Legislation and Political Law Compliance

Overview  Experience  Our People  Publications  Areas of Focus  Politics in Play

Contacts:
W. Michael House, Washington, D.C.

The group combines in-depth industry and regulatory knowledge with a unique understanding of the way government operates, drawing on the experience of our many lawyers with backgrounds in public service to serve clients' government affairs needs. We have earned a first-tier ranking for the past three years by Chambers USA, which noted that we are "at the forefront of government relations issues" and that "leading lobbying firms view the team as fierce competition." We are regularly included in the industry's most competitive surveys, including Legal Times' Influence 50, Washingtonian's Top Lobbyists, and The National Law Journal's Leaders of the Pack. Another key differentiator of our practice is that we take time to learn the nuances of your business, incorporating them into our strategic approach. We also provide vigorous support in the area of federal appropriations, an area in which we have been lauded by Chambers USA as "perhaps the strongest practice around."

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Our work incorporates all aspects of legislative representation, including:

• developing and coordinating overall legislative strategy, tactics, and advocacy
• lobbying members of the U.S. Congress and appointed and career officials in the executive branch of the U.S. federal government, as well as their respective staffs
• drafting legislation, legislative history, and testimony
• drafting comments on proposed regulatory rules and guidance
• preparing witnesses for hearings
• testifying on behalf of clients before congressional committees
• organizing and coordinating coalitions or groups with shared interests
• developing constituent or grassroots support
• monitoring legislative activities, including hearings and markups
• advising clients regarding the status of legislation and anticipated legislative initiatives
• counseling on compliance with the Lobbying Disclosure Act, gift rules, and federal election laws
• lobbying administrative agencies.

 

Awards and Rankings

 

• Ranked in the top tier on a national level by Chambers USA (2011) and recognized for being a "full-range practice with international reach – without question, they’re at the top."
• Repeatedly named as a "Leader of the Pack" in list of Top 25 lobbying firms by The National Law Journal.
• Mike House and John Porter named by Washingtonian magazine as two of Washington's 50 Top Lobbyists (2007).

Former Leadership Positions

• John Warner, five-term U.S. Senator for the Commonwealth of Virginia; Chairman of the Senate Committee on Armed Services; Vice-Chairman of the Senate Committee of Intelligence; Undersecretary and Secretary of the U.S. Navy
• Norm Coleman, U.S. Senator for the State of Minnesota; Chairman of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere; Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee; Mayor, City of Saint Paul, MN
• Bob Michel, 35-year Member of the U.S. House of Representatives; Minority Leader and Minority Whip of the U.S. House of Representatives
• John Porter, Chairman of the U.S. House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services and Education; Vice-chair of the U.S. House Appropriations Subcommittee on Foreign Operations, Export, Financing and Related Programs; Chairman of the U.S. House Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction
• Clayton Yeutter, U.S. Trade Representative; U.S. Secretary of Agriculture; National Chairman of the Republican National Committee
• Mary Anne Sullivan, former General Counsel of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE); former Deputy General Counsel for the DOE's environment and nuclear programs
• Jeanne Archibald, General Counsel to the U.S. Department of Treasury
• Kyle Simpson, Senior Policy Advisor to the U.S. Secretary of Energy; Associate Deputy Secretary for Energy Programs
• Reid Stuntz, Minority (Democratic) Staff Director and Chief Counsel, U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce
• Dan Meade, Senior Counsel to the U.S. House of Representatives, Committee on Financial Services
• Lance Bultena, Counsel to the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Consumer Affairs, Foreign Commerce, and Tourism
• Mike Gilliland, Counsel to the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee and Senate Science, Technology and Space Subcommittee
• Mike House, Chief of Staff to Senator Heflin of Alabama
• Christine Warnke, Executive Assistant to the Secretary for the Majority, Office of Senator Robert Byrd, then U.S. Senate Majority Leader
• Bob Kyle, Associate Director for U.S. National Security and International Affairs at the Office of Management and Budget, Executive Office of the President; Special Assistant to the President for International Trade and Finance
• G. Allen Hicks, Chief Counsel to U.S. Senate Majority Leader William H. Frist
• Jim McMillan, Counsel in the U.S. Senate Republican Leadership Office and Counsel to Senator Bob Dole
• Jeff Munk, Legislative Counsel to Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison
• Ray Calamaro, Deputy Assistant Attorney General; Policy Director to a U.S. Senator
• Jamie Wickett, Senior Legislative Aide to Representative James Hayes
• Kate McAuliffe, Associate Counsel to U.S. House of Representatives Democratic Leader Richard A. Gephardt
• John Stanton, professional staff on what is now the House Committee on Financial Services