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Lobbying And Regulatory Matters
Understanding the legislative and regulatory arena and leveraging rules to a client’s benefit is a strength few possess in this specialized area of the law. Clarence E. “CEM” Martin has gained first-hand knowledge of the state and federal political landscape and has utilized that strength for a number of clients.
A former legislator and the third generation of a politically active family, Martin has successfully lobbied for various interests on the state and federal level including an appointment by former Senator Robert C. Byrd as a Commissioner on the U.S. Commission on Agricultural Workers which studied working conditions of migrant and seasonal farm workers and the visiting worker programs.
Martin’s lobbying activities often call for his return to the chamber he once served in, the West Virginia House of Delegates, where he has deftly advanced clients’ legislative agendas on railroad, insurance, racing and business issues. Key to Martin’s successes are his keen insight into the process and a devotion to his community and business clients. Martin has always made the economic progress of West Virginia in general, and the Eastern Panhandle specifically, a key focus personally and professionally. He was appointed a founding member of the West Virginia Council for Community and Economic Development and continues to serve on the Discover the REAL West Virginia Foundation hosting a number of trade delegations to West Virginia from several foreign countries who have since chosen to locate in West Virginia.
In 2000 Martin was retained to work on a long-term tort reform initiative for West Virginia by the Institute for Legal Reform, an arm of the United States Chamber of Commerce. His involvement in this extensive campaign lead to his election in 2007 as the Chair of the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce.
This devotion to economic development and making West Virginia more pro-business has also led to a number of advances in the regulatory arena. These prior experiences give Martin unprecedented access to key regulators and members of government administration which allow Martin and his client a voice in shaping the rules and regulations that govern day-to-day operations of a number of businesses in the State. Most notable among these changes was Martin’s lead role in lobbying for the abolition of third party bad faith in 2005.
Martin’s unique perspective, coupled with the firm’s strong litigation approach, gives Martin & Seibert the unparalleled ability to meet all of a client’s business needs at the state and federal level
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