Lobby Lab: USA – A Conversation with David Tafuri
Ukrainian Lobbying Association launched Lobby Lab, a new professional dialogue format focused on global lobbying and advocacy practices.
The Ukrainian Lobbying Association (ULA) has launched a new professional dialogue format, Lobby Lab – a platform for exchanging international experience and discussing contemporary lobbying and advocacy practice.
On May 22, 2025, David Tafuri became the inaugural guest of the new format.
David Tafuri is an American lobbyist, international attorney, and foreign policy expert. In 2008, he served as an external international policy adviser to Barack Obama's presidential campaign. He is currently a partner at the international law firm ArentFox Schiff, where he leads the practice supporting emerging democracies across multiple regions. He also brings experience from the U.S. Department of State, where he served as Rule of Law Coordinator for Iraq, and regularly contributes commentary on international affairs to CNN, Fox News, and BBC.
The conversation centred on three themes:
• lobbying models in the United States and the key factors behind their effectiveness;
• the specifics of engaging with government institutions across the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America;
• ethical standards in U.S. lobbying practice and the prospects for their adoption in Ukraine.
The discussion also addressed practical approaches to building trust between business and government, and the role of transparent regulation in advancing professional lobbying.
Lobby Lab will continue its series of conversations with international experts, aimed at developing a professional lobbying culture in Ukraine and integrating global best practices.