Brownstein Professionals Recognized as 2025 NILE Top Lobbyists

Leah Dempsey, cochair of Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck’s Financial Services practice group and David Reid, a policy director in the firm’s Government Relations Department, have been named among the National Institute for Lobbying & Ethics’ (NILE) 2025 Top Lobbyists. The annual NILE list highlights a diverse group of advocacy professionals—including lobbyists, PAC professionals and grassroots specialists—who are nominated by their peers for outstanding contributions in their field. Honorees are recognized for exceptional advocacy skills, innovation and thought leadership in their work.

Dempsey is a lawyer and advocate with a unique ability to lead efforts bridging policy, consumer financial and telecommunications laws and regulations, and politics. She navigates financial services industry participants and businesses through the rulemaking, regulatory and legislative processes, and helps enact necessary reforms to laws and regulations. She represents more than a dozen national trade associations and a variety of businesses. She has a reputation as a trusted advisor in the credit union, consumer lending and collections, capital markets and housing finance spaces. Her strong relationships with the financial regulatory agencies, the administration, and in the House Financial Services and Senate Banking committees have proven to be a strong foundation to serve any financial services client need. She also regularly engages in legal advocacy in the U.S. Supreme Court and other courts around the country to seek reforms to laws and regulations for her clients.

Reid is deeply embedded in Democratic politics and draws on his personal network on the Hill, in governors’ administrations and throughout the business community to build coalitions that drive policy success for clients. He works hand in glove with clients to lead complex public policy efforts related to infrastructure, hospitality, gaming, health care, technology, telecommunications, and arts and entertainment. Reid leverages his extensive political finance experience to maximize the impact of clients’ political giving. He also leads Brownstein’s bipartisan political operation, setting the industry standard for political engagement each cycle with Republican and Democratic congressional and national campaign committees and candidates. He serves as a deputy national finance chair of the Democratic National Committee and is a member of the Finance Committee of the Democratic Governors Association. This is his third consecutive year on the list.

Dempsey and Reid were recognized at the Top Lobbyist Gala at the National Press Club on Nov. 3.

To see the full list of honorees, click here.