Dan Lavey

Partner, President & Shareholder

For more than 30 years, Dan Lavey has been a leader and go-to strategist in Oregon politics and public affairs. He’s provided counsel to numerous businesses and public-eye organizations along with elected officials and political candidates across the Pacific Northwest. Based in the firm’s Portland office, Dan is a shareholder and serves as company President. Respected by leaders on both sides of the political aisle, Dan combines a deep understanding of the Northwest economy and political terrain with savvy communications and campaign instincts to advance the interests of Gallatin clients.

Over the years, Dan has played key roles in advancing federal support to deepen the Columbia River shipping channel, blocking casino development in the scenic Columbia River Gorge, helping Major League Soccer become a reality in Portland and securing a new governance structure for the University of Oregon and higher education in Oregon. For sixteen years, Dan served as a top advisor to U.S. Senator Gordon Smith, guiding his campaigns and serving on his Capitol Hill staff. He also served as Smith’s Chief of Staff in 1995 during his term as President of the Oregon Senate. Dan began his career working in the Oregon Senate, where he helped engineer a GOP pick-up of four seats in 1992, laying the groundwork for a historic Republican take-over of the Oregon Senate two years later.

Dan earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Oregon and is a member of Arlington Club and Multnomah Athletic Club. Active in community and civic life, Dan has served on the Board of the Portland Business Alliance, Pioneer Courthouse Square, the University of Oregon Alumni Association, the Boys and Girls Clubs of Portland and Raleigh Hills Little League. Dan and his wife Lori live in the Raleigh Hills neighborhood of Portland with their two children – Max and Piper.

“Effective advocacy requires finding the sweet spot of what’s good for your client, policy-makers and the public. A good strategy is one that is easily understood and that everyone can execute against – top to bottom. I really enjoy putting to work the lessons I’ve learned from many high-profile political campaigns and hard-fought policy victories, each day, for our diverse roster of clients.”