Corporate Political Activity

Our Corporate Political Activity Law Group serves corporations, individuals, trade associations, political action committees, government contractors and investment advisers as well as candidates for public office, government officials and political parties. We provide in-depth counsel to individuals and entities engaged in political activities, electioneering communications and issue advocacy. Our services include:

• Campaign Finance: We help our clients ensure their compliance with applicable restrictions on contributions and expenditures and reporting and record-keeping obligations.
• Corporate Compliance and Training Programs: We conduct reviews of shareholder, officer and employee political activity, develop policies for political and lobbying activities across jurisdictions, aid in vetting procedures for political contributions and perform training programs. For more information, please visit our Vendor Political Activity & Ethics Compliance Training & Audit Programs Practice. 
• Corporate, Trade Association and Voluntary Employee PACs: In addition to providing counsel to corporations and trade associations engaged directly in the political process, we provide counsel to company, trade association and voluntary employee PACs to assist with compliance with campaign finance law, the regulated-industry ban, not-for-profit law and pay-to-play restrictions.
• Ethics/Conflicts of Interest: We advise on issues under the Ethics and Conflict of Interest Rules, which govern the conduct of public officers and their employees.
• Gifts to Public Employees: We provide guidance to clients on limitations on entertainment, travel, meals, events and other interactions with government officials.
• Government Contracts and Investments/Pay-to-Play Restrictions: We help clients maintain eligibility for government contracting and investment opportunities under pay-to-play rules.
• Issue Advocacy: We create entities for political activity and issue advocacy, such as political action committees, IRC 501(c) and 527 organizations as well as guidance on compliance with registration and reporting obligations under campaign-finance, lobbying and tax laws, contribution limits and rules governing public communication.
• Litigation: We represent our clients in regulatory and enforcement actions at the administrative, trial and appellate level.
• Lobbying: We advise on coverage and exceptions under lobbying law, legal obligations of lobbyists and companies retaining lobbyists, registration and reporting requirements, IRC 501(c) compliance and restrictions on compensation, communications and political activity.
• Multi-Purpose and Affiliated Not-for-Profit Organizations: We advise IRC 501(c) and 527 organizations on how to properly structure their activities and relationships to meet campaign-finance, lobbying and tax-law requirements in an evolving regulatory environment.
• Pay-to Play Compliance: We provide ongoing counsel on pay-to-play compliance and represent clients in pay-to-play ineligibility determinations at the local, state and federal levels.
• Public Campaign Financing: We act as general counsel for political campaigns.
• Public Corruption/Civil and Criminal Law Enforcement: We defend clients and witnesses in government investigations, civil administrative proceedings and grand jury inquiries.
• Public Policy Litigation and Disputes: We provide constitutional, statutory and other legal challenges to governmental actions and regulations, including matters presenting claims under the First Amendment and the Equal Protection and Due Process clauses under the United States Constitution.
• Referenda and Grass Roots Lobbying Campaigns: We act as general counsel to these entities.
• Regulated Industry Companies: Many jurisdictions, including New Jersey, place heightened restrictions on certain regulated-industry companies such as banks, utilities, cable companies and casinos. We provide counsel to these companies and their officers, shareholders and employees to ensure their participation in the political process is in full compliance with the law.