Wednesday, 24 June 2026 09:00 AM
Company Update
For more than 30 years, McMahan Winstead & Richardson has helped its clients achieve their goals and objectives in the Tennessee General Assembly and nationally.
NASHVILLE, TN / ACCESS Newswire / June 24, 2026 / At its core, a lobbyist is a professional advocate who helps organizations and businesses navigate the legislative and regulatory process. But if you ask David McMahan, president of Nashville-based McMahan Winstead & Richardson, lobbyists for the Tennessee General Assembly, the role is more accurately described as that of a trusted intermediary and educator who sits between lawmakers and the real-world industries affected by regulation.
"Lobbying has become so embedded in how modern government functions," says McMahan. "Legislators and policy makers know they can trust the information we provide to them is accurate and up to date."
Founded in 1992 by McMahan and partner Beth Winstead, the firm is most often called when legislation begins to intersect with a company's day-to-day reality. It might be how a business operates, expands, hires, prices, or remains compliant that is at risk. In many cases, McMahan notes, the challenge isn't hostile legislation but unintended consequences written into otherwise well-meaning policy.
"Our role is to help policymakers understand adverse outcomes that might otherwise go unseen. Many times, we can help them achieve their goals without unintended consequences," he explains. "We help everyday people and industries participate in a system they don't have the capacity to navigate on their own."
With thousands of bills introduced each legislative session, McMahan says no legislator can be an expert in every industry affected by their vote. That's where his firm does its work, translating how proposed laws will play out in practice. The McMahan Winstead & Richardson team-including partners Anna M. Richardson and Caroline Simmons along with their associates-convey the day-to-day realities of employees, facilities, supply chains, and customers to lawmakers in clear, actionable information.
Full Disclosure
McMahan often compares his work to hiring an attorney. Just as a business would hire legal counsel to appear in court, organizations hire McMahan Winstead & Richardson to go before the legislature and bring institutional knowledge, relationships, and context. Over time, that representation allows the firm to serve as a steady conduit between lawmakers and the industries affected by their decisions.
From teachers and farmers to manufacturers and health care providers, McMahan says just about every profession and industry is represented by a lobbyist, either directly or by membership in a trade organization or association.
"Credibility comes from transparency," he says. "We take compliance with the rules and ethics laws very seriously. We believe that once you lose someone's trust you can never truly regain it."
While McMahan acknowledges the industry's public perception problem, he's clear that his firm's commitment to ethics and accuracy is central to why clients and lawmakers trust its work. McMahan himself is one of the few lobbyists consistently ranked among Business TN Magazine's top 100 most powerful people in Tennessee.
Hard work, however, remains the throughline.
"At the end of the day, this work matters because the outcomes matter," McMahan concludes. "If you do it honestly, diligently, and take the responsibility seriously, you can make a real difference for people who don't have a voice in the room."
Contact info:
730A Freeland Station Road, Nashville, TN 37228
615-726-3275
mwrlobbyists.com
SOURCE: McMahan Winstead & Richardson