Trusted Counsel.Results in Raleigh.Strategic Advocacy.

Brubaker & Associates helps organizations navigate North Carolina government with legislative experience, policy insight, and relationships built over decades.

Trusted Counsel.

Brubaker & Associates provides the experience, insight, and strategic relationships your organization needs to navigate complex policy issues and shape decisions in Raleigh.

Managing Partner

(336) 629-5128
bru@brubakernc.com

Harold Brubaker

Harold J. Brubaker brings clients a rare level of experience in North Carolina government affairs: more than three decades inside the North Carolina General Assembly, including service as Speaker of the North Carolina House of Representatives, House Minority Leader, senior budget writer, and a recognized leader on some of the state’s most complex policy issues.

First elected to the North Carolina House of Representatives in 1977, Brubaker served through 2012 and became the first and only Republican Speaker of the North Carolina House in the 20th century. Over the course of his legislative career, he earned a reputation for policy discipline, procedural knowledge, and the ability to work effectively across party lines. His leadership roles included Joint Caucus Leader from 1979 to 1980, House Minority Leader from 1981 to 1984, and House Senior Budget Writer during the 2011–2012 legislative sessions.

Brubaker’s policy experience is both broad and substantive. During his tenure, he helped shape major legislation in finance, insurance, public utilities, health care, and budget policy. He served for more than 30 years on key House committees, including Financial Institutions, Public Utilities, Insurance, and Health, giving him deep familiarity with the regulatory, fiscal, and political forces that shape decisions in Raleigh.

That experience gives Brubaker & Associates a distinct advantage for clients seeking more than access. We bring an informed understanding of how legislation is developed, how coalitions are built, how committee dynamics influence outcomes, and how to position client priorities in a way that is credible to policymakers. Our work is grounded in relationships, but strengthened by judgment developed through decades of legislative leadership.

Brubaker has also held leadership roles in national policy organizations. From 1988 through 2012, he served on the Board of Directors of the American Legislative Exchange Council and was National Chairman in 1994. He also served on the Executive Committee of the Southern Legislative Conference and was appointed to committees of the National Conference of State Legislatures. Through this work, he developed relationships and perspective that extend beyond North Carolina, including contacts across all 50 state legislatures.

For clients navigating North Carolina’s political and regulatory environment, Harold Brubaker offers the perspective of someone who has not only worked with the legislative process, but helped lead it. His long-standing relationships on both sides of the aisle, combined with his command of policy and process, allow Brubaker & Associates to provide strategic counsel, direct advocacy, and practical guidance for organizations seeking results in Raleigh.

A native of Mount Joy, Pennsylvania, Brubaker earned a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Economics from The Pennsylvania State University and a Master of Economics from North Carolina State University. Before his legislative service, he taught business at Randolph Community College.

Harold and his wife, Geraldine B. Brubaker, live in Asheboro, North Carolina. They have two children, Jonathan and Justin, and attend Back Creek Friends Meeting.

Managing Partner

(336) 629-5128
sarah@brubakernc.com

Sarah Bales

Sarah Bales is a licensed attorney and government affairs professional who helps clients navigate North Carolina’s legislative, regulatory, and public policy environment with clear strategy and practical counsel.

Sarah is licensed by the North Carolina State Bar. She earned her Bachelor of Arts, summa cum laude, in Political Science with a concentration in American Politics from North Carolina State University and her law degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

While in law school, Sarah developed a strong foundation in public policy, administrative law, and state government decision-making. She served as a legal intern with the North Carolina Real Estate Commission and as a Research Fellow with the North Carolina Coastal Planning and Policy Center, where she gained experience in agency processes, legislative drafting, policy research, and the implementation of state-level policy.

After law school, Sarah practiced business and corporate law in Raleigh, advising clients on legal and organizational matters. Her interest in public policy and state government later led her to connect with Harold Brubaker, where their shared focus on strategic advocacy and client service became the foundation for Brubaker & Associates.

