Wiley Rein & Fielding’s Jan Baran Appointed by Virginia Attorney General to Assist in Election Recount

November 28, 2005

Washington, DC—Jan Witold Baran, chair of Wiley Rein & Fielding’s Election Law & Government Ethics Practice has been appointed by Judith Williams Jagdmann, the Attorney General of the Commonwealth of Virginia, to provide counsel on the forthcoming recount of votes in the November 2005 race for Attorney General.

Baran will work in conjunction with Robert F. Bauer of Perkins Coie, LLP, assisting the Office of the Attorney General in providing legal advice to the Virginia State Board of Elections for the presumed election recount.  As the Commonwealth’s press release on the appointments noted, “Messrs. Baran and Bauer are respected election law lawyers who have represented clients from both political parties.” 

Mr. Baran, named by Washingtonian magazine as a "Top Campaign & Elections Lawyer" and one of the "Top 50 Lawyers" in Washington, DC, frequently handles high-profile matters, advising clients and litigating on federal, state and local campaign finance laws, government ethics requirements and lobbying laws.  Over the course of his legal career, he has served as Executive Assistant to the Chair of the Federal Election Commission, as a member of The President's Commission on Federal Ethics Law Reform and as a member of the Virginia Governor's Commission on Government Finance Reform.  From 1988-92, Mr. Baran was General Counsel of the Republican National Committee; he also served as General Counsel of the Bush-Quayle presidential campaign.  Mr. Baran is the former Chair of the ABA Standing Committee on Election Law.