NEW FIRM. Mick Nardelli, who spent seven years at the law and lobby firm Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough, has opened his own shop. Called Nardelli Group, it starts with several clients, including Boston Beer Company, which makes Sam Adams, and the flame-retardant chemical company Alexium.
DEFENSE. Former Rep. Jim Moran (D-Va.) signed his fourth lobbying client, Northrop Grumman. He will be lobbying on “defense authorization and appropriations,” according to forms, in addition to issues related to the James Webb Space Telescope, a multination project led by NASA on which the company is serving as a prime contractor. After retiring from Congress in 2015, Moran joined law and lobby firm McDermott Will & Emery..
{mosads}TECHNOLOGY. Dropbox registered its first in-house lobbyist, Rebecca Tallent, who formerly served as a policy assistant to former Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and as the top aide to Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.). Tallent joined the company earlier this year as its head of U.S. relations. Lobbying disclosure forms show she will be advocating on issues regarding “privacy protection, intellectual property, patent protection, patent reform, copyright protection, copyright compliance, law enforcement surveillance of digital data, workforce and education in tech.”
TRANSPORTATION. The Rail Security Alliance, a new coalition of “companies and individuals looking to ensure the security of America’s railroad system,” brought on a second lobbying firm to work on its behalf: Summit Strategies Government Affairs. It also has lobbyists from Venn Strategies working on its behalf.
ENVIRONMENT. Save The Bay, an organization that aims to protect and improve the water quality of the San Francisco Bay in California, has hired O’Connell & Dempsey. It will be working to incorporate “San Francisco Bay issues into the Water Resources Development Act of 2016,” according to disclosure documents. The lobbying firm bills itself as having a close relationship with the Army Corps of Engineers, Capitol Hill and environmental regulatory agencies.