About Kerr Government Strategies

Anne Leigh Kerr represents business interests and trade associations for a wide range of industries on government relations matters at the state level, including alcohol beverage control, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, state budgetary finances, insurance, banking and technology.

Ms. Kerr’s practice focuses on lobbying before the Virginia General Assembly and the Executive Branch. Ms. Kerr has significant experience crafting comprehensive legislative strategy, including grass roots campaigns, for clients. She has a wide array of relationships with Virginia’s policy leaders, committee chairs and key legislative leaders. One of Ms. Kerr’s skills is negotiating Virginia’s budget process. In addition to legislative advocacy, Ms. Kerr represents clients before administrative agencies in Virginia’s regulatory process. Ms. Kerr offers her clients extensive understanding and expertise from her career in state government and Virginia politics.

Ms. Kerr previously worked as legislative counsel to Waste Management of Virginia. Working for the Commonwealth of Virginia, she served as Policy Advisor to Lieutenant Governor Don Beyer advocating the Lieutenant Governor’s legislative initiatives before the General Assembly. Prior to her tenure with Beyer, Ms. Kerr worked as Special Assistant to the Director of the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), serving as a liaison with members of the General Assembly and working on regulatory and policy matters. Ms. Kerr also worked as a Legislative Assistant in the Virginia House of Delegates.

In the political arena, Ms. Kerr advises statewide candidates and General Assembly members on policy issues and fundraising strategies. Ms. Kerr served Governor Kaine as a member of his Transition Team. On the local level, Mayor Dwight Jones (City of Richmond) appointed Ms. Kerr to his Transition Team where she served as the Chair of the Transportation Committee.

Representative Experience

• Won passage of pharmaceutical pedigree legislation for the Pharmaceutical and Research Manufacturers of America and served on Virginia Board of Pharmacy’s Regulatory Advisory Committee to craft regulations.
• Represented American Express in a year-long study of legislation pertaining to database breach notification and assisted with drafting of current Virginia law.
• Represented Fidelity National Title to secure changes in Virginia’s mechanic lien law.
• Successfully passed legislation implementing electronic delivery of insurance notices for USAA.
• Represented Anheuser Busch in enacting retail alcohol advertising initiative in the General Assembly and worked with the Virginia Alcohol Beverage Control Board in implementation.
• Represented municipal electric system to obtain legislation giving cities and towns that operate their own electric systems additional statutory authority to make wholesale purchases of electric power.
• Represented the American Insurance Association in implementing Graham Leach Bliley amendments in Virginia and securing authority for the commercial deregulation of large commercial risks.
• Secured authorizing language in Virginia’s budget for the construction of a privately operated prison.
• Obtained increased state government funding for Indigent Defense Initiative on behalf of the Virginia Bar Association.
• Assisted a municipal local government defeat onerous K-12 budget amendments.

Honors
Named to Virginia Business Magazine’s Legal Elite in Legislative & Regulatory Law (2008)

Publications & Seminars
Virginia Manufacturers Association & Pharmaceutical Research Manufacturers of America: “Protecting Your Company from the Trial Bar & Legislature in a Global Economy:” A Product Liability Seminar.

Virginia Continuing Legal Education Seminar: “Highlights of the 2007 Virginia General Assembly”

Virginia Land Title Association Continuing Education Seminar: “Introduction to the General Assembly and Proposed Legislation Affecting the Title Industry” and “Recent Developments in Virginia Since 1607 – 2007 Legislative Update”

Novartis Pharmaceuticals and the Geriatric Medical Society: “Pharmaceutical Trends in the Virginia General Assembly”

Community Involvement

• Model General Assembly, YMCA
• Girls State
• Board of Visitors to Mount Vernon (Former Board Member)
• Virginia Public Access Project, Board Member
• Central Virginia Food Bank Volunteer
• Tad DuPriest Foundation, Associate Board Member

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