Mullen, Brenner, and Noonan Launch Seven Hills Strategy Group in Richmond
Delivering Comprehensive Policy Making & Government Relations Services
January 3, 2025; Richmond, VA – Edward Mullen, former managing partner of Reed Smith’s Richmond office and longtime member of its Global Leadership and Virginia Lobbying Teams, Nicole Brenner, former Reed Smith partner and Christine Cogbill Noonan, former counsel at Reed Smith, today announced the launch of their new consulting firm, Seven Hills Strategy Group. Founded by the three lawyers, the firm is located in Richmond and focuses on the delivery of full-service lobbying and legislative assistance to clients in Virginia and other states. Other members of the new firm include State Government Relations Manager Nikki Thacker; Senior Advisor Dennis Treacy; and Office Manager and Events Coordinator Gwen Price-Williams.
“Nicole, Chrissy, and I collectively have more than 40 years of hands-on experience in policy-making and government relations,” said Mullen. “We are honored to debut Seven Hills Strategy Group on the eve of the 2025 Session of the Virginia General Assembly. With decades of experience and tactical insight, we are well-positioned to develop and implement immediate and long-term strategic initiatives for clients who require comprehensive, well-executed solutions for their government relations challenges and issues.”
Mullen has worked in and around Virginia and its state and local governments for more than 20 years. At Reed Smith, he built an extensive administrative legal and lobbying practice before all Virginia agencies and a legendary legislative and lobbying practice before the Virginia General Assembly, the Office of the Attorney General, the Office of the Governor and other executive branch offices, and the state’s Congressional delegation. He has regularly worked within local governments and political bodies on behalf of diverse clients.
Brenner focuses her practice on legislative and regulatory work with state agencies and before the Virginia General Assembly, the Governor’s Office, and the Office of the Attorney General. She regularly partners with clients on drafting legislation in Virginia and across the country, creating, and implementing legislative strategies, testifying before legislative committees, lobbying legislators, and other government officials, and developing creative solutions to help solve problems within state and local government.
“Although Seven Hills Strategy Group is new, our firm’s capabilities at launch are both extensive and highly focused,” said Brenner. “These capabilities are rooted in the three founders’ decades of experience and top-tier relationships cultivated over years of delivering distinguished services to a broad range of clients.”
Noonan has an extensive administrative practice before all Virginia state agencies and a legislative practice before the Virginia General Assembly. Having previously worked for the Virginia legislature, her work on behalf of clients includes drafting effective legislation and creating and implementing innovative advocacy strategies. Her experience includes representing clients before the legislature, state agencies, the Attorney General, and Governor, as well as state environmental regulators and at meetings of the Environmental Council of the States.
“This team’s experience includes representing clients in a broad and diverse range of sectors including education, healthcare, energy, transportation, among others,” Noonan said. “We look forward to continuing to represent clients in the Commonwealth and helping them achieve their legislative and policy goals.”
Seven Hills Strategy Group’s capabilities are reflected in its wide-ranging services, which include developing and implementing effective Virginia governmental relations and lobbying approaches of all types; working with state attorneys general; supporting clients in their environmental regulatory relations, including the representation of businesses, organizations, and associations before state environmental regulators; developing state-specific and multi-state strategies to address issues with state laws and regulations that impact clients’ businesses; and providing meaningful support to startups, Fortune 100 companies, and all business entities in between to expand their businesses within the Commonwealth of Virginia, including assistance with procurement, meeting preparation, follow up, and feedback.
Prior to forming Seven Hills Strategy Group, the team has represented a variety of clients including Smithfield Foods, Dominion Energy, General Motors, Uber Technologies, United Airlines, the Viginia Association of Community Managers, and Visa, among many others. Seven Hills Strategy Group looks forward to continuing its representation in their new endeavor.
The firm’s name, Seven Hills Strategy, reflects the distinctive geography of Richmond which like Rome is a city built on seven hills. In this case, both cities are also seats of democracy. Established in 1619, the Virginia General Assembly is the oldest continuous law-making body in the Western Hemisphere, and the first elected legislative assembly in the New World.
Seven Hills Strategy Group is located at 108 N. 8th Street, 3rd Floor, in Richmond. For more information, contact the group at [email protected]
Media Contact: Jamie Moss, newsPRos, 201 788-0142; [email protected]
