Lobbyist Registration & Reporting

Overview

REGISTRATION & REPORTING

Whether on Capitol Hill or in the statehouse, our team can help make your lobbying compliance an asset in your advocacy, not just a hassle. We understand the rules about what counts as lobbying and – sometimes more importantly, what does not – so that you can plan your advocacy efforts in a way to maximize your goals. We counsel clients on Lobbying Disclosure Act (LDA) and Foreign Agent Registration Act (FARA) requirements and work with the House and Senate Clerks, as well as the Department of Justice to ensure proper registration. We also take the headache out of lobbying reporting for many of our clients by filing reports at the federal, state, and local level. We bring a 50-state compliance approach and can assist with your advocacy efforts whether they target a few key regions or are nationwide with a federal component.

FEDERAL ETHICS TRAINING & BEST PRACTICE IMPLEMENTATION

We counsel clients about local, state and federal Congressional and executive branch gift limitation statutes and rules and help them set up model compliance programs. For example, we train lobbyists and outside consultants on information required to be reported, and on related ethics restrictions. We offer counsel on adopting formal policies for employees, and consultants, as appropriate, which would govern their interactions with any elected or appointed official, including time sheets, LDA expense checklists and other tools for compliance. We also provide regular updates on federal and state law changes.

For new clients, we recommend a review of current lobbyist registrations and reporting at the federal and state levels. Our depth of experience at the federal, state and local levels make us well positioned to identify potential issues in connection with lobbying activities, such as the potential ethics exposure from any proposed advocacy initiatives.

ENFORCEMENT

Our lawyers represent clients in investigations before the House Committee on Ethics, the House Committee on Oversight and Investigations, the Senate Select Committee on Ethics, the Office of Congressional Ethics, and the United States Department of Justice as well as before local and state investigative bodies. We have handled audits before such agencies as the California Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) and New York’s Joint Commission on Public Ethics (JCOPE). When necessary, we work closely with attorneys in our White Collar Defense group.