Holly Fechner

Holly Fechner is vice chair of Covington’s global Public Policy & Government Affairs practice. She manages a team that handles public policy, government affairs and regulatory matters for clients in Washington, DC, Brussels and around the world. Covington’s Public Policy & Government Affairs practice has been ranked among the top five firms by Influence magazine for a number of years. Drawing on her extensive public and private sector experience, Ms. Fechner offers clients comprehensive advocacy services, including strategic advice, substantive legal and regulatory expertise, and policy and message development. With over two decades of legal, legislative and public policy experience, Ms. Fechner focuses on pensions, healthcare, intellectual property, tax, food, energy and education. She has a proven track record in assisting clients fulfill their government affairs goals. Ms. Fechner is also a visiting lecturer at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. Ms. Fechner was Policy Director for Senator Edward M. Kennedy (D-Massachusetts). In that position, she developed policy initiatives, legislation and campaigns on a broad range of issues, including the economy, health care, employment, education, retirement policy, and civil rights. She was also Chief Labor & Pensions Counsel for the Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions Committee. In her eight years on Capitol Hill, Ms. Fechner served as chief negotiator and drove passage of over a dozen laws worth hundreds of billions of dollars. REPRESENTATIVE MATTERS Represent a national health plan on Affordable Care Act implementation. Represent a Fortune 100 technology company on tax legislation before Congress. Advise a global biotechnology company. Represent a Fortune 300 technology company on intellectual property policy and legislation. Advise a multi-billion dollar pension trust fund on matters before Congress and the Administration. Represent a large coalition of States on Medicare and Medicaid legislation. Represent a wind energy company on tax and energy legislation. Facilitated a coalition of companies and environmental groups and represented them before Congress on climate change legislation. Advised a large non-profit on judiciary matters. Represented a Fortune 100 company in a congressional investigation. PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE U.S. Senator Edward M. Kennedy, Policy Director Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions Committee, Chief Labor & Pensions Counsel AFL-CIO, Legislative Counsel National Partnership for Women & Families, Policy Counsel HONORS AND RANKINGS Chambers USA - America's Leading Business Lawyers, Government: Government Relations (2012) National Association of Women Lawyers Award for Outstanding Woman Law Graduate Scribes Award for Outstanding Published Work MEMBERSHIPS AND AFFILIATIONS Harvard Kennedy School, Visiting Adjunct Lecturer Institute for Women’s Policy Research, Board Vice-Chair Center for Worklife Law, Advisory Board Member Maryland State Higher Education Labor Relations Board, Appointed Member