Author: Ted Prettyman

Creighton University: As One of The Hill’s Top Lobbyists, Michaela Sims, JD’96, Loves Mentoring the Next Generation of Creighton Law Students Through the GOAL Program

Being her own boss allows Sims to pursue work for clients that is both personally and professionally rewarding. … For Sims to be successful, several pieces must come together. … “What I like about what I do is that it is different from client to client, from Congress to Congress,” says Sims. “It often comes down to people. Understanding people and their motivations. Everyone is coming from somewhere. That’s where you must meet them.” 

Source: Creighton University

The Hill: Top Lobbyists 2022

On December 7, 2022, Michaela Sims was again named a Top Lobbyist by The Hill.

Welcome to The Hill’s annual list of top lobbyists

Lobbyists played a key role in shaping an avalanche of legislation in 2022, including Democrats’ Inflation Reduction Act and several bipartisan bills — ranging from the CHIPS and Science Act to the Respect for Marriage Act — that brought sharply divided lawmakers together. 

This list honors the corporate lobbyists, hired guns, association leaders and grassroots activists who leveraged their expertise and connections to make a difference in the nation’s capital this year.

Grassroots advocates won hard-fought battles to secure some of this year’s most significant bipartisan measures, including the first gun violence bill in decades and legislation to expand benefits for veterans exposed to burn pits. 

K Street influencers helped their clients unlock huge sums of government funding authorized by the bipartisan infrastructure law and navigate a slew of regulatory proposals. Lobbyists at corporations and trade groups made last-minute changes to key measures while also staving off legislation to crack down on tech giants and other industries.

Not all of those on this list are registered lobbyists. But they all demonstrated a track record of success in the halls of Congress and the administration during a critical year for policy.

Hired Guns

Michaela Sims, Sims Strategies

Source: The Hill

The Hill: Top Lobbyists 2021

On December 1, 2021, Michaela Sims was again named a Top Lobbyist by The Hill.

Welcome to The Hill’s annual list of top lobbyists.

K Street played an outsized role in this year’s policy debates, working behind the scenes to reshape the COVID-19 relief package, bipartisan infrastructure bill and Democrats’ climate and social spending plan. The transfer of power following the 2020 election — along with trillions of dollars in new federal spending and proposals to transform various sectors of the economy — sparked a lobbying boom in Washington.

In one of the busiest years on record for the D.C. influence world, these are the people who wielded their connections and knowledge most effectively for their clients. The list highlights the broad range of talents needed to achieve success in the industry.

Not all of those honored on this list are registered lobbyists. But they are all key players who the nation’s biggest companies, advocacy groups, labor unions and trade associations turn to when they want their voices heard in the nation’s capital.

The ranks of policy experts, influencers and advocates run deep in Washington, but these are the people who stand out for delivering results for their clients in the halls of Congress and the administration.

Hired guns

Michaela Sims, Sims Strategies

Source: The Hill

The Hill: Top Lobbyists 2020

On December 10, 2020, Michaela Sims was once again named a Top Lobbyist by The Hill.

Welcome to The Hill’s annual list of top lobbyists.

2020 was a chaotic year for K Street, with the coronavirus pandemic and lobbying battles for COVID-19 relief legislation consuming much of the year. The presidential and congressional elections also kept lobbyists busy while they tried to find ways to network under the new normal of virtual work.

In a busy and challenging year for the influence world, these are the people who wielded their clout and knowledge most effectively for their clients.

Not all of those honored on this list are registered lobbyists. The list highlights the broad range of talents needed to achieve success in the influence industry. But all of the people below are key players on K Street — and the ones the nation’s biggest companies, labor unions and associations turn to when they want their voices heard in the nation’s capital.

The ranks of policy experts and influencers run deep in Washington, but these are the people who stand out for delivering results for their clients in the halls of Congress and in the administration.

Hired Guns

Michaela SimsSims Strategies

Source: The Hill

The Hill: Top Lobbyists 2019

On December 12, 2019, Michaela Sims was again named a Top Lobbyist by The Hill.

Welcome to The Hill’s annual Top Lobbyists list.

2019 was a frenetic year for K Street, with a number of high-profile fights on legislative and regulatory issues, even as Washington was riveted by impeachment drama and a contentious 2020 presidential election took shape.

In a busy and testing year for the influence world, these are the people who wielded their clout and knowledge most effectively on behalf of their clients.

Not all of those honored on this list are formally registered as lobbyists. The list highlights the broad range of talents needed to succeed in the influence industry. But the people below are all at the top of their game — and the ones the nation’s biggest companies, labor unions and associations turn to when they want their voices heard in the nation’s capital.

The ranks of Washington’s policy experts and influencers run deep, but these are the players who stand out for delivering results for their clients in the halls of Congress and the administration.

Hired Guns

Michaela SimsSims Strategies

Source: The Hill

The Hill: Top Lobbyists 2018

On December 13, 2018, Michaela Sims was named a Top Lobbyist by The Hill for the third year in a row.

Welcome to The Hill’s Top Lobbyists 2018.

Here you’ll find the most distinguished and accomplished professionals from the influence world who are on the front lines of the nation’s most consequential political and policy battles.

The lobbying world faces new pressures and is under greater scrutiny than ever. But the select few on the list have demonstrated their ability to wield influence and deliver results on Capitol Hill and in the administration on behalf of clients and groups seeking a voice in Washington.

Many of the advocates on the list don’t fit the traditional definition of a lobbyist, and only a portion are registered as such. Some are known as “hired guns,” who are brought on in times of crisis, while others represent the nation’s most iconic companies, industries and unions, as well as grassroots groups.

The nation’s capital is teeming with lobbyists and influencers, but when the stakes are at their highest, these are the players at the top of their game, known for their ability to successfully navigate the byzantine and competitive world of federal policymaking.

Hired Guns

Michaela Sims, Sims Strategies

Source: The Hill

Tax Notes: Women in Tax: Pioneering and Progress But Still a Long Way to Go

By William Hoke

The dearth of women occupying top slots in tax policymaking positions is mirrored by the percentage of women who get paid to influence the policymakers. In a 2013 article in The Atlantic, a Washington lobbyist said that while there had been recent increases in the number of women-owned lobbying firms and women in leadership roles in that field, the trend had not occurred in the tax sector, where she said men still noticeably outnumber women. “It’s not unique for me to show up to a room full of 15 people, and I’m the only one wearing a dress,” said Michaela Sims at the time. Now president of Sims Strategies in Washington, Sims told Tax Notes that while there still aren’t many women at the meetings she attends, the situation is starting to change. “It does feel like more and more women are populating the tax space, and I think that’s awesome,” she said.

Source: Tax Notes International, July 30, 2018, pp. 446-449. Published by Tax Analysts.

Reuters: How parents of adopted children foiled a U.S. Republican tax proposal

By Katanga Johnson and Makini Brice

Despite a relative lack of clout, parents of adopted children and adoption advocates beat back a minor change in the tax code that would have removed a tax credit to help cover the costs of adoption.

“Everyone in corporate America had an army ready and in place to push for simplifying the tax code,” said Michaela Sims Stewart, president of the lobbying firm Sims Strategies.

In contrast, parents of adopted children “naturally came together” to form a “small but mighty group,” said Stewart.

Stewart also happens to be a spokeswoman for Adoption Tax Credit Working Group, which brought together a host of organizations, some with strong Republican and conservative ties, to pressure the House leadership to drop the change.

The House proposal was dropped Nov. 2 and the Senate didn’t even bother to make it part of its version of the tax bill.

Source: Reuters