ExperienceCampaign Finance, Gift & Lobby Disclosure Compliance

Many of the companies that come to us for counsel appear on the Fortune 500, including industry-leading companies in the technology, finance, pharmaceutical, entertainment, energy, healthcare, transportation, property development, telecommunications, insurance, publishing, and manufacturing sectors.

Campaign Finance Disclosure:  Corporations and other organizations, executives, political activists and major donors must maintain careful records of contributions to comply with limits, restrictions on the timing of contributions, and “pay to play” laws impacting those associated with regulated companies.

Nielsen Merksamer provides advance legal clearance, legal summaries and filing services related to corporate, PAC and other political activity nationally.  We also advise clients on pay-to-play and other campaign finance laws and on the do’s and don’t’s of establishing internal compliance systems to meet the requirements of such laws.  Where appropriate we also: fully administer a bank account for the client’s budgeted campaign contributions; issue checks and transmittal letters following approval by the client; and track contributions through delivery and disclosure to ensure timely reporting and a full and final accounting of expenditures.

Lobby & Gift Disclosure: Corporations, trade associations, non-profits and firms influencing government decisions must determine whether to register to lobby and fully comply with a myriad of lobby and gift disclosure requirements.  Nielsen Merksamer is one of only a handful of law firms nationally that can provide comprehensive advice and filing services for these requirements.

Nielsen Merksamer customizes lobby and gift disclosure compliance services according to the needs and organizational structure of the client.  We work with clients to identify their employees and consultants who should be registered to lobby and those who should be monitored for potential future registration and reportable activity, such as reportable gifts to public officials.

Our firm can review, prepare and file all lobby and gift disclosure reports under the federal Lobbying Disclosure Act and Honest Leadership and Open Government Act, and in state and local jurisdictions, maintain complete audit files, and answer questions related to these reports.

We provide appropriate training to impacted executives, employees and consultants and assist clients in responses to ethics agencies and other authorities, with which our attorneys maintain respected working relationships.