Who can run for which office? How are such campaigns funded, or supported from afar? How are contested elections decided? And what rules govern the influence of such people once elected?
A political law practice involves all these questions, and more. Federal, state, and local law frequently seek to regulate this terrain, and often with good motive. My responsibility as an attorney is to help my clients answer these questions honorably and aggressively to empower them to have the impact and results they desire, including the following areas of practice:
• Federal, state, and local campaign finance law. This includes both the representation of candidates and political entities as well as corporate and labor organizations which seek to influence the political process, and the creation and governance of new entities which seek to impact the political process, including traditional political action committees, 501(c)(4) nonprofit entities and SuperPACs.
• Counseling business, labor, and nonprofit entities in the construction and implementation of internal compliance protocols and training programs to ensure compliance with campaign finance, lobbying, and other applicable laws.
• Federal, state, and local pay-to-play laws, including in the investment-adviser field.
• Federal, state, and local law regulating lobbying and gift activity
• Ballot access litigation
• Representing clients under investigation by or otherwise appearing before legislative and administrative bodies, including the Federal Election Commission, State Ethics Commission, Pennsylvania Department of State, and City of Philadelphia Board of Ethics.
• Compliance with ethics laws
• Election Day activities, including emergency and post-election litigation to protect candidate and voter rights.
• Navigating the laws surrounding online political activity.