RALEIGH — The Southern Group, the largest government relations and business strategy firm in the Southeast, has launched a Charlotte office led by former city council members Tariq Bokhari and Larken Egleston.
The office marks the firm’s second North Carolina location with a focus on Charlotte’s high-growth areas like finance and technology, as well as other rapidly expanding industries.
Bokhari and Egleston, who served together on the city council from opposite parties, will focus on helping businesses navigate government relations at the local, state and federal levels. The two men emphasized their local relationships across Charlotte’s political, business and civic communities as central to their approach.
“Charlotte is not just where we built our careers, it is home, and we both feel a deep responsibility to give back to the city that gave us so much,” Bokhari said in a press release.
“We look forward to using our skills, experiences and connections to help shape the future of our city and state,” said Egleston.
“We know this community, from neighborhoods and nonprofits to boardrooms and government offices,” said Bokhari. “We are known for helping people and organizations cut through complexity and actually get things done.”
The new partners noted that Charlotte lags behind comparable cities in government relations infrastructure. Cities like Tampa and Orlando have three to five times more lobbying firms despite similar metro economy sizes, according to the announcement.
“As Charlotte continues to grow, we have to make sure that growth translates into real opportunity for more people, whether through upward mobility, affordable housing, safer neighborhoods or better outcomes for our kids,” Egleston said.
“We are excited to use this platform not only to help businesses succeed, but to support the organizations and community leaders who are already doing the hard work every day to make Charlotte stronger.”
The office will serve high-growth sectors including finance, technology, development, mobility and hospitality. The Southern Group positions itself as an extension of client leadership teams rather than a traditional lobbying firm, focusing on regulatory navigation, incentives and public-private partnerships.
The Charlotte office follows The Southern Group’s existing Raleigh location, which opened in spring 2024 and will broaden the group’s Southeast reach.
“This move strengthens the connection between North Carolina’s largest economic engine and its policy center in Raleigh,” said Rachel Cone, senior managing partner at The Southern Group Florida. “By pairing deep local leadership in Charlotte with The Southern Group’s statewide and regional platform, we are helping businesses engage government more strategically and more effectively across the state.”
Kevin Wilkinson, who directs the firm’s Raleigh office, said the addition ensures both the state’s political center and largest economy are represented within the firm.
“The addition of Charlotte significantly deepens our presence in North Carolina,” said Wilkinson. “It ensures that both the state’s political center and its largest economic engine are fully represented within our platform.”
Former Republican House member Jason Saine joined The Southern Group’s Raleigh lineup in November 2024, followed by former Gov. Roy Cooper adviser Alicia Davis in February 2025.
