Kemp’s Transition Team Includes Some Lawyers

Gov.-elect Brian Kemp released the full 41-member list of his transition team for governor on Monday, after earlier tapping his campaign manager, Tim Fleming, as chief of staff and David Dove of politically connected firm The Robbins Law Group as transition team director.

The list is crowded with former aides, GOP businesspeople and Republican politicos, including former Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price—as well as several lawyers.  

Dove, a 2014 graduate of the University of Georgia law school, had served as Kemp’s chief of staff and legal counsel when he was secretary of state. Dove was recruited to the Robbins firm a year ago by partner Vincent Russo, who has been Kemp’s legal counsel for his gubernatorial race and was counsel to Kemp and his predecessor, Karen Handel, when they served as secretary of state.

Russo, also the Georgia GOP’s deputy general counsel, with Dove coordinated Kemp’s post-election legal efforts.

Kemp announced Monday that Jeremy Brand, his campaign strategist, would be senior adviser for the transition team. The co-chair for the transition team is Jamie Reynolds, one of the developers of Reynolds Plantation and a longtime GOP bigwig.

Another GOP heavy-hitter, Bainbridge businessman Alec Pointevint, is chairing the government operations team. Notable lawyers on the team include former U.S. Rep. Bob Barr, who was an early backer of Kemp for governor, and Cobb County District Attorney Vic Reynolds, who with Kemp last spring unveiled a plan to stop Georgia gang activity. Another member, Craig Lesser, former head of the state Department of Economic Development, is not a lawyer but was a government relations director at McKenna Long & Aldridge (now Dentons) before joining Pendleton Consulting Group in 2009.

Chuck Harper, Kemp’s legislative director when he was secretary of state, is leading the appointments team. Kemp’s deputy general counsel as secretary of state, Anh Le, is one of the team members. 

Mark Middleton, a lobbyist and regulatory lawyer, is heading Kemp’s policy team. Middleton is of counsel with Brunswick-based Gilbert, Harrell, Sumerford & Martin and heads their public affairs practice from Atlanta. He also has run his own government relations firm, Middleton Public Affairs, for 22 years.

This story has been updated to reflect that Allen Poole, chair of the Haralson County Board of Commissioners, not Alan Poole of Troutman Sanders, is on Kemp’s transition team.