D. Michael Stroud Jr.

Michael Stroud brings more than 15 years of legal and legislative policy expertise in transportation, infrastructure, cybersecurity, national security, federal, state and local municipal government and tax. Michael was named to The Hill's Top Lobbyists for 2021. Michael has experience serving as:

• Lobbyist to secure nearly $30 million in U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) grant funding, including for the TIGER/BUILD and Port Infrastructure programs;
• Lobbyist for securing nearly $10 million in Congressionally Directed Spending for public agencies, focusing in water resources, cybersecurity, and infrastructure;
• Secured legal authorization for public infrastructure projects, including water, wastewater, public education, and first responder programs.
• An Obama Administration appointee, holding the titles of Deputy Assistant Secretary for Legislative Affairs and Assistant Secretary (Acting) for the Private Sector at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), focusing on port and transportation security and assisting with serving as a liaison between the Hill, the private sector and DHS;
• Deputy Chief Counsel on the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Homeland Security overseeing legislation creating and improving significant federal funding and grant programs;
• Congressional Relations Officer for the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC), serving as the principal liaison for the USITC to Congress and the United States Trade Representative.
• Counsel providing legal advice on trade facilitation and compliance, including compliance with federal import-export control laws, such as sanctions, export licensing, international traffic in arms, involving sensitive technology and equipment, and tariff classifications and tariff exemptions.

Michael provides federal legislative and legal services to a variety of clients, including multimodal transportation and urban redevelopment projects, brick-and-mortar and online retailers, private sector entities, not-for-profit entities, and governmental and quasi-governmental entities. Michael’s federal government relations experience, including his time before joining Nossaman, includes:

• Harbor Department of City of Los Angeles, California (Port of Los Angeles)
• Port of Houston Authority (Port of Houston)
• Tradepoint Atlantic
• Siskiyou County, California
• City of Antioch, California
• San Antonio College
• North Orange Community College District
• PetSmart
• Petco
• Petland, Inc.
• Shell Oil Company
• Redwood Capital
• Proximo Spirits
• American Cancer Society, Inc.

Experience

GOVERNMENT SUPPORT & FUNDING

• Led the team to secure a $20 million grant for a multimodal port client and helped the same client obtain another nearly $10 million in additional federal grant funding; led team to secure nearly $30 million in USDOT funds within three years.
• Arranged client meetings with the cabinet and sub-cabinet-level leadership of federal agencies, including Departments of Homeland Security, Treasury, Commerce, and others, such as the Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration and the Department of Homeland Security’s Customs and Border Protection and United States Coast Guard.
• Co-led team to secure two rounds of Congressionally Directed Spending for clients in water and wastewater sector and education for community colleges
• Led efforts on appropriations legislation to obtain legislative changes to advance clients’ interests in the alcohol and cannabis industries.

GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATION

• Worked to advance transportation, tax, trade and legislation impacting all modes of surface, rail, and maritime transportation.
• Represented clients during agency rulemaking and regulatory development processes.
• Prepared witnesses for congressional testimony.
• Secured appropriations language benefiting clients and the alcohol and cannabis industry.

TAXATION REPRESENTATION

• Led effort to obtain favorable tax legislation to assist national retailers, including securing the introduction of legislation to improve companies financial standing and to help retailers provide more high-paying jobs.
• Worked to advance changes to the Opportunity Zones legislation impacting zero-population and low-population industrial sites.

NATIONAL SECURITY

• Worked on efforts to advance aviation security and companies seeking to preview their technology before federal agencies. Secured Congressional interest to advance clients’ goals and objectives. Worked to resolve various issues with the different components of the Department of Homeland Security, including Transportation Security Administration, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Federal Emergency Management Agency, United States Coast Guard, and the Department’s Headquarters.

DISASTER PREPAREDNESS & RESPONSE

• Advise clients on the FEMA and larger State and Federal government response to natural disasters, such as hurricanes and wildfires, and other emergencies, including impact on critical infrastructure.
• Secured funding for development of wildfire and firefighting training programs.

Publications

Blog Posts

Speaking Engagements

News

Multimedia

Community & Professional

District of Columbia Bar Association, International Section

Washington Government Relations Group, Member

Cornell University Football Association, Member

Honors & Recognitions

Recognized as a "Top Lobbyist" by The Hill, 2021