Services
Lobbying Law Compliance and Business Counsel
With the passage of the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007 (HLOGA), compliance with federal lobbying and ethics laws including the Lobbying Disclosure Act (LDA) and Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) — as well as congressional rules — has never been more important or scrutinized. In house and contract lobbyists are now subject to greater civil penalties and for the first time criminal sanctions for knowing failure to comply with the act. Many state legislatures have also adopted complex and confusing registration, compliance and disclosure requirements.
The increased pressure on the business community to ferret out and proactively address allegations of wrongdoing before potential allegations come to the attention of law enforcement has made such ethics and compliance an industry necessity. Mr. Berke works with corporate and lobbying firm clients by first conducting internal reviews and then by crafting an effective internal ethics and compliance program. Mr. Berke understands the legal issues facing the lobbying world, and also provide general legal advice to clients involved in the lobbying industry, including on business operations and development, project management, contracts, independent contractor agreements, non-disclosure agreements, and workplace issues. Mr. Berke also works with business clients on compliance with the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA).