Case Studies
McKee Foods
McKee Foods is a privately held multi-billion dollar company based in Collegedale Tennessee. It manufacturers and distributes snack foods, including the famous Little Debbie line of snacks.
As part of its distribution program, the company entered into agreements regulated by the California Seller Assisted Market Plan Act (SAMP). However, the Act’s vague wording exposed McKee to frivolous, but expensive lawsuits. McKee approached Capitol Advocates, which advised how the company could eliminate this threat by having the law amended to remove vagueness. McKee’s General Counsel was impressed with our thorough understanding of the law and our proposed legislative strategy.
Capitol Advocates researched the law and carefully drafted a bill that would eliminate frivolous lawsuits stemming from the SAMP Act. We identified a key legislative author who agreed to carry the legislation for McKee Foods. Capitol Advocates worked closely with the Attorney General’s office, which is charged with enforcing the SAMP Act, to gain support for our proposed amendments to the Act. Having secured the Attorney General’s support, we then worked with the bill’s author, appropriate legislative committees in both the Senate and Assembly, and leaders of both Houses to pass the bill. The bill was signed into law by the Governor and dramatically cut McKee’s exposure to frivolous lawsuits.
Metabolife, Inc.
Metabolife, Inc. is an extremely successful dietary supplement manufacturer with brands that include Metabolife Ultra®, Metabolife® Green Tea, Metabolife® Caffeine Free, Metabolife® Break Through, Metabolife® Extreme Energy and Metabolife® Aqua Slim™
Unfortunately, Metabolife’s highly successful branding campaign attracted copycats who willfully violated trademark laws. This causing significant consumer confusion and posed a threat to the brand. Metabolife retained Capitol Advocates to assist with curtailing this growing trademark infringement problem.
After thorough research, legal analysis, and gaining support from the Attorney General and numerous District Attorneys, we drafted legislation to amend the California Trademark laws to protect Metabolife and other companies in California. We secured an author (a former Speaker of the State Assembly) and lobbied the bill through both Houses of the Legislature. The Governor signed the bill into law empowering Metabolife and thousands of other California Corporations with the ability to better protect their trademarks and products.
Oracle Corporation
Oracle Corporation is the world’s leading supplier of software for information management and the world's second largest independent software company. Its technology can be found in nearly every industry, and in the data centers of nearly all Fortune 100 companies.
Oracle Corporation retained Capitol Advocates to assist with legislative issues, as well as procurement matters at the state and local government levels. Oracle initially requested assistance with developing its state and local government procurement and marketing strategy. Based on this strategy, Capitol Advocates worked with Oracle’s state and local government sales team and won numerous multi-million dollar contracts, including a $100 million contract for an Enterprise License Agreement.
EMC Corporation
EMC Corporation is among the world’s leading developers and providers of information infrastructure technology.
EMC retained Capitol Advocates to assist with federal, state and local government procurement. Working with EMC’s government sales team, Capitol Advocates developed a procurement strategy resulting in numerous government contracts. Of these, the largest was a $35 million contract awarded by the federal government for the United States Air Force. The Air Force issued a Request for Proposal’s (RFP) which EMC not only wanted to win, but also wanted to close and deliver product before the end of its year-end quarter. Capitol Advocates deployed significant efforts at all levels of the federal government to assist EMC in being awarded the contract and ensuring that the Air Force took possession of the products within the desired time frame.
Allsteel, Incorporated
Allsteel, Inc. is part of the HNI Corporation and the second largest office furniture manufacturer in North America.
The company retained Capitol Advocates to assist with environmental compliance and procurement issues. In accomplishing Allsteel’s objectives, Capitol Advocates brought together Allsteel, the California Environmental Protection Agency, and the Department of General Services to ensure that its products were compliant with all environmental standards. This greatly enhanced Allsteel’s ability to participate in the state’s procurement process. This included Capitol Advocates playing an instrumental role in Allsteel being awarded a California State furniture contract for $110 million.