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Derek Lawlor

Of Counsel

Washington +1 202 662 5091

  • About
  • Representative Matters
  • Credentials
  • About

    Derek Lawlor is of counsel in the firm’s Election and Political Law Practice Group. Derek advises corporations, nonprofit organizations, and trade associations on compliance with federal and state lobbying, campaign finance, and government ethics laws.

    Clients regularly rely on Derek to assist with their complex questions related to activities and projects that implicate all of these laws. Derek advises federal and state candidates and super PACs on campaign finance and disclosure issues. Derek also represents clients in government investigations and inquiries conducted by the Federal Election Commission, Office of Congressional Ethics, and Congressional Committees and Commissions.

    Derek’s representation of clients covers the full range of important political law issues that they face, including:

    • Advising clients on their registration and reporting obligations under the federal Lobbying Disclosure Act, as well as state and local lobbying laws, including helping client organizations evaluate the core questions that arise in this space:
      • Has the organization or any of its employees triggered lobbying registration requirements?
      • What lobbying income, expenditures, issues, or contacts need to be disclosed on lobbying reports?
      • Does procurement or sales activity directed at governmental entities trigger lobbying registration in a particular jurisdiction?
      • What are the best practices for designing a lobbying compliance program?
    • Assisting corporations and trade associations with the establishment and operation of connected PACs, which frequently entails evaluating the following questions:
      • What steps does the organization need to take to start up and register a connected PAC?
      • What are the ongoing reporting requirements under the Federal Election Campaign Act (“FECA”) or state campaign finance laws?
      • Which employees can the organization solicit and what are the rules on conducting a solicitation campaign?
      • What are the limits on making contributions to federal, state, or local candidates, party committees, or other political committees?
      • What are the best practices for designing a PAC compliance program?

    • Evaluating whether a client’s proposed activities might trigger registration under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (“FARA”), and if so, advising on registration and ongoing reporting obligations;
    • Advising federal and state candidates, super PACs, and other political committees on compliance with FECA, FEC regulations and reporting requirements, state campaign finance laws, rules on disclaimers placed on communications, and other political law compliance topics;
    • Counseling individuals who are entering government service, including Senate-confirmed positions, on the various financial disclosure requirements, conflicts of interest considerations, and other ethics law issues they may face;
    • Helping clients establish politically active or policy-focused nonprofit organizations, and proving ongoing support related to tax and political law issues that might arise from their activities; and
    • Advising corporations, nonprofits, and individuals on their proposed donations to candidates, political committees, and other politically active outside groups.

    Derek is a Professorial Lecturer in Law at the George Washington University Law School.

    Prior to receiving his law degree, Derek worked in the Office of General Counsel at the U.S. House of Representatives.

    Areas of Expertise

  • Practices and Industries
  • Representative Matters
    • Representing major international corporations on compliance with federal and state campaign finance laws, lobbying laws, the Foreign Agents Registration Act, and other ethics laws related to interactions with public officials. In particular, helping major corporate clients establish and maintain top-tier compliance programs for their Lobbying Disclosure Act filings, corporate PAC operations and FEC filings, and similar compliance programs for state and local activities.
    • Advising the Biden for President campaign committee on federal election law, as well as a broad range of other political law and legal topics relevant to the presidential campaign committee.
    • Advising several federal and state Super PACs on issues related to formation, operation, and compliance with campaign finance laws.
    • Advising individuals through the Senate confