Federal & State Lobbying

Overview

Wiley regularly advises clients on compliance with federal, state, and local lobbying laws. The practice has a wealth of experience and is noted in Chambers USA (2022) as having “A deep political law bench with experienced lawyers who give practical advice.”

Federal Lobbying Compliance Counseling. We routinely advise corporations, trade associations, nonprofit organizations, and lobbying firms regarding compliance with the Lobbying Disclosure Act (LDA) and the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007 (HLOGA). We regularly lead compliance training sessions for our clients and perform compliance audits to ensure our clients are satisfying the requirements of the LDA and HLOGA. Our attorneys and reporting specialists assist clients with preparing and filing federal lobbying registrations, as well as quarterly and semi-annual reports. We also represent clients during U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) audits and enforcement proceedings brought by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). Our attorneys and reporting specialists have particular experience regarding the LD-1, LD-2, and LD-203 reports.

State & Local Lobbying Compliance Counseling. All states and many localities regulate some form or forms of lobbying—be it legislative, executive branch, grassroots, procurement, goodwill—which presents a wide variety of challenges to multistate organizations. Our attorneys offer unparalleled knowledge and insight into the state lobbying laws and their interpretations by state regulators. We regularly advise corporations, trade associations, nonprofit organizations, and lobbying firms on whether certain activities will trigger registration or reporting obligations, with sensitivity to each client’s unique interests. As a full-service practice, our attorneys and reporting specialists assist clients with preparing and filing state and local lobbying registrations and reports in jurisdictions across the country. We have represented clients in lobbying audits and before state and local lobbying enforcement agencies. We frequently conduct compliance training sessions for our clients, teaching best practices for recordkeeping and reporting, as well as offering practical guidance for government relations employees. In addition, we publish an annual State Lobbying & Gift Law Guide which provides a comprehensive overview of the lobbying and gift laws in all 50 states plus the District of Columbia.