Christopher Nolen

Chris Nolen is a Virginia lobbyist and senior government relations professional who advises companies, trade associations, and other organizations on legislative, regulatory and public-policy matters before Virginia state and local governments. An executive vice president with McGuireWoods Consulting and an attorney with McGuireWoods LLP, he brings more than 30 years of experience in government, politics and law to helping clients anticipate and respond to consequential government actions affecting their businesses. 

Chris represents clients before the Virginia General Assembly and executive branch, as well as state and local agencies. Drawing on his experience as a lobbyist and as former chief counsel to a Virginia attorney general, he helps clients identify emerging legislative and regulatory issues, assess their potential business implications and develop and implement strategies to advance their business and public-policy objectives.

Chris regularly advises CEOs, general counsels, government affairs executives, business-unit leaders and other senior leaders on significant legislative and regulatory matters. He works with client legal, compliance, operational, communications and leadership teams to assess government developments and coordinate appropriate responses.

His work has involved helping clients remove legislative and regulatory barriers to business operations and defend statutory and regulatory frameworks important to their businesses. Chris has also aided clients in preserving or expanding market access, navigating state procurement and contracting issues and responding to government actions carrying significant operational or financial consequences.

As an executive vice president, Chris serves on McGuireWoods Consulting’s executive leadership team, leads and coordinates client teams, mentors professionals and participates in the firm’s strategic and operational management.

Chris has been recognized by The Best Lawyers in America from 2011 through 2027 and has twice been named its “Lawyer of the Year” for government relations.

Chris holds a Bachelor of Arts in history and political science from Virginia Tech and a Juris Doctor from George Mason University School of Law.

FAQs

Q: What is Chris’ philosophy when developing a government relations strategy for a client?

Chris approaches government relations by first understanding the client’s business objective and the governmental, political and legal forces affecting it and then determining which combination of strategies and advocacy tools is appropriate. 

Q: What government relations strategies and services does Chris use on a client’s behalf?

Depending on the matter, that work may involve direct lobbying, legislative drafting, regulatory engagement, stakeholder coordination, grassroots advocacy, public-policy communications or coordination with others responsible for implementing related elements of the strategy.

Q: What areas does Chris’ legal practice cover?

Chris’ legal practice includes advising companies on political law and government relations compliance matters, including lobbying requirements, restrictions on gifts to public officials, campaign finance, government ethics, conflicts of interest and ethics in public procurement. 

Q: What sets Chris’ government relations and legal practice apart from other advisors?

His combined legal and government relations experience allows him to evaluate how an advocacy strategy can advance a client’s objectives and how it can be executed within the legal and ethical rules governing interactions with government.

• Helped a manufacturer secure the necessary changes to Virginia state budget language that banned the use of a chemical in client’s manufacturing process. He then advised the company through the resulting regulatory process to create a limited exception for the client’s product. This allowed the company to continue operations and protected millions of dollars recently invested in its manufacturing facility.  
• Worked directly with the CEO and management team of a manufacturer to devise and implement a multiyear strategy using a legislative amendment, a Virginia attorney general opinion and regulatory action to open a government market for the company’s product. 
• Helped closely held companies obtain the title to Commonwealth-owned subaqueous bottomlands through enactment of Virginia legislation, resolving property-rights uncertainty that prevented development of the property. Subsequently assisted the clients in navigating the state regulatory process required to complete the transfer. 
• Developed and supported a Virginia legislative strategy for a locality seeking to expand eligibility for incremental sales-tax financing for a nontraditional economic-development project, resulting in enactment of legislation expanding eligibility and addressing related bond obligations.
• Helped a healthcare trade association secure changes to Virginia law expanding the scope of practice for a healthcare profession, enabling practitioners to provide expanded treatment options to patients.
• Strengthened an energy producer’s operational flexibility by securing amendments to Virgina law governing the allocation of property-rights related to mining. This resolved a legal uncertainty and allowing continued use of the property-right at issue.
• Helped a trade association secure enactment in Virginia of a multistate healthcare professional licensure compact, expanding participating providers’ ability to practice across state lines.
• Participated in multistakeholder negotiations that produced consensus around proposed Virginia legislation governing access and cost related to certain healthcare records.
• Assisted a telecommunications company in reducing regulatory burdens by modernizing its governing statutes, improving its ability to compete with providers of similar services. 
• Assisted a healthcare provider in securing enactment of Virginia legislation necessary to permit the merger of two healthcare providers in the same region, removing a potential legal barrier to the transaction. Assisted with navigating subsequent regulatory process establishing oversight of post merger activities.
• Successfully secured amendments to Virginia legislation that prevented the legislation from interfering with pending litigation involving a franchise agreement.  
• Assisted a healthcare provider to defeat repeated legislative attempts over several years to restrict expansion of certain facilities, preserving the provider’s ability to continue expanding access to healthcare services in targeted Virginia markets.

Government Procurement & State Contracting

• Advised technology companies on Virginia state technology contracts valued from approximately $3 million to $100 million, including procurement strategy and contract negotiations. 
• Counseled technology companies in disputes involving Virginia state contracts, including contract-breach issues and settlement strategy with state government to address financial and reputational exposure.
• Helped a technology company and coalition of similarly situated businesses secure changes to Virginia procurement law that had restricted their ability to compete for large state information-technology, expanding their opportunity to bid on state IT procurements.
• Assisted a global transportation construction company with Virginia procurement intelligence to identify potential business opportunities. Created and implemented an outreach plan to enhance the awareness and reputation of the construction company’s brand with decisionmakers. 
• Successfully opposed Virginia legislation promoted by a client competitor that would have prevented the client bidding on future state work for certain food services.

MWLLP Political Law, Compliance and Government Investigations

• Conducted a comprehensive political law and government relations compliance review for a regulated company, covering political contribution policies, engagement and oversight of outside lobbyists, anti-bribery and gift rules, conflicts of interest and related compliance procedures. 
• Developed and delivered government relations and political law compliance training for regulated companies covering anti-bribery requirements, campaign finance, engagement of outside lobbyists, government service conflicts, lobbyist registration and reporting and corporate ethics policies. 
• Advised a regulated entity simultaneously on legislative strategy and lobbying and political law compliance requirements associated with implementation of an advocacy program related to the legislative initiative. 
• Represented a variety of financial services companies in responding to inquiries and investigations by state attorneys general involving consumer protection issues and compliance with state law. 
• Assisted a national bank to defend against a Virginia attorney general investigation and fraud against taxpayers action. 

• Member, Virginia Bar Association
• Member, Virginia Code Commission
• Virginia Commissioner, Uniform Law Commission

• Virginia

• Election Law and Government Ethics: 2015 Annual Survey of Virginia Law, 50 U. Rich. L. Rev. 143, 2015
• Election Law, 47 U. Rich. L. Rev. 181, 2012
• Election Law, 46 U. Rich. Rev. 119, 2011
• Election Law, 44 U.Rich.Rev. 403, 2009
• Election Law, 41 U. Rich. L. Rev. 121, 2006
• Election Law, 35 U. Rich. L. Rev. 575, 2001