John J. Moffatt

Mr. Moffatt is a partner in the firm’s government law section and a member of the management committee.

Prior to joining Nielsen Merksamer, Mr. Moffatt served in the administration of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger as Chief Deputy Legislative Secretary and Deputy Legislative Secretary beginning in January 2007 and continuing through the end of the Governor’s second term in office.  In that capacity, Mr. Moffatt served as a member of the Governor’s Senior Staff and was responsible for helping develop and negotiate the annual budget as well as the Administration’s major policy initiatives.  He was also responsible for developing, managing, and negotiating the Administration’s policies and positions on all legislative issues and initiatives pertaining to the California Environmental Protection Agency, the California Natural Resources Agency, the California Department of Food and Agriculture and the California Public Utilities Commission.

Prior to joining the Schwarzenegger Administration, Mr. Moffatt served as Legislative Director for Senator Chuck Poochigian (Fresno).  He also previously served as Assistant Legislative Director for the California Department of Food and Agriculture and worked in the National Affairs and Research Division of the California Farm Bureau Federation.

Mr. Moffatt attended Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, where he earned his Bachelor’s degree in Agriculture Business while serving as Student Body President.  He received his Juris Doctor from the University of the Pacific’s McGeorge School of Law with a concentration in taxation policy in 2005.  Mr. Moffatt is a member of the California State Bar.

Mr. Moffatt currently lives in Lodi, California with his wife Tiffany and two children, Abby and Jackson.