News & Publications

On March 5, 2019, voters in West Hollywood rejected a referendum aimed at rescinding the City Council’s approval of a multi-use development project on Sunset Boulevard. According to the latest report by the Los Angeles County Registrar, 60.3% of West Hollywood voters voted in favor of the development. Nielsen Merksamer served as Treasurer and counsel to the campaign, which brought together numerous community and elected leaders, as well as an overwhelming majority of West Hollywood residents, in support of the project.

Government ethics remained a hot topic for voters around the United States in the mid-term 2018 elections. Citizens of at least 12 states had the opportunity on Election Day to vote on ballot measures that covered gifts, campaign contributions, elections, public officials’ conduct, and lobbyist activity. With few exceptions, these measures generally increase ethics oversight and restrictions.

Nielsen Merksamer is pleased to announce that Art Scotland received the prestigious A. Sherman Christensen Award from the American Inns of Court

Nielsen Merksamer is pleased to announce that the board of directors of the Public Policy Institute of California
(PPIC) elected Steve Merksamer to serve as its chair.

On August 23, 2018, the California Supreme Court issued a decision in City of Morgan Hill v. Bushey (No. S243042), holding that “the people of a county or city can challenge . . . a zoning ordinance by referendum, at least where the local government has other means available to make the zoning ordinance and general plan consistent.”

Nielsen Merksamer is pleased to announce that Steve Merksamer has been named a Northern California Super Lawyer and Elli Abdoli was named a Northern California Rising Star for 2018.

While there were no big surprises from Tuesday’s election, there were a number of key races, at the state and federal level, which will impact California’s political landscape and possibly the balance of power in Washington D.C.

On April 23, proponents of repeal of the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act filed more than 588,000 petition signatures to place the initiative on the November 2018 statewide ballot.

A Nielsen Merksamer attorney and senior researcher recently published articles addressing the possibility of retroactive disclosure of contributors to political nonprofits and additional disclosure, training and certification by lobbyists to address recent sexual abuse scandals.