Who we are

Our Approach

Helping our clients meet their goals

Simple and straightforward – we work hand in hand with clients to identify, develop and implement the strategic plan that will achieve their goals. From government relations to legislative tracking Leonine custom tailors an approach that fits each individual client’s specific needs. Whether it’s high-level advocacy, influencing public opinion, tracking and analyzing complex and nuanced legislation in all 50 states or managing and optimizing the effectiveness of a trade association, Leonine provides the tools and expertise needed for success.

Value Proposition

A complete solution

Leonine Public Affairs is the one-stop shop for government affairs and strategic communications services and works with clients ranging from large corporations to small nonprofits across the United States. Leonine can manage and staff an entire public relations effort, acting as everything from campaign manager to press secretary to data analyst. Leonine also provides these services a-la-carte, and can do everything from developing legislative and executive strategy to developing websites and managing social media. For the past 30 years, Leonine has combined a deep expertise in government relations and communications strategy, message development, legislative analysis, electoral and grassroots campaigns, public outreach, issue advocacy, web development, videography and graphic design to provide clients with one-stop shopping for effective public relations efforts.

Our Team

Who we are

Since its inception in 1987 Leonine Public Affairs has fostered a team of professionals with a diverse and complimentary set of skills. Leonine is always looking for ways to utilize the skills and interests of individual employees to strengthen and broaden the scope of services provided to clients. This approach, along with a staff age range of early 20s to early 60s, is how Leonine provides the diverse array of services and perspectives to each individual client. While all are public relations professionals, Leonine’s staff includes everything from lawyers to musicians, athletes to web developers, artists to anglers. It’s a business model in which Leonine takes pride, and which has led to 30 years of unmatched success. Meet the team

Industry Specialties

A history of success

We have years of experience working with the following issues: Renewable Energy Electric Transmission Education Healthcare Internet Commerce Telecommunications Financial Services Taxes

A rich history

Leonine Public Affairs was founded in 1987 by Steve Kimbell and Bob Sherman, two former cabinet members of Vermont’s first female governor – Madeleine Kunin. The firm, then called Kimbell and Sherman, provided lobbying and public relations services to clients with interests in the state of Vermont. As their book of business grew, Kimbell and Sherman quickly recognized the opportunity to expand their scope and geographic reach as the internet revolutionized commerce (and how commerce was regulated) across the country. They also utilized the diverse skillsets and interests of their growing staff to expand their business and the services they provided, an approach that remains the cornerstone of success at Leonine today.

By the mid-1990’s, the firm, now called Kimbell Sherman Ellis and known as KSE, was operating throughout New England, Eastern Canada and in Washington DC. Through their regional work, KSE was already working with many of the large national corporations and associations that would become staples of their 50-state business in the next decade. In 1999, KSE began working on the effort to legalize gay marriage in Vermont, 16 years before gay marriage would become recognized nationally. The effort resulted in the landmark Vermont civil-union law that passed in 2000 and culminated in the first legislature-approved gay marriage law in the country in 2009.

In the early 2000’s, KSE founded FOCUS, a 50-state government affairs consulting and legislative tracking service that has become one of the premiere services in the country. FOCUS increased its role in the coalition and association management sector by managing and consulting for corporations and national trade associations, including the rapidly evolving internet and wireless industries. FOCUS serves clients throughout the United States and internationally, including management of The Advocacy Group.

KSE also began developing its strategic communications practice in the early 2000’s. Born in the effort to legalize gay marriage, KSE communications quickly expanded to manage public relations campaigns for everything from higher learning institutions and communications companies, as well as coordinating the development of renewable energy projects.

In 2011, Steve Kimbell retired, beginning a period of transition at KSE to a new generation of public affairs professionals. By this time the firm changed its name to KSE Partners, and had grown from two partners and an administrative staffer to seven partners and thirty-five employees. Bob Sherman retired in 2014, completing the transition and in 2016 KSE Partners changed its name to Leonine Public Affairs.

Leonine Public Affairs continues to be a preeminent, one-stop public affairs shop for organizations from large corporations to small nonprofits.

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