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Political Law

Allen & Overy’s Political Law team is focused exclusively on helping corporate clients develop global political law compliance strategies. We advise global financial institutions and a variety of other corporate clients, including major health insurers, real estate firms, insurance companies, and trade associations, on this increasingly important area of the law. 

What sets our practice apart are:

  • Deep U.S. capabilities in all areas, with particular focus on the financial services industry. We are one of the leading political law practices advising financial institutions and have long-standing relationships with a range of blue-chip financial institutions (including banks, private equity funds, broker-dealers, hedge funds, asset managers, insurance companies, and trade associations). 
  • Global reach. With experts in Europe, the United Kingdom, Australia, and other jurisdictions with emerging political law regimes, we are viewed as one of the only firms capable of advising on global political law issues and designing cross-border political law compliance systems. We frequently help U.S. corporates expand their public affairs functions globally, while also helping foreign entities expand their public affairs capabilities inside the U.S.
  • Interactive Political Law Website for clients. We have created an interactive database of relevant political law regimes that contains detailed, user-friendly summaries of lobbying, campaign finance, pay-to-play, gift and entertainment and revolving door regimes for all 50 states and a number of major cities, including New York City, the District of Columbia, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.

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Global coverage

With experienced political law attorneys in the United States, the United Kingdom, Europe, Australia, and other jurisdictions with emerging political law regimes, we are viewed as one of the only firms capable of advising on global political law issues and designing cross-border political law compliance systems. We frequently help U.S. corporates expand their public affairs functions globally, while also helping foreign entities expand their public affairs capabilities inside the U.S.

Furthermore, because of our U.S. political law expertise, our political law colleagues in non-U.S. jurisdictions frequently call us in to help them think through emerging political law issues and develop compliance strategies. In particular, we have worked closely with our U.K. and E.U. colleagues on issues relating to the U.K. Transparency of Lobbying, Non-party Campaigning and Trade Union Administration Act of 2014 and recent changes to the E.U. Transparency Register.

Our experience

Our political law practice regularly counsels clients on the regulatory and compliance obligations, as well as the political and reputational consequences, of U.S.-based political activity relating to federal and state campaign finance law, including issues pertaining to corporate political spending, Super PACs and other non-profit entities; the Lobbying Disclosure Act (LDA); state and local lobbying law; the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA); municipal advisor regulation; the Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge Act (STOCK Act), the federal pay-to-play rules for municipal dealers, investment advisers, and swap dealers; state and local pay-to-play law; and federal, state, and local law regulating gifts, entertainment, and government ethics.

We regularly represent trade associations and industry groups on political law issues and in connection with rulemakings and consultations. Additionally, our team frequently advises individuals appointed to senior federal and state executive branch positions on conflict-of-interest, security clearance, and financial disclosure requirements and assist appointees in formulating strategies for resolving legal and political issues connected to their appointments or nominations.

We also have experience with established and emerging global political law regimes, including the EU transparency register and the UK lobbying and third-party electioneering regimes. We regularly assist clients in the design and structuring of global public affairs functions, utilizing the resources of our global platform to provide responsive and locally grounded advice through a central point of contact.

Our team also helps clients develop their own internal compliance programs – conducting training, performing internal audits and investigations, designing preclearance regimes and reporting platforms, as well as preparing relevant filings. We also have significant enforcement experience, particularly in the area of pay-to-play, and regularly partner with enforcement attorneys in connection with internal investigations, government inquiries, congressional investigations, and civil and criminal proceedings. We also provide political law advice in connection with a wide variety of transactions, including real estate development and infrastructure projects.