Election Law & Government Ethics

Our team has achieved impressive results, successfully challenging laws, clarifying rules, and representing clients in precedent-setting cases and game-changing litigation all the way up to the Supreme Court of the United States.

In an era of uncertainty in the political landscape, our clients know they can depend on us to see what’s coming next, help mitigate risk, and provide them with strategic opportunities to structure their campaigns and advocacy efforts so they are prepared for the future.

What we do.

Our team regularly provides incisive and sophisticated legal counsel on all aspects of political law including campaign finance, lobbying, government ethics, and elections. We advise on regulatory compliance matters and represent clients in regulatory inquiries, government investigations, and federal and state court litigation. Our advice and advocacy for clients, many of them Fortune 500 companies – as well as leading political campaigns, parties, and political action committees (PACs) – extends to activities at the federal, state, and local levels. Whether assisting in the creation of new political strategies, integrating a full-service legal and regulatory compliance plan, or representing a client in legal proceedings, we devise effective and tactical solutions that go beyond the immediate issue to help our clients remain far ahead and well-positioned for success.

Our diverse list of clients spans every industry and includes:

• Hundreds of prominent domestic and international corporations, as well as innovative startups
• Nationally and globally leading trade associations and business roundtables
• Candidates, politicians, campaigns, and elected officials
• Political parties
• Political action committees
• 501(c) advocacy organizations and other nonprofits
• High net worth/high-profile contributors

Our team – one of the largest practices in the country – offers decisive, calculated, and practical guidance, providing effective representation to clients.  The scope of our counseling ranges from providing answers to a broad range of novel and discrete questions to implementing comprehensive compliance programs and conducting meticulous compliance audits. We advise clients daily regarding laws and rules that regulate political activity pertaining to:

• The Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA), as amended by the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA)
• The Lobbying Disclosure Act (LDA), as amended by the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act (HLOGA)
• Ethics rules of the U.S. House of Representatives, Senate, and Office of Government Ethics
• Federal pay-to-play rules, including U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Rule 275.206(4)-5 and Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board (MSRB) Rule G-37
• State and local campaign finance, pay-to-play, lobbying, and ethics laws and rules
• The Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA)
• The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA)
• Internal Revenue Code provisions applicable to political law

In addition, our political law and First Amendment litigation and advocacy experience includes challenges to laws, client defense, and submission of amicus briefs. We represent clients before the Supreme Court of the United States and other federal and state courts, as well as federal agencies and boards, such as the Federal Election Commission (FEC), the House and Senate Ethics Committees, the Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE), and state agencies.

Why we are different.

Founded as the first election law practice in the country, our group is now led by former FEC Chairman Michael Toner and includes former FEC commissioners, former steering committee members of the Council on Governmental Ethics Laws, the former Chief Counsel and Staff Director of the U.S. Senate and House Ethics Committees, and counsel to several federal agencies. We know firsthand the laws and regulations that impact the political landscape – in many instances we drafted them. As a result, we possess uncommon insight into the issues faced by our clients.

We know the players, the systems, and processes, and we’ve earned the respect of government leaders and regulators in Washington, DC and around the country. We can get things done far more swiftly, efficiently, and resourcefully than would otherwise be possible.