About David Mcatee
David McAtee, General Counsel at Encore Wire, participated in a September 2022 webcast on antitrust and its implications for companies. He discussed the risks and strategies for companies engaging in the legislative and regulatory process. McAtee stated that his company has sought to establish itself as a "credible voice" by being "solution-oriented, data-driven, principled" and by offering "answers, not just critiques." He noted that this approach can reduce the risks associated with lobbying over time.
McAtee also described his company's hybrid approach to government engagement, which includes working through trade associations and direct, in-person meetings in Washington, D.C. He said that in his experience, "there's no substitute for spending in-person time in DC" and that his company feels "most comfortable eye to eye face to face talking to legislators." He suggested that companies new to the process could begin by relying on trade associations before increasing their direct presence.
Source: AI-verified profile updated from David Mcatee's recent appearances.
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Transcript (2 segments)
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Interviewer0:07
What's your advice to companies that do want to engage productively here in the legislative and regulatory process? Do you have—are you comfortable with AT&T or other companies going in by themselves? Do you go through trade associations? What's your practical advice on that?
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David Mcatee0:21
Yeah, yeah, we do both. And I don't want to trivialize the concern because it's real. Once you step into the halls of Congress, there are risks attendant to that. I would say over time, though, what we've tried to do—and I think we've done it successfully—is we've tried to establish ourselves as a credible voice on these issues, going there solution-oriented, data-driven, principled. And over time, to be seen as a force that will come with answers, not just critiques. Admittedly, that takes time, but that's the goal. And once you're able to reach that status, then those risks start to decrease. So I grant you that if it's something that a company has not done a lot of previously, there's a bit of anxiety as you begin that process. So I could see dipping your toe in the water here and there, relying on trade associations as you do, and then over time spending more and more time in person in D.C. In our experience, I think there's no substitute for spending in-person time in D.C. We take a hybrid approach. We have trade associations that do work all the time, but we feel most comfortable eye to eye, face to face, talking to legislators about what's going on, engaging with agencies. And that's just the nature of our business.
