Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck announced the addition of Steven Palmer, Chanell Autrey and Chris Castilian to its bipartisan State Government Relations Group.
Palmer joins the firm’s Denver office as a principal, public policy. Autrey joins the Washington, D.C., office as a shareholder, and Castilian joins the Denver office as a policy director.
“As businesses face an increasingly complex policy environment across state capitols, demand for sophisticated, multistate advocacy has never been greater,” Melissa Kuipers Blake, co-chair of Brownstein’s State Government Relations Group, said. “Steven, Chanell and Chris have the experience, leadership and trusted relationships that strengthen our position as the premier state government relations platform, helping our clients navigate challenges and seize opportunities across the country.”
Doug Friednash, who co-chairs the State Government Relations Group with Kuipers Blake, added, “Steven is a well-respected and trusted advocate with strong relationships in statehouses from coast to coast and across all 50 states, Chanell adds depth in the mid-Atlantic region for our multistate approach and Chris will lead the firm’s efforts around outdoor recreation, which Colorado’s Office of Economic Development and International Trade identified as one of its main focuses in its 2025 State of Colorado Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy. Their addition to our team brings not only decades of experience but also expands our ability to help clients navigate their most pressing issues nationwide.”
Palmer has more than 20 years of experience in multistate and federal government relations, advising clients in the healthcare, energy, technology, transportation, disaster recovery and government services sectors. He has served on the Republican Governors Association Finance Committee for more than 15 years and works with clients on legislative, regulatory and executive branch advocacy strategies.
Autrey has more than a decade of experience in government relations, public policy and legislative strategy. Before joining Brownstein, she served as Target’s director of government affairs for the Mid-Atlantic/Great Lakes region, overseeing state government relations across the District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Ohio. She previously held government affairs and public policy roles at Starbucks and Monumental Sports & Entertainment.
Castilian has more than 25 years of experience in public policy and government relations, with work spanning the outdoor recreation and energy industries. His previous roles include executive director of Great Outdoors Colorado, deputy chief of staff to former Colorado Gov. Bill Owens, and leadership positions in higher education and the private sector. He also has served on the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission and the advisory council to the Colorado Office of Outdoor Recreation.