TAMPA, Fla. – Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick, a full-service business law firm with offices in Tampa and Sarasota, Ohio and North Carolina, is launching Shumaker Advisors Florida, LLC, a public affairs group that will provide advocacy, issue management and business-to-government and business-to-business services.

Headed up by Shumaker partner and business lawyer Ronald Christaldi, president and CEO of Shumaker Advisors in Florida, the public affairs practice will provide public and private sector clients services at the federal, state and local levels.

The formation of Shumaker Advisors Florida comes in addition to Shumaker Advisors, LLC in Columbus, Ohio that was established in 2013. The Ohio group, led by Andrew W. Herf, is a government relations consulting firm that works closely with clients in the food and beverage, health care, retirement planning and related industries to provide a bridge to government, government agencies and legislators that shape the future of business in these highly regulated markets.

“Launching a public affairs practice at Shumaker complements the distinguished legal services that our law firm has provided over the last 90 years to a wide range of clients throughout the state and nation,” said Christaldi. “Shumaker Advisors will allow us to better serve our clients from an advocacy perspective and help them navigate challenging regulatory policies and legislative matters. Whether they are looking to affect legislation, do business with the government, increase their company’s profile with decision makers or get to know opinion and media elites, we can provide them with strategy to meet their needs. We have assembled a top-notch team to begin working for clients immediately and are actively adding new members to it.”

Christaldi, whose practice areas include business law and commercial litigation, is a past chair of the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce and recently traveled to Panama, Chile, Toronto and Cuba with other civic leaders to strengthen ties to the Tampa Bay area. Shumaker Advisors Florida has also added public affairs specialists Patrick Baskette, Ed Miyagishima and Carlye Morgan to its newly created team.

A nationally recognized expert in advocacy, coalition building and public policy, Baskette, a principal at Shumaker Advisors Florida, brings more than 20 years of experience as a public affairs strategist to the firm. With a strong background in local and state politics, public affairs and work on Capitol Hill, Baskette directs a 30-state network of bi-partisan public affairs operatives. His experience in Congress and the political campaign arena has allowed him to devise winning strategies at the local, state and federal levels for corporate and coalition-based clients in high-profile issues, including legal reform, energy and environment, healthcare, international trade, financial services, telecommunications and consumer products.

Prior to Shumaker, Baskette served at Mercury Public Affairs as a managing director, and previously served as president of Troutman Sanders’ Public Policy Group and as a principal with Dewey Square Group. His congressional experience includes serving as special assistant to former Senator Joseph Biden (Delaware) and chief of staff to Congressman Owen Pickett (Virginia). 

Baskette is treasurer of the Hillsborough County Hospital Authority and a past board member and public affairs chair for the Tampa Chamber of Commerce. He is a 2016-17 appointee to the Hillsborough County Ellsworth G. Simmons Good Government Award Committee and a member of Leadership Tampa Class of 2005.

Based in Tampa, Fla. and Washington, D.C., he holds a master’s degree in political science from the American University and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Memphis.

Miyagishima boasts more than 20 years of experience in high-level positions in the public and private sectors. He served as senior advance representative in the Executive Office of the President of the United States for Advance and Operations at the White House for former President George W. Bush. He advised both the president and vice president on domestic and foreign visits and was responsible for the coordination, execution, and implementation of Presidential visits.

Miyagishima has also served as a key member for several governors, including Governor Rick Scott and Arnold Schwarzenegger of California. He served Governor Scott as the director of scheduling and operations during the transition and then as the State of Florida’s Chief of Protocol.

He has also 15 years in the tourism industry and is currently the president and chairman of the Medal of Honor Convention of Tampa Bay 2019.

Originally from Tampa, Morgan is the director of governmental relations for Shumaker Advisors in Florida. Before joining Shumaker, Morgan served as the senior director for government relations for the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce, providing local, state and federal advocacy to the business community on a wide variety of legislative topics, including healthcare, transportation, U.S. - Cuba relations, defense and tax policy.  

Prior to that, she also worked as legislative assistant to a member of Congress from the Tampa Bay area in Washington and outreach director in Tampa. Her policy portfolio included education, small business and the arts. Morgan also worked on a presidential campaign during the 2008 election cycle. Subsequently, she consulted for a public policy think tank and provided public engagement for a Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation nonprofit. 

She holds a master’s degree in public administration from the American University and a bachelor’s degree in English from Southern Methodist University.

Christaldi, a board certified health lawyer, will continue to practice business law and litigation. He is the co-chair of the healthcare practice group in the Tampa office and is AV^® Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell. Christaldi was named one of the Top 50 Lawyers in Florida by Florida Super Lawyers magazine and has also been recognized as one of the Best Lawyers in America and selected Florida Legal Elite by Florida Trend magazine.

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About Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick, LLP

Founded in 1925, Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick, LLP is a full-service law firm with more than 260 lawyers and five offices in Toledo and Columbus, Ohio; Tampa and Sarasota, Fla.; and Charlotte, N.C. Shumaker is a premier provider of quality legal services. Whether it's commitment to clients or work in the community, involvement lies at the core of all of Shumaker’s initiatives. 

Shumaker Advisors

Shumaker Advisors, LLC works closely with clients to provide a bridge to government, government agencies and legislators that shape the future of business in these highly regulated markets.