Nielsen Merksamer Parrinello Gross & Leoni LLP

Firm Details: 

Number of partners: 12

Number of lawyers: 21

Number of professional staff: 20

Firm Overview: 

Nielsen Merksamer is one of the preeminent political law firms in the United States, serving a national clientele that includes leading businesses, non-profits, trade associations, individuals, unions and public agencies. Nielsen Merksamer attorneys are recognized experts in election law and related litigation.

Based in California, the firm is the leading law firm in providing legislative advocacy, administrative agency representation and strategic advice in the state. The firm also provides extensive political reporting services to clients. Main Areas of Practice:

Nielsen Merksamer provides comprehensive legal counsel and related services in political, election, and government law matters, including:

Political Compliance: 

Advice to Fortune 500 corporations, major campaign donors, trade associations and labor unions, and their political action committees (PACs) about compliance with campaign finance, lobbying disclosure, government ethics, and contractor disqualification (‘pay-to-play’) laws at the federal, state and local level. The team designs and manages innovative compliance systems recognized for benchmarking best practices across multiple industry and policy sectors.

Contacts: Jason Kaune, Steve Lucas, Elli Abdoli

Government Law: 

Representation in all aspects of state government law, including legislative advocacy, strategic advice, administrative hearings, licensing and procurements. Nielsen Merksamer has California’s only multidisciplinary, full service law practice that represents clients before the state Legislature, all elected statewide constitutional officers and every agency within the executive branch.

Contacts: Steve Merksamer, Jim Gross, Kurt Oneto, John Moffatt

Litigation: 

High-stakes trial and appellate litigation on political, governmental and constitutional issues at all levels of the federal and state courts and administrative agencies.

Contacts: Jim Parrinello, Marguerite Leoni, Chris Skinnell, Sean Welch, Kurt Oneto

Elections: 

Representation as campaign and election law counsel on all aspects of the electoral process, including the most impactful California statewide initiatives or referenda each election cycle, national ballot measures and issue campaigns, and independent expenditure, issue and political advocacy organizations. The firm has served as counsel or treasurer to over 400 ballot measures since 1977.

Contacts: Steve Merksamer, Jim Parrinello, Steve Lucas, Jason Kaune, Chris Skinnell, Sean Welch, Elli Abdoli, Kurt Oneto

Voting: 

Representation of hundreds of state and local entities regarding voting rights and redistricting law and litigation.

Contacts: Marguerite Leoni, Chris Skinnell, Sean Welch

Nielsen Merksamer is the go-to law firm for providing advice on how to comply with the increasingly complicated web of laws regulating the intersection of the public and private sectors in the United States and assisting clients in their participation in the political world.