Today, Sarah is an integral part of the Brubaker & Associates team. She provides clients with thoughtful, actionable guidance to help them understand policy risks, advance legislative priorities, and achieve their government affairs objectives. Her legal training, policy experience, and client-centered approach allow her to translate complex issues into clear strategies for action.

Sarah is active in Raleigh’s civic and professional community. She is a member of the Junior League of Raleigh and the North Carolina Professional Lobbyist Association, where she currently serves as President.

Sarah lives in Raleigh with her husband and their son.

(336) 629-5128
jonathan@brubakernc.com

Jonathan Brubaker

Managing Partner

Jonathan Brubaker brings a lifetime of firsthand exposure to the North Carolina legislative process and nearly 35 years of experience working in and around the General Assembly.

The son of former House Speaker Harold Brubaker, Jonathan grew up around North Carolina state government. His earliest experience in the legislature began at age six, selling coffee on the House floor. He later served as a House Page for six years during middle and high school before attending Appalachian State University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Real Estate and Government Planning.

Today, Jonathan serves as both an active lobbyist and the firm’s office manager. His long-standing presence in Raleigh has given him a deep understanding of the people, procedures, relationships, and timing that shape legislative outcomes. Few professionals bring the same combination of institutional knowledge, practical experience, and day-to-day familiarity with the General Assembly.

Jonathan is known for his strong relationships with lawmakers, staff, and stakeholders across state government. Those relationships, combined with his working knowledge of the legislative process, allow him to help clients identify opportunities, anticipate challenges, and advance their priorities effectively.

In recent years, Jonathan has worked on a range of issues involving real estate, tax operations, and insurance. He also brings particular expertise in rural and agricultural issues, informed by decades of experience managing operations on his family farm.

Jonathan lives in North Carolina with his wife, Megan, and their three children.

(336) 629-5128
kaitlin@brubakernc.com

Kaitlin Rotecker

Managing Partner

Kaitlin Rothecker is a North Carolina licensed attorney and government affairs professional who brings clients a strong combination of legal analysis, legislative insight, and advocacy experience.

Kaitlin is admitted to practice before North Carolina State Courts and the United States District Courts for the Western and Eastern Districts of North Carolina. Her background allows her to help clients evaluate complex issues, identify practical solutions, and advocate effectively in both policy and legal environments.

Kaitlin earned her undergraduate degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she double majored in Political Science and Spanish. She began her career in government affairs while attending Campbell University School of Law, serving as a research assistant and legal intern for Brubaker & Associates and as a government affairs consulting intern with McGuireWoods Consulting. She also gained public-sector experience through internships with the Office of the Governor, working with both the legislative and policy department and the Office of General Counsel.

During law school, Kaitlin developed a deep appreciation for the role effective advocacy plays in achieving successful outcomes. She competed nationally and internationally in mock trial competitions, earning multiple national championships and best advocate awards. That experience sharpened the courtroom presence, preparation, and strategic thinking that continue to inform her work on behalf of clients.

After law school, Kaitlin practiced law in Charlotte with Gallivan, White & Boyd, where she focused on complex litigation, including casualty claims, mass torts, insurance defense, and commercial transportation matters. She later practiced with Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein in Raleigh, concentrating on professional negligence, medical malpractice, mass torts, and products liability litigation. Her litigation experience includes handling matters through all stages of the process, including trial.

At Brubaker & Associates, Kaitlin applies her legal training, policy experience, and advocacy skills to help clients navigate complex public policy issues. Her ability to analyze risk, develop strategy, and communicate effectively with decision-makers makes her a valuable member of the firm’s government affairs consulting team.

Kaitlin lives in Raleigh with her husband, Justin, and their two children, Hayden and Kennedy.

(336) 629-5128
matt@brubakernc.com

Matt Gross

Partner

Matt Gross brings Brubaker & Associates deep experience in health policy, legislative strategy, and executive branch government affairs.

Before joining the firm, Matt served as Assistant Secretary of Government Affairs for the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, where he worked closely with state leaders, legislators, stakeholders, and agency officials to advance major health policy initiatives across North Carolina.

Matt played a central role in the effort to pass Medicaid expansion in North Carolina, a landmark policy achievement expected to extend health coverage to more than 600,000 North Carolinians. His work reflects a strategic and collaborative approach to complex policy challenges, particularly where legislative action, agency implementation, and stakeholder alignment must come together.

During his time at DHHS, Matt helped advance a wide range of policy priorities affecting health care access, behavioral health, Medicaid, child welfare, public health, and regulatory reform. He worked on efforts to reform North Carolina’s behavioral health system, address gaps in mental health services, and support the legislative framework needed to launch Medicaid managed care. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he also helped improve access to testing, treatment, and vaccines as part of the state’s response.

Matt has a strong record of working across party lines to achieve practical results. His experience includes policy work involving child care, foster care and adoption, wastewater permitting, substance use treatment, youth tobacco enforcement, certificate of need reform, and newborn screening.

Prior to his service at DHHS, Matt worked as Policy Director for NC Child and the North Carolina Partnership for Children. He also served in roles supporting Virginia Governors Timothy M. Kaine and Robert F. McDonnell.

At Brubaker & Associates, Matt helps clients navigate complex policy issues, build effective legislative strategies, and engage decision-makers with credibility and clarity. His experience at the intersection of policy development, legislative negotiation, and agency implementation makes him a valuable advisor for clients working in highly regulated and high-impact areas of state government.

Outside of work, Matt enjoys auto racing, playing drums in a cover band, and traveling with his wife and two children.

Results in Raleigh.

Effective advocacy requires more than access. It requires judgment, timing, credibility, and a working knowledge of how decisions are made.

Brubaker & Associates brings clients a rare combination of legislative leadership, legal analysis, executive branch experience, and practical government affairs strategy. We help organizations understand the policy landscape, anticipate challenges, engage the right decision-makers, and move priorities forward with discipline and credibility.

Organizations represented before North Carolina state government

Combined legislative, legal, executive branch, and advocacy experience

Recognition for advocacy, leadership, and government affairs excellence

Areas of expertise across regulated industries, public policy, and state government

Strategic Advocacy.

Whether your organization needs to stop harmful legislation, advance commonsense reform, or develop a complex legislative strategy, Brubaker & Associates serves as your strategic voice in Raleigh. We help clients understand the legislative landscape, anticipate challenges, and engage decision-makers with the right message at the right time.

Strategic Consulting

The legislative process is rarely linear. It requires judgment, timing, relationships, and a clear understanding of how decisions are actually made.

Brubaker & Associates brings clients firsthand legislative experience and practical strategic counsel shaped by decades inside the North Carolina General Assembly. We help organizations evaluate their goals, identify opportunities and risks, develop effective messaging, and determine the best path forward.

Our approach is direct, informed, and strategic. We know when to move, when to wait, who needs to hear from you, and how your message should be delivered.

Issue Management

In government affairs, staying ahead of an issue is often the difference between shaping the outcome and reacting to it.

Brubaker & Associates provides clients with active monitoring of legislation, committee activity, regulatory developments, and emerging policy discussions that may affect their organization or industry. We track what is moving, identify what matters, and provide clear guidance on when and how to engage.

Our goal is to ensure clients are informed, prepared, and positioned to act before critical decisions are made.

Government Affairs

Effective advocacy depends on more than showing up when a bill is filed. It requires credibility, preparation, and working relationships with the people who influence outcomes.

Brubaker & Associates maintains relationships across North Carolina’s legislative and political landscape. We understand the committee process, leadership dynamics, procedural rules, and political considerations that can determine whether an issue advances, stalls, or fails.

We help clients engage public officials, legislative leaders, committee chairs, agency representatives, and other stakeholders with a disciplined strategy designed to protect and advance their interests.

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