Practice Strengths

Our Washington, D.C.-based policy and lobbying lawyers know the people, processes and protocols in the Executive and Legislative branches. They represent client interests on Capitol Hill with services ranging from advice and representation to working on bills.

Policy
Baker Hostetler represents clients who seek to resolve or avert federal and state policy-related concerns through legislative or administrative action. Our team includes former members of Congress, a former U.S. Ambassador, senior executive branch officials, and state administrators and legislators. We have the knowledge and skill to represent the following types of organizations in their policy and lobbying needs: FORTUNE 500 companies, financial concerns, U.S. multinationals, foreign corporations, agricultural interests, professional sports teams and leagues, trade associations, healthcare providers, educational institutions and other not-for-profit organizations.

Lobbying
In addition to traditional legal advice, we develop solutions that advance clients' interests through the crafting and passage of legislation, advocacy in opposition to legislation or working with administrative agencies on beneficial regulations. Additionally, we represent U.S. multinationals and foreign corporations in responding to international government affairs problems/challenges. This includes conducting high-level negotiations and fact gathering in foreign countries.

We complement our legislative and regulatory capabilities by providing comprehensive legal advice on the maze of federal and state campaign finance, lobbying and ethics laws, and advise individuals, political action committees (PACs), corporations and trade associations on conducting appropriate political activities.

We also represent foreign governments in the United States and abroad in issues related to trade, security, customs, culture and government relations.

We customize policy and lobbying strategies that reflect our thorough understanding of the complexity of governments in the United States and around the world.

Policy and Lobbying Experience

• Counsel Major League Baseball in all its important day-to-day lobbying and legislative concerns, including the controversy over alleged steroid use by players.
• Advise the National Association of Homebuilders, one of the most powerful trade associations in the world with 220,000 members, on lobbying issues.
• Aided a Medicaid pharmaceutical benefit management company in West Virginia when the state consolidated under one agency all four companies doing this work, a move that put our client at a competitive disadvantage.
• Lobbied on behalf of a telecommunications corporation to educate Congress concerning telecom issues – from antitrust to illegal downloads of films and music – involved with their purchase of another multinational telecommunications company.
• Helped the American Security Council (a Section 501(c)3 nonprofit entity founded in the 1950s) rebuild the organization and create a Political Action Committee for bipartisan efforts to keep America strong.
• Represented a mutual fund company managing more than $200 billion in assets as their Washington lobbyist on mutual fund reform.
• Advise various major South African companies, including a leading insurer, in their U.S. government relations concerns.
• Led federal legislative efforts to block increased taxation of life insurance and to modernize the laws governing real estate investment trusts.
• Advocated for passage of legislation in a variety of states that broaden investment opportunities for public funds, protect charitable trusts and enhance electric industry deregulation.
• Represented corporations in legislative issues related to the regulation of asbestos litigation.
  
  

Solution
In today's environment of increased scrutiny of lobbying activities, most corporations with significant legislative interests in Washington should have a Political Action Committee (PAC) to mitigate the risk of noncompliance.   Read More