NATIONAL POLITICAL LAW COMPLIANCE SYSTEM

Nielsen Merksamer offers its clients a national campaign contribution, gift and lobby compliance system, including the following client-tailored services:

Federal PAC Maintenance and Advice

  • Maintaining and/or advising a corporation's federal PAC, including -- at the client's option -- maintaining the PAC's checkbook, serving as Treasurer, and/or providing advance legal clearance of contributions.
  • Preparing and filing FEC campaign reports.

50 State Campaign Contribution Compliance System

  • Implementing a nationwide system for managing state and local contributions using corporate, federal PAC, and/or state PAC funds in any of the 50 states.
  • Providing advance legal clearance for contributions, monitoring contribution activity in each jurisdiction, and preparing and filing campaign reports in various jurisdictions, as required by law.

CEO/Executive Contributions -- Monitoring and Clearance System

  • Monitoring and providing advance legal clearance for federal, state, and local political contributions made by key executives.
  • Preparing and filing campaign reports for these executives, as required.

Federal and 50 State Lobby and Gift Compliance Systems

  • Implementing a nationwide system for complying with lobbyist and lobbyist employer registration and reporting requirements -- under federal law, the laws of the 50 states, and local laws.
  • Providing advice on the specific gift and public servant ethics laws of jurisdictions in which corporations and corporate employees are active.
  • Preparing and filing lobby reports, as required by law.


SUMMARY OF FIRM CAPABILITIES

Nielsen Merksamer political law attorneys, together with the firm's reporting unit, assist clients in complying with campaign, lobby and ethics laws in all 50 states and on the federal level. In so doing, the firm has developed a unique expertise in campaign and lobby laws as well as a familiar working relationship with the officials in the agencies which enforce these laws. Nielsen Merksamer tailors its compliance program to the needs of each client, by reviewing the client's nationwide political and legislative activities, providing recommendations as to the specific activity appropriate for each jurisdiction, and integrating the compliance system with the client's various offices, employees and contractors. Integral to Nielsen Merksamer's national compliance capabilities is the firm's Reporting Unit. The firm has a staff of paralegals who prepare and file the various federal, state, and local campaign and lobby reports required by law. Our Reporting Unit has developed a valuable hands-on expertise in the campaign, lobby, gift and tax disclosure laws that affect our clients. Among the corporate clients for which the firm has instituted national or regional political law compliance programs are: Wells Fargo Bank, Merck & Co., Medco Health Solutions, Hilton Hotels Corporation, PG&E Corporation, Apple Inc., Oracle USA, MGM/Mirage Resorts, Cisco Systems, Tenet Healthcare, Pfizer, ExxonMobil and Altria (Philip Morris). The firm also provides these services for individuals, nonprofit organizations and advocacy groups active nationally and in Canada.

BIOGRAPHIES

Chip Nielsen, the senior partner of the firm, has for over 25 years co-chaired the Practising Law Institute's annual political law seminar, the country's most prominent educational resource for corporate counsel. He is the author of the national campaign laws, political tax laws, federal PAC and membership organization chapters of the Practising Law Institute's "Corporate Political Activities" course book.

Steve Lucas, also a partner, has developed extensive expertise in creating and tailoring national compliance systems for corporations and oversees much of the firm's activity in these areas. He served, at the appointment of the Governor, as Chairman of California's Bipartisan Commission on the Political Reform Act.

Jason Kaune, a partner in the firm's political law section, has expertise in the campaign finance, lobbying and ethics laws of the federal government and 50 states. He is also a member of the Council on Governmental Ethics Laws and a co-author of the Practising Law Institute's "Corporate Political Activities" course book.

Jennie Unger Eddy, an associate in the firm's political law section, is a former Enforcement Division counsel with a state ethics agency.

Darrin Lim, also an associate in the firm's political law section, is a former legislative staffer for a state senator and assemblyman.

Chris Skinnell, an associate in the firm's litigation section, specializing in election law, assists with contracts, conflict of interest and other issues.

Cate Castonguay, Director of the firm's Political Reporting Unit, supervises a manager, a National Compliance Coordinator and a team of seven Political Reports Specialists who are responsible for preparing complicated federal, California state and local, and other states' campaign and lobby disclosure reports and the bookkeeping, payrolls and taxes for large statewide ballot measures and PACs.

Sheila Scally, Manager of the firm's Political Reporting Unit, with Cate Castonguay oversees the preparation of complicated federal, California state and local, and other states' campaign, tax and lobby disclosure reports and the bookkeeping, payrolls and taxes for large statewide ballot measures and PACs.

Tanya Graham, the National Compliance Coordinator, is responsible for working with clients on a nation wide basis to file campaign, lobby and gift disclosure reports.