Harris DeVille & Associates

What Harris DeVille & Associates does

Harris, DeVille & Associates, Inc. (HDA) is a privately-held, full-service issues management and strategic communications firm founded in 1984 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The firm operates from a single headquarters at 521 Laurel St., Baton Rouge, and serves a client base spanning Fortune 100 companies to private, family-owned businesses, with particular concentration in the energy, chemical, LNG, healthcare, and trade association sectors across Louisiana, Texas, and the Gulf South region. HDA delivers eight integrated core services — Issues Management & Strategic Communications, Government Affairs, Crisis Communication & Management, Community Engagement, Media Engagement & Training, Litigation Communication, Multi-Media Production, and Opinion Research — typically bundled as project-based or retainer engagements rather than discrete product lines.

HDA has no proprietary technology platform; it is a pure professional services firm whose value is delivered through senior practitioner expertise. Its offerings are anchored in deep institutional knowledge of Louisiana and Texas regulatory bodies, legislative processes, and community stakeholders, supported by in-house polling/opinion research, on-site crisis drills, and turnkey multimedia production capabilities. Revenue is generated through professional service fees for engagements that often span multi-year, multi-billion-dollar industrial project siting, permitting navigation, community engagement campaigns (e.g., 100+ meetings in 100 days for Gulf Coast chemical facilities), crisis response, and coalition advocacy. The firm has grown from a two-person operation in 1984 to 20+ employees across multi-state operations, including promoted Managing Directors, state-level Directors, dedicated lobbyists, and a CFO function, and executes a reputation-led, consultative sales motion targeting enterprise clients through direct engagement and referrals rather than productized distribution channels.

The client roster disclosed publicly and through case studies includes ExxonMobil, BASF, Sasol, Golden Pass LNG, CF Industries, Ochsner Health, and Louisiana REALTORS, demonstrating a track record across high-stakes industrial, governmental, and advocacy engagements. Documented outcomes include an 81% voter approval for a Louisiana constitutional amendment (with unanimous 101-0 House and 34-0 Senate passage), Dow Jones Sustainability Index listings for clients, and coordinated crisis response following industrial incidents. Following co-founder Jim Harris's death in May 2023, the firm is led by Managing Partner Renwick P. DeVille and has continued investing in leadership depth, adding David Gaines as Partner in January 2025 and promoting three associates to senior roles in the same period.

Name

Harris DeVille & Associates

Legal name

Harris, DeVille & Associates, Inc.

Website

https://hdaissues.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Harris, DeVille & Associates is a Baton Rouge-based issues management and strategic communications firm serving Fortune 500 and private clients — primarily in energy, chemicals, and LNG — across Louisiana, Texas, and the Gulf South through government affairs, crisis, community engagement, and media services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Relations & Strategic Communications Consulting

NAICS

Management Consulting Services (54161)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Technology & B2B PR (BPAFADAI)

Keywords

• Issues management consulting
• Strategic communications
• Government affairs lobbying
• Crisis communications
• Community engagement services

Headquarters

HQ city

Baton Rouge

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Strategic Communications Consulting: HDA generates revenue through professional service fees for issues management, government affairs, crisis communications, community engagement, media training, litigation communications, multimedia production, and opinion research services. Engagement models appear to be project-based or retainer arrangements with corporate and institutional clients.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Harris, DeVille & Associates is a full-service issues management and strategic communications consulting firm delivering eight integrated service lines: Issues Management, Government Affairs, Crisis Communication & Management, Community Engagement, Media Engagement & Training, Litigation Communication, Multi-Media Production, and Opinion Research. The firm serves Fortune 100 corporations, energy and chemical companies, trade associations, healthcare systems, and private family-owned businesses across Louisiana, Texas, and the Gulf South region.

Product overview

Harris, DeVille & Associates (HDA) is a full-service issues management and strategic communications firm offering a unified portfolio of eight integrated consulting services. The core offering centers on Issues Management & Strategic Communications, supported by Government Affairs, Crisis Communication & Management, Community Engagement, Media Engagement & Training, Litigation Communication, Multi-Media Production, and Opinion Research. These services work together as a comprehensive communications solution, helping clients manage complex issues, navigate government relations, respond to crises, engage stakeholders, and produce communications materials—all backed by opinion research and data-driven insights. The firm serves Fortune 100 companies and private businesses across Louisiana, Texas, and the Gulf South region.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Issues Management & Strategic Communications Comprehensive communications strategies and issues management programs covering strategy development, implementation, and evaluation, delivered to clients ranging from Fortune 100 companies to private, family-owned businesses.
• Government Affairs Lobbying and representation before governmental bodies and regulatory agencies, including legislative strategies, stakeholder mapping, policy analysis, and regulatory engagement for corporate and institutional clients.
• Crisis Communication & Management Task-based crisis communications consulting including development of site-based and company-wide crisis communications plans, on-site drills, and emergency response support for clients nationwide.
• Community Engagement Strategic employee engagement communications plans and community relations programs including public meetings, open houses, and stakeholder involvement programs for corporate clients.
• Media Engagement & Training Media relations expertise including targeted coverage development in print, online, and broadcast outlets, media kit development, organized media visits, news conference planning, and communications/media training curriculum with realistic scenarios.
• Litigation Communication Protection of client reputation in civil, administrative, and criminal cases in state and federal court, primarily in Louisiana, Texas, and the Gulf South, through strategic communications support during litigation.
• Multi-Media Production Turnkey production services including creative concept development, script writing, layout and design, websites, brochures, newsletters, videos, television commercials, and print advertisements for corporate clients.
• Opinion Research Statistically valid polls, focus groups, trend tracking, and identification of emerging issues to provide actionable insight for communications strategy development.

Quantifiable outcome

• Achieved 81% voter approval for Louisiana constitutional amendment to prohibit real estate transfer taxes (2011)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Industry of Southeast TexascoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEngaged by the industry trade group to develop and implement emergency notification system (Southeast Texas Alerting Network/STAN) satisfying EPA regulatory requirements and improving communications between industry and emergency management

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Edelman: Largest global independent public relations firm with deep crisis, public affairs, and corporate communications practices. Broader incumbent that competes for Fortune 500 mandates but lacks HDA's regional Gulf South specialization.
• Burson: Global public relations and communications firm (formed via merger of BCW and Hill & Knowlton strategies under WPP). Broader incumbent with overlapping capabilities in strategic communications, public affairs, and crisis, but operating at significantly larger scale.
• Ogilvy PR: Global public relations and communications network offering public affairs, crisis, and corporate communications services. Broader incumbent with overlapping capabilities but broader portfolio and global footprint.

Direct peers

• CGCN Group: Strategic communications, government affairs, and public relations firm. Comparable in offering integrated strategic communications, lobbying, and reputation management to corporate clients across regulated industries.
• Cornerstone Government Affairs: Bipartisan government affairs and federal lobbying firm with offices across the U.S. Comparable to HDA in government affairs and strategic public affairs services for major corporate clients.
• DCI Group: Public affairs, strategic communications, and advocacy firm serving Fortune 500 and trade association clients. Direct peer in providing strategic communications counsel and government affairs representation.
• Forbes Tate Partners: Strategic communications, public affairs, and government relations firm serving Fortune 500 companies and trade associations. Direct peer in integrated strategic communications and government affairs services.
• The Hawthorn Group: Public affairs and government relations firm specializing in complex issue campaigns and stakeholder engagement. Comparable to HDA in providing integrated strategic communications and government affairs services to corporate clients.
• ROKK Solutions: Public affairs and crisis communications firm serving Fortune 500 companies, energy, and industrial clients. Direct peer in integrated government affairs, crisis comms, and stakeholder engagement offerings.
• Mercury Public Affairs: Strategic public affairs, lobbying, and communications firm with strong energy and industrial sector practices. Comparable as a privately held, multi-office strategic communications and government affairs firm serving large corporate clients.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/hdaissues
• Facebookfacebook.com/HDAissues
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/harris-deville-&-associates

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles19 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Harris DeVille & Associates