaempfer Legislative Team.

Robert Crowell and John Pappageorge were among a select few chosen as “Best Lobbyist”. Ralston and lobbyists noted the following:

Robert Crowell

• “Crowell is seen as the consummate steady hand.”
• “He’s an honest broker.”
• “Polished, professional, honest and committed. He is truly the best of the best and deserved his induction into the lobbyist’s hall of fame.”
• “Trustworthy, ethical and cares about crafting the best public policy while achieving his clients’ objectives.”

John Pappageorge

• “Pappageorge (is seen) as the prototypical relationship-based lobbyists.”
• “John should set up a mentor program for all freshman lobbyists. He’s ethical, fair and knows the process like nobody else.”
• “Consummate vote-counter and a gentleman.”

Jennifer Lazovich

Jennifer Lazovich was recognized as one of the “less high-profile lobbyists, the steady hands that serve their clients well, often under adverse circumstances.”

The Firm’s Legislative Team is also comprised of three experienced legislative advocates who assist clients with myriad issues involving governmental and legislative affairs.  The advocates are Maddie Gugino, Michael Phillips and Erin Russell.

Maddie Gugino

Ms. Gugino has extensive experience in public and legislative affairs, state campaigns, and government service. From November 1992 through October 1999, Ms. Gugino worked as the primary legislative aid to the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Judiciary in Nevada. She also served as a Senate staff member in Carson City during the 1993, 1995, 1997 and 1999 Sessions of the Nevada Legislature, working as Committee Manager of the Senate Committee on Judiciary. In October 1999, Ms. Gugino joined Kummer Kaempfer Bonner Renshaw & Ferrario’s legislative team and she now represents a diverse group of clients as a registered lobbyist. At the close of the 2001 Nevada Legislature, The Ralston Report conducted an extensive survey of legislators and lobbyists. Ms. Gugino received a "Rising Star" rating, with high marks for hard work and performance.

Ms. Gugino serves as a Member of the St. Viator Elementary School Board. She actively volunteers with and fundraises for the St. Viator School Foundation, PTO and Parish. She also volunteers with Spread the Word Nevada: Kids to Kids Literacy Project, a program that provides much needed books and educational opportunities to students and families at local, at-risk preschool and elementary schools. A native of Las Vegas, Ms. Gugino earned a B.A. in Economics from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in 1991. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University Honors Program. Her formal education includes the study of international economics at L’Universita di Torino, in Turin, Italy in 2000.

Michael H. Phillips

Michael H. Phillips is a lobbyist in the Government Affairs Department and focuses work in the area legislative affairs. He joined the firm in 2006. Mr. Phillips advocates on behalf of Kummer Kaempfer’s more than 30 legislative clients during the legislative and interim sessions. He has appeared numerous times in front of local and state boards, commissions, and committees. 

In 2005, Mr. Phillips was a graduate of the Clark County Leadership Forum and continues to assist in volunteer efforts with fellow alumni of the Forum. In a fundraising effort during training for the Las Vegas Marathon in 2007, Mr. Phillips helped to raise money for The V Foundation which promotes cancer research. Mr. Phillips has published numerous articles on tax and economic policies and on business issues.

Mr. Phillips has wide-ranging experience in public and legislative affairs, federal issues, and polling. A native of Las Vegas and a 5th generation Nevadan, he began his career in politics as an intern and then as Legislative Correspondent for U.S. Senator Richard Bryan in Washington, D.C., from July 1999 through January 2001. Upon returning to Las Vegas, Mr. Phillips worked on federal, state, and local issues for the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce through September 2002. He joined the McMullen Strategic Group as a lobbyist for the 2003 legislative session. In May of 2004, he returned to the Chamber of Commerce as Manager of Government Affairs to again work on a variety of issues as well as managing the Chamber’s Center for Polling and Research.  Mr. Phillips earned a B.A. in English from the University of Nevada, Reno in 1999. In 2006, he earned his Masters of Public Administration from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. 

L. Erin Russell

Ms. Russell joined the firm in December 2005. She serves on the legislative affairs team, advocating on behalf of clients at the Nevada State Legislature. Ms. Russell and the legislative team handle a variety of client interests ranging but not limited to gaming, development, water resources, healthcare, business and economic development. Prior to joining the firm, Ms. Russell served as Executive Director for the Republican Assembly Caucus for nearly four years and was a congressional staffer for Senator John Ensign in Washington DC. While pursing her graduate studies in Washington DC, she additionally had the opportunity to intern for two prominent political media consulting firms. Ms. Russell has participated in four regular legislative sessions, as well as six special sessions at the Nevada State Legislature in Carson City. In 2007, she assisted with the successful passage of legislation seeking uniformity in Nevada statutes by extending certificate of merit requirements to nonresidential construction claims.

In 2007, Ms. Russell was appointed by Governor Jim Gibbons to serve on the Nevada State Commission for Postsecondary Education. The Commission is the predominant licensing authority for the oversight of private postsecondary educational institutions operating in Nevada. Ms. Russell is also active in the community, serving on the local board for the St. Jude’s Ranch for Children in Boulder City, which seeks to provide a healing and nurturing environment for rescued abused, abandoned and neglected children. She is a 2008 class participate in the Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Las Vegas program. Ms. Russell is currently writing her dissertation for her Ph.D. in Public Affairs and has been inducted into the University’s honor society Phi Kappa Phi and Department’s honor society Pi Alpha Alpha for her scholastic achievements. Her past publications include articles relating to campaigns and elections. In 2005, she received the Legislative Staff Achievement Award from the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL). She was also featured as an “Alumni Spotlight” from her Graduate School of Political Management at the George Washington University. Ms. Russell earned her M.A. in Political Management in 2001 from the George Washington University and she received her B.A. in Political Science and Journalism in 2000 from the University of Nevada, Reno.

Attorneys

Hon. James H. Bilbray
Robert L. Crowell
Kathleen M. Drakulich
Mark H. Fiorentino
John W. Griffin
Jennifer Lazovich
Russell M. Rowe