Lobbying Your Position
Datamyne is a high-tech information provider that operates the world’s largest searchable database on international trade. Until recently, however, Datamyne had been unable to collect key export data on ocean carrier cargo from the Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Datamyne was legally entitled to the information and its main competitor already enjoyed exclusive access, but logistics and security issues prevented Datamyne from actually obtaining the materials. Government relations professionals with Cozen O’Connor’s Public Strategies group mounted a sophisticated government relations campaign to persuade members of Congress and executive agencies that Datamyne must be granted equal access. The company’s goal was not simply to get the data, but also to build a closer relationship with the CBP. In the end, Cozen O’Connor negotiated Datamyne’s entry into a pilot program that gives it access to the target dataset. In addition, the CBP just invited Datamyne to work on another project together, which speaks to the cooperative dynamic that has been established between the two entities.