Public Affairs & Regulatory Messaging
Translate complex regulatory and policy positions into narratives that land with Hill staff, regulators, and the press.
Book a Strategy Call →Senior counsel, not a junior handoff
Regulatory and policy fights are rarely won on technical memos alone. The organizations that shape outcomes are the ones that can explain what a rule does, who it helps or harms, and why decision-makers should care — in language that travels from the agency to Capitol Hill to the financial press.
Herb Perone led communications as Deputy Director of Public Affairs at the SEC and later as Vice President of Communications at the Investment Adviser Association, representing the $130 trillion investment-adviser industry. He also held senior roles across ACLI and FINRA. That path is the foundation of Perone Consulting's public-affairs counsel.
What this engagement covers
Congressional & regulatory engagement messaging
Clear narratives and talking points for meetings, briefings, and testimony-adjacent moments with Hill and agency audiences.
Policy position messaging
Turning dense rulemaking and legislative language into positions that coalitions, members, and media can actually use.
Trade association communications
Counsel for associations and member-driven organizations navigating major rulemakings and industry-wide scrutiny.
Stakeholder narrative alignment
Keeping member firms, counsel, lobbyists, and communications leads on one coherent public story.
Press strategy around policy moments
Coordinating when and how policy positions enter the press — and when silence is the stronger move.
Who this is for
- →Trade associations and industry coalitions facing consequential SEC or financial-regulation rulemakings.
- →Firms that need to explain a regulatory position to Hill staff, agency officials, or national financial media.
- →Public-affairs teams that want senior counsel from someone who has worked inside the regulator and the industry.
- →Leadership teams preparing for hearings, comment-period campaigns, or sustained policy advocacy.
How Herb works
Herb treats public affairs as communications strategy under institutional constraints. The first job is understanding the decision-makers, the calendar, and the political economy around the issue — not drafting a press release.
From there he builds messages that survive contact with sophisticated audiences: agency staff who know the rule text, Hill aides who need a crisp frame, and reporters who will test every claim.
Experience inside the SEC and leading communications for a major financial-services trade association means the advice accounts for how institutions actually process advocacy — including what looks like noise from the outside.
When public-affairs counsel matters most
Public-affairs messaging is most valuable on a clock: during comment periods, before hearings, around major rulemakings, or when a coalition needs a single public narrative that Hill staff, agency officials, and the financial press can all carry. Waiting until the narrative has already hardened against you is usually more expensive than engaging early.
Trade associations and member-driven organizations also engage Herb when internal consensus is strong on the policy but weak on how to say it — when the technical position is clear and the public frame is not.
Questions about public affairs
What is public affairs and regulatory messaging?
It is the work of translating complex regulatory and policy positions into clear, compelling narratives for Capitol Hill audiences, regulators, and the press — so decision-makers understand your position and why it matters.
What experience does Herb Perone have with the SEC and financial regulation?
Herb served as Deputy Director of Public Affairs at the SEC, where he managed communications through enforcement actions, market volatility, and congressional scrutiny. He later led communications for the Investment Adviser Association — which represents the $130 trillion investment-adviser industry — and held senior roles across the American Council of Life Insurers (ACLI) and FINRA.
Do you work with trade associations and coalitions?
Yes. Herb has led communications inside major financial-services associations and has supported industry coalitions around consequential rulemakings — including sustained public narratives aimed at Hill staff, the financial press, and agency leadership.
How do public-affairs engagements typically start?
With a conversation about the rule, the timeline, and the audiences that matter. Book a complimentary 30-minute strategy call through the contact form on this site. Herb responds personally, typically within one business day.
Ready to talk through your situation?
Book a complimentary 30-minute strategy call with Herb — no obligation, no pitch. He responds personally, typically within one business day.
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