Gentry Locke partners with clients to provide high-quality, tailored, and client-centric government affairs and strategic communications services.

Businesses and organizations face a seemingly endless stream of external pressures that are more intertwined than ever before. The days of “government problems” differing from “legal problems” differing from “public relations” problems are long gone. Institutions are constantly under attack, populist political forces are redefining the landscape, and people are too often slow to respond in a dynamic media environment.

As Virginia’s demographic, economic, and political landscapes change, your business or organization needs to adapt. Gentry Locke Government & Regulatory Affairs practice will partner with you to provide steady guidance in a rapidly-changing Virginia.

Gentry Locke is the only firm that can offer two former legislators from both sides of the aisle, as well as a senior legislative and political staffer, to help clients achieve their goals.

Group Chair Greg Habeeb is a former member of the Virginia House of Delegates, where he represented Virginia’s 8th District and served as Vice-Chair on the Courts Committee, was Subcommittee Chair of the Commerce & Labor and Transportation committees, and served on the Rules, Privileges & Elections, and Transportation committees. Greg retired from the Virginia House of Delegates in August of 2018. Prior to spearheading Gentry Locke’s Government & Regulatory Affairs group, Greg specialized in complex business and catastrophic injury cases, representing individuals and companies in courts throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia and the nation. In 2017 he was named a “Leader in the Law” by Virginia Lawyers Weekly.

Chip Dicks is a former member of the Virginia House of Delegates and served on the Courts and Education committees. Chip also served on the Virginia Housing Commission as a House member. Since leaving the Legislature in 1990, he has represented associations and businesses on administrative, legislative and regulatory matters before state government agencies and the General Assembly. He has substantial experience representing developers on a variety of land use applications across Virginia. Chip has particular expertise in the laws and regulations affecting billboard signs, and in the field of landlord tenant and fair housing laws.

Legislative and Executive Government Relations

Gentry Locke provides strategic and tactical advice to meet specific government relations objectives. Our Legislative and Executive Government Relations services cover public policy, Executive Branch lobbying, coalition building, relationship development, and insight and analysis. As Virginia’s political and policy landscape rapidly evolves, Gentry Locke can provide steady guidance to navigate change.

Strategic Communications

Gentry Locke provides guidance on Strategic Communications to meet business needs, government relations objectives, or to influence public opinion. This includes message development, Earned and Paid Media strategy development and management, digital media, targeted communications campaigns, engaging grassroots campaigns, crisis management, and internal communications strategy development and management.

Economic Development & Government Grants

Gentry Locke assists clients throughout the process of bringing an economic development project to fruition, including site selection, project management, application for funds made available through the Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission and Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP), and more. Chip Dicks has participated in economic development projects and traveled on trade missions with a number of Governors over the last 25 years. Our team can help make your economic development goal a reality.

Regulatory/Administrative Representation

Gentry Locke attorneys represent and advocate for clients before state agencies in legal matters as well as navigating through the regulatory process. These matters can include an array of industries and goals. Our team has experience in representing clients before the Real Estate Board, the State Corporation Commission, the ABC Board, the Board for Contractors, the Board of Medicine, the Board of Pharmacy, the Fair Housing Board and many more. We regularly work with VDOT, the DMV and various branches of state government including the Governor’s Office, Cabinet secretaries, and department agency directors. Our team can work with any state agency where our clients have issues that need to be addressed.

Government Procurement

Procurement laws and the process of buying from or selling to the government is rife with opportunities and risks. Wrong turns can be costly and litigious. Gentry Locke assists clients through the procurement process, keeping them on the right side of state contract laws, public schools and educations contract laws, and steering them clear of fraud or unjust enrichment claims and the False Claims Act.

Administrative & Regulatory Disputes

Gentry Locke attorneys represent individuals and businesses before administrative and regulatory bodies. We do more than show up at hearings; we work with our clients to explore all options in an effort to achieve a satisfactory resolution.

We assist in the following matters:

• Professional licensing and disciplinary disputes and hearings
• Representation of physicians and health care providers before the Virginia Departments of Health Professions
• Virginia Employment Commission hearings and appeals
• Zoning and land use disputes and appeals
• Representation in federal and state tax and revenue matters