Information

Firm Biography and Statement of Practice

Background

California Advocates, Inc. is a professional contract lobbying firm which was established in 1971 to provide representation for business, professional and local government interests before the legislative and executive branches of state government. Since its inception, the firm consistently has been regarded as one of the leading legislative advocacy organizations in California.

The firm is especially proud of its stable and ongoing relationship with its clients. Many of the firm’s clients have continuously retained our services for 25 years or more – indeed, several clients have been with the firm since its inception 36 years ago. This has allowed California Advocates to exercise “public policy stewardship” over the issues affecting these clients. In our opinion, the best interests of our clients are served by an ongoing relationship that ensures a positive public policy environment governing the issues affecting those clients.

In addition to its stable and ongoing client base, California Advocates has been retained by numerous other clients on specific projects to either enact or defeat legislation in a given legislative session. For example, several years ago the firm was retained by the World Bank to legislatively expand the permissible investments of California public pension funds to include certain financial instruments issued by the World Bank. The firm also represented H.D. Vest and a number of other financial services providers who successfully expanded the law permitting the sale of commission-based investments. These experiences allow California Advocates to add value to both its stable and ongoing client base, as well as provide solutions to short-term clients.

The firm has maintained permanent, full-time offices across the street from the California State Capitol for over thirty-five years. The offices include a conference room which seats up to eighteen persons. Separate office facilities are provided for our guests and clients as well as secretarial, facsimile, computer and copying services.
 

Breadth of Experience and Statement of Practice

 In over 36 years of existence, California Advocates has represented a diverse spectrum of interests. As a result of this multifaceted representation, our principal advocates have developed contacts with virtually all legislators and their staffs, as well as many state agency representatives. Our relationships are founded upon professional representation and mutual cooperation in solving problems for our clients. Most of these relationships are the result of long-term and on-going participation. This type of representation has resulted in credibility and respect among legislators, their respective staffs and state agency representatives.


The firm makes it a practice to focus the relationships and expertise of all its advocates on any given client when necessary and appropriate. In order to promote continuity of representation, one advocate has primary client responsibility with secondary responsibility residing in one other designated advocate. Others are called upon as necessary. The interdisciplinary relationship between the firm's advocates, each with primary and secondary responsibility for a diverse clientele, expands and enhances the resources that can be focused on any client issue at any given time.

Enclosed for your information is a current list of active clients served by California Advocates, Inc. We encourage any prospective client to contact current or former clients for recommendations.

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