Ballard Partners: A look at its new critical minerals practice
Founded by Brian Ballard, Ballard Partners has expanded from a Florida-based firm into one with a national and international presence. In the process, it has strengthened its advocacy capabilities by forming specialty groups that serve clients in specific industries. In recent years, the firm’s Veterans Practice, Financial Services, and Health Policy Advisory Groups have met the needs of clients by drawing on teams of highly experienced government relations consultants to deliver unsurpassed results.
In November, near the end of a banner year of growth for the firm, Ballard Partners announced the establishment of its newest specialty group. Through the Critical Minerals Practice, clients across the essential minerals and energy industries will benefit from expert guidance in advancing their interests.
“The global competition for critical minerals is one of the most defining national security and economic challenges of our time,” said firm president Brian Ballard. As such, his firm needed to find a person equipped to lead this important new practice.
That person is Micah Ketchel. A former senior advisor at the National Security Council, Ketchel has worked extensively across the federal government, during which time he has forged deep relationships with key decisionmakers across the fields of national security, foreign policy, and economic development. In leading Ballard’s Critical Minerals Practice, he will draw on these relationships to help clients succeed in the global sector.
“The ability to seamlessly integrate government affairs across domestic policy, foreign affairs, and trade will be vital for clients engaging in the critical minerals space,” said Ketchel in a press release announcing his hire and the establishment of the Critical Minerals Practice.
As a senior advisor at the National Security Council, Ketchel was relied on by the national security advisor to provide valuable insights. Also relying on his counsel was President Donald Trump, whom Ketchel concurrently served as a special assistant.
Following his tenure at the National Security Council, Ketchel accepted a position as a senior advisor to the US Department of State. There, his responsibilities centered on liaising between the department and the US ambassador to the United Nations, ensuring both parties were consistently informed on matters important to the country and the world.
Along with his experience in the executive branch, Ketchel has spent time in the legislative branch, including in the office of Congressman Mike Waltz. Serving as Waltz’s chief of staff from 2018 to 2025, he oversaw legislative and policy matters on behalf of the congressman. His legislative background also includes time as an advisor to Congressman Jeff Miller. Then a Florida congressman, Miller is now a partner at Ballard Partners.
Like his former boss, Ketchel will now be tasked with chairing one of Ballard Partners’ specialty groups. A recipient of a juris doctor with honors from Florida State University, he is “look[ing] forward to leading this practice and delivering strategic results for our clients.”
Other members of the Critical Minerals Practice team include Sylvester Lukis, a senior partner who has been integral in Ballard Partners’ growth into an international firm. A key advisor to Brian Ballard, he is a lawyer who has a long history of representing clients before almost every major federal department.
Jordan Elsbury, Scott Wagner, William Russell, Thomas Boodry, and Bernice Glenn Kissinger will round out the Critical Minerals Group. Drawing on their expertise, they will help clients navigate everything from supply-chain concerns to regulatory matters.
Ballard Partners’ expansion into critical minerals policy is another exciting development in a remarkable year for the firm. In 2025 alone, it has rapidly grown its expert team of bipartisan government relations consultants while forging relationships with international firms and opening new offices. Most recently, in late October, the firm announced it would be establishing a location in Honolulu, Hawaii. Headed by Kissinger, this new office expands Ballard’s presence in the Pacific region.