People

Michelle (McGann) MacGregor Senior Strategist

Washington, D.C.

Before joining Orrick, Michelle gained broad experience working with elected leadership at the federal and state government levels. Most recently as Executive Director of the Republican Legislative Campaign Committee, Michelle was responsible for advancing the Committee’s objectives of providing financial support, leadership development, and strategic assistance to lawmakers nationwide. In her previous leadership positions at the National Republican Senatorial Committee and the National Republican Congressional Committee, Michelle reported directly to Senate and House leadership and was tasked with advancing their objectives by evaluating and managing the nexus of policy initiatives and political impact.

Michelle is a graduate of Amherst College, where she received a B.A. in Political Science.

Brad Fischer Of Counsel

New York

Before joining Orrick, Brad worked as U.S. regulatory counsel for a major on-line gaming company, during which he facilitated expansion of the U.S. operations, negotiated multiple market-access agreements and oversaw licensing and compliance functions across multiple jurisdictions.

Prior to his private sector experience, Brad was a regulator with the New York State Gaming Commission, Deputy County Executive for Albany (N.Y.) County and Legislative Counsel to the Hon. Eric Adams and other elected officials in the New York State Senate. During his time at the New York State Gaming Commission, Brad was director of interactive fantasy sports and legal counsel on commercial gaming issues, after having served a key role in the selection and vetting of applicants for multiple “Las Vegas” style resort casinos licenses. While in the New York State Senate, Brad served as Counsel to the Senate Committee on Racing, Gaming and Wagering and developed a depth of experience with legislative issues facing the gaming, equine industries and state-run lotteries.

Brad is a graduate of Indiana University-Bloomington School of Law and Union College, where he received a B.A. in Political Science.

Jeremy Kudon Partner

New York

No other group in the United States - whether at a law firm, public affairs firm, or inside the Beltway - can match Jeremy and Orrick's record of success in the state legislatures. Unlike others, who specialize in tracking bills, identifying contract lobbyists (and taking a % of their fee), or developing expensive media and PR campaigns, Jeremy and his team don't specialize in any one area of state government affairs; they specialize in EVERYTHING. They learn your business, work with you on your objectives--both overall and in the state legislatures, identify threats/opportunities, develop a budget, hire contract lobbyists, draft legislation, prepare advocacy pieces, attend legislative conferences, travel to state capitols and educate members about your issue, testify before committees, develop and implement grassroots and PR campaigns, coordinate roll calls, and coordinate every aspect of both the state and overall campaign to add the most possible value to your business.

Just listen to what the media and our clients have to say – The New York Times profiled our efforts in passing online sports betting and daily fantasy sports legislation in an extensive above-the-fold report and in an episode of their podcast, “The Daily.” And from an interview with TechCruch, DraftKings CEO Jason Robins said Jeremy and Orrick’s Public Policy team have “helped us go from a tech company that didn’t know a whole lot about legislative affairs and regulation to really being sophisticated there” and praised that “For anyone who’s in a disruptive industry and might be regulated, they really did a fantastic job.”

Kathleen M.K. Owen Of Counsel

Wheeling, W.V. (GOIC)

Kate leads Orrick’s national state legislative campaign to criminalize sexual extortion on behalf of our pro bono client, Legal Momentum. She collaborates with Legal Momentum to identify the gaps in state laws that have failed to keep pace with the use of technology by perpetrators to commit sexual extortion and to advocate for updates to those laws in various states across the country, working in coordination with state attorneys general, lawmakers, and advocates. Her leadership on behalf of Legal Momentum has included attending meetings with countless legislators, testifying in multiple state legislative committees in support of bills, and assisting with the drafting of bill language. 

Kate is also a key member of the Orrick team working alongside the government affairs teams at DISH Network and DIRECTV. She enthusiastically advocates for DISH and DIRECTV in multiple states around the country, which included helping them pass bills in three states in 2022. She manages multiple state legislative relationships, advises on state legislative issues, monitors legislation, and coordinates and attends legislative meetings and conferences. 

Kate’s experience in the Public Policy Group also includes the representation of clients in connection with insurance regulatory matters, including attending meetings with insurance regulators and staff from various states.

Previously, Kate was a Senior Associate at Reed Smith LLP in Pittsburgh. She was a member of the firm’s Insurance Recovery Group and an affiliate member of the Commercial Litigation Group, where she began her practice. At Reed Smith, Kate represented clients in a wide range of complex commercial litigation matters. She also represented policyholders in insurance coverage disputes, including counseling, negotiation, litigation, and dispute resolution related to a variety of insurance policy forms. 

After practicing law at Reed Smith and prior to joining Orrick, Kate taught two semesters of an online “Business and Organizational Writing” course for Chatham University as an adjunct instructor.

Damon Stewart Of Counsel

New York

Damon focuses his practice on state and locally based legislative and regulatory issues. He has experience inside of government, having served as Assistant Counsel to the New York Senate Majority. Subsequent to his time in the Senate, he served as a Vice President for the Parkside Group, a New York lobbying firm. He eventually transitioned to an in-house corporate position as Vice President for State Government Affairs for DIRECTV, with a national purview overseeing all aspects of state and local legislative matters for the company. Immediately prior to joining Orrick, he served as Vice President of Government Affairs and State Advocacy Coordinator at AT&T, maintaining national responsibility for satellite-related issues.

Scott Ward Partner

Washington, D.C.

Scott has spent years working in the political arena on both the federal and state level, promoting political and policy agendas via a national network of elected officials, policy makers and outside influence groups.

He has comprehensive experience in federal and state campaign finance, ethics, lobbying and compliance law, and assists clients in all aspects of compliance with rules related to engaging in the political process.

Prior to joining Orrick, he was the President and General Counsel of the Republican State Leadership Committee, a $30 million national political organization focused on electing Republicans to the state offices of Attorney General, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, and State Legislator. Under his leadership, the Republican State Leadership Committee made historic gains in the 2010 elections, netting a record 700 plus state legislative seats, flipping 20 state chambers to Republican control as well as netting six Attorneys General, seven Secretaries of State and three independently elected Lt. Governors.

Scott was previously in private practice with Holtzman Vogel Josefiak PLLC and Arent Fox LLP in the areas of Political law and Litigation. He advised numerous IRS § 527 political organizations, federal and state political action committees, federal and state candidates, state parties, associations, corporations and non-profits in all aspects of fundraising, organization, compliance, disclosure and reporting under federal and state campaign finance laws.

He was General Counsel and served on the Executive Committee of the District of Columbia Republican Party from 2004 to 2012. Prior to his legal career, Scott served as Field Director for Americans for a Republican Majority Political Action Committee (ARMPAC) and worked on the majority staff of the U.S. House Budget Committee for Chairman John Kasich.