Niles Godes

Niles Godes has a broad range of experience in both public policy and politics, and most recently worked for the third-ranking member of the United States Senate Democratic Leadership.

Niles provides counsel to clients in many fields, including technology, energy, financial services, and transportation. He has represented Broadcom, Xcel Energy, eBay, Great River Energy, Oxfam America, and Sallie Mae.

As Chief of Staff for U.S. Senator Byron L. Dorgan (D-ND), Niles assisted Sen. Dorgan’s leadership of the Senate Democratic Policy Committee. He was significantly involved in some of the Senator's highest legislative priorities, including the post-September 11 travel industry bailout bill. He earlier served as the Senator’s Legislative Director.

Niles started his Capitol Hill career by serving as Legislative Assistant for the late U.S. Senator Quentin N. Burdick (D-ND), where he handled defense, labor, and appropriations issues. After Senator Burdick’s death, Niles served as Director of Economic Development for U.S. Senator Kent Conrad (D-ND). Niles led the Senator’s efforts to create jobs and expand business opportunity in North Dakota, and helped the Senator win millions of dollars in disaster relief during several years of record flooding.

In 1994, Niles took a leave of absence to serve as Senator Conrad’s Campaign Manager and campaign spokesperson to the state and national media. He has worked on numerous other statewide campaigns, from grassroots organizing to campaign managing.

Niles also brings previous lobbying experience to Clark & Weinstock; he previously worked for Van Scoyoc Associates, where he helped university clients win federal research funding, and represented the economic development board of North Dakota’s largest city. In one particularly successful effort, Niles was instrumental in increasing by 10-fold a research program at the Nation Institutes of Health in which the firm’s clients participated.

Niles received his Juris Doctor cum laude from Georgetown University in Washington, DC. While at Georgetown, Niles served as Associate Editor of the American Criminal Law Review and co-authored an article on the Independent Counsel Statute. Niles is a Member of the Maryland Bar. He received his B.A. from Moorhead State University in Moorhead, Minnesota.

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