Coleman Talley, one of the southeast’s premier mid-sized law firms with offices in Atlanta and Valdosta, Georgia and Jacksonville, Florida, is proud to announce the launch of a new Government Affairs service line, available to clients in all markets beginning in early September. The Government Affairs division will operate under Coleman Talley Strategies, LLC, (CTS), an affiliate of Coleman Talley LLP. John Crawford, who will join the firm on September 6^th, will be the Principal of the Government Affairs division which will offer services related to state and federal government relations and lobbying, and related corporate strategies. Mr. Crawford is well-known in the Valdosta, Georgia community, where he currently serves as Vice President for University Advancement at Valdosta State University.  

“We are excited to have John join us and to begin offering this high-demand, increasingly critical service for our clients,” said Coleman Talley Managing Partner, Justin Scott. Coleman Talley has been representing local governments for 85 years, beginning with our founding partner's representation of the City of Valdosta. Our attorneys also have decades of experience representing state governmental entities across a wide variety of areas, so our experience and expertise align perfectly with this new service line.” 

Mr. Crawford brings Coleman Talley over two decades of his own government relations experience, having worked closely with local, state, and federal officials as well as with members of Congress. John’s lobbying experience has focused on state and federal appropriations and education, resulting in increased funding for operations and facilities in Georgia. Over the course of his career, John has been recognized repeatedly by his peers, who twice elected him chair of the Council of University Governmental Affairs Representatives in Alabama. He was also invited to serve as logistics chair for the Southern Legislative Conference, as well as the National Speaker of the House Conference. John attended the University of Alabama and earned a B.S. in History from the University of West Alabama and received his Master’s in Public Administration with a concentration in Public Policy from Valdosta State University. John will be based out of Coleman Talley’s Valdosta office. 

“I am thrilled for the opportunity to lead this new division,” said Mr. Crawford. “I look forward to helping our clients build effective strategies that will positively shape opinion and drive favorable policy decisions while navigating the public, political, regulatory, and legislative environments. Whether that involves outreach campaigns, lobbying, PAC strategies, or other strategies and tactics, we will be able to provide them the full breadth of government affairs services, backed by the southeast’s brightest legal talent.”