by WILL FOLKS
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A top South Carolina policy advisor is joining one of the Palmetto State’s preeminent government relations practices, according to a media release announcing his hiring.
Phillip Cease, a former gubernatorial advisor and head of government affairs and policy at the state’s Department of Education (SCDE), has joined a growing team of heavy hitters at McGuireWoods Consulting.
Lobbyists at McGuireWoods include a former governor, former gubernatorial chief of staff and many former top legislative and executive staffers from multiple eras of South Carolina state government. The firm – which boasts a diverse mix of partisan backgrounds – has steadily emerged as one of the more impactful shops in the southeast.
Cease, who has more than two decades experience working in and around the S.C. State House, is expected to bolster its reputation.
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Prior to joining McGuireWoods, Cease represented SCDE’s interests before the S.C. General Assembly. Prior to that, he was senior director of policy and advocacy at the Children’s Trust of South Carolina, a statewide organization dedicated to preventing child abuse and neglect. Cease has also served as a senior policy advisor in the governor’s office and the state treasurer’s office – and has worked for advocacy groups including the S.C. Club for Growth and the S.C. Policy Council.
“Phillip brings a phenomenal background in South Carolina government affairs, policy making and advocacy,” said Brian Flynn, the firm’s senior vice president and director of its South Carolina government relations group. “Not only is he well positioned to enhance our leading education platform in the state, but he has high level expertise across multiple sectors important for our clients in South Carolina.”
Flynn has helped guide McGuireWoods’ emergence as one of the Palmetto State’s top lobbying shops, running its South Carolina office and helping assemble an impressive roster of talent – and clients.
As we approach another season of change in South Carolina – including a new gubernatorial administration, the convening of the 127th session of the state’s all-powerful legislature in January and the pivotal presidential primaries in early 2028 – expect to see significant moving and shaking in the months to come.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR…
Will Folks is the founding editor of the news outlet you are currently reading. Prior to founding FITSNews, he served as press secretary to the governor of South Carolina. He lives in the Midlands region of the state with his wife and eight children.
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