Barnes & Thornburg Strengthens Government Relations Team in Atlanta

ATLANTA – Barnes & Thornburg has added Zachary Johnson in the Atlanta office as director of state government affairs-Georgia. As a member of the firm’s Government Services and Finance Department, he will work closely with the growing Atlanta-based government affairs team, including Stephen Weizenecker and W. Murphy Talmadge.

Johnson, a Georgia Certified Purchasing Associate, will work with clients on government relations and public affairs issues, with an emphasis on procurement and sourcing. He will focus on helping higher education institutions and state, county and municipal governments create and implement sourcing strategies. He will also work with the firm’s local government services team to provide political action committee (PAC) management strategies and legislative consulting.

“Zach has a keen understanding of our local government’s operations and procurement process, making him a key asset for our clients in Georgia,” says John Koenig, office managing partner in Atlanta. “His experience not only complements the great work of our existing government relations team, but also has synergies with the practices of many of our attorneys including Stephen Weizenecker, who is active in local legislation and deeply involved in pushing forward the state’s tax incentive programs.”

Previously, Johnson served as director of government relations for the Georgia Department of Administrative Services, where he led outreach efforts to local higher education systems, local governments, enterprise agencies and the Georgia General Assembly. He was most recently vice president of government relations at McGuireWoods Consulting.

Johnson earned his B.S. in political science and government from Georgia College and State University.

With more than 600 attorneys and other legal professionals, Barnes & Thornburg is one of the largest law firms in the country. The firm serves clients worldwide from 15 offices in Atlanta, California, Chicago, Delaware, Indiana, Michigan, Minneapolis, Ohio, Texas and Washington, D.C. For more information, visit us online at www.btlaw.com or on Twitter @BTLawNews.