The pitfalls in running for office are large and many. Political parties, the media and community watchdogs are ready to pounce at the hint of a mistake – making it more important than ever to have experience by your side.

Harris Beach Murtha attorneys provide experience and skilled counsel to navigate election processes. We have decades of deep experience representing candidates and municipalities at federal, state and local levels, and stand prepared to steer you past the landmines. We represent clients in litigation or arbitration related to election disputes, including challenges to election results, voter fraud claims and recounts. We help with ballot access issues such as designating petitions, and independent nominating petitions. We provide election support, including ballot preparation, voting machine inspection, absentee ballot issues and ballot canvassing or recanvassing.

With offices across the states of New York, Massachusetts and Connecticut and New Jersey, we are acutely familiar with federal and state election laws, as well as many governing counties, cities, villages, municipalities, school districts and special districts and are passionate about helping you navigate them.

Politics is a high-stakes arena where significant resources flow, and our election processes are constantly under a microscope. Office holders, those seeking office and those who support them must navigate land mines and avoid running afoul of complex campaign finance rules and regulations or risk hefty fines, contentious litigation, public allegations and, ultimately, campaign collapse. Compliance with campaign finance laws is crucial to political success – we help you avoid trouble before you start a political process.

Harris Beach Murtha attorneys possess decades of experience working with public officials, governments, candidates, committees, political parties, business entities and tax-exempt organizations on campaign finance issues. Our campaign finance services include creating and serving on candidate committees, party committees, Political Action Committees (PAC), Separate Segregated Funds (SSF) and Independent Expenditure Committees (IEC). We help with effective fundraising strategies, filing appropriate finance forms, organization and registration, reporting finances, winding down, handling contribution and receipt limits, compliance with the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act and weathering audits and investigations.

Our attorneys have deep experience dealing with the Federal Election Commission, Connecticut State Elections Enforcement Commission, New York State Board of Elections and the New York City Campaign Finance Board, as well as County Boards of Elections throughout New York state. We understand the nuances of politics and skillfully advise on the application of the stringent rules and regulations pertaining to your political activities.

Due to complexities and gray areas in the law, businesses and organizations operating in New York, Connecticut and Massachusetts frequently encounter questions regarding what may or may not constitute lobbying, as well as the registration and reporting requirements that follow. Even what constitutes lobbying can be complex – you may not have “lobbyist” in your title, but the actions you take might constitute lobbying under the letter of the law. Understanding how governmental entities interpret and enforce rules is the first step to protecting your organization as it navigates the halls of government.

Top-tier, in-house lobbyists from a variety of companies, associations and nonprofits across all industries rely on Harris Beach Murtha’s Lobbying Compliance team and its decades of experience. They help create Political Action Committees (PAC), handle government audits and deal with questions about regulations such as the New York lobbyist’ gift ban.

We are attorneys who do not lobby — our sole focus is helping to ensure you are protected and in compliance. We help you register your organization or employees as lobbyists, prepare and file required disclosure reports, monitor and respond to ever changing ethics and lobbying laws and defend audits and investigations. We also provide in-person or webinar trainings on state and municipal lobbying and ethics laws for in-house lobbyists, senior executive teams, and/or boards of directors regarding. Our attorneys will provide quick reference guides, detailed memoranda and best practices concerning compliance with those laws.

Harris Beach Murtha attorneys are profoundly familiar with the regulations of the New York State Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government (CELG), formerly known as the New York State Joint Commission on Public Ethics (JCOPE), the New York City Clerk and various local governments. We are regularly called upon to train, advise and ensure compliance with all lobbying activities and programs. That keen understanding makes us the go-to firm for some of the region’s largest lobbying organizations.

We provide strategic advice on how legal developments and political changes may impact public policy, including analysis of proposed legislation and regulatory actions. We also help clients develop and advocate with legislators and other key stakeholders for advantageous legislative proposals or policy changes.

We also provide counsel on, and litigate, matters involving constitutional and civil rights issues, such as those involving free speech, voting rights and political participation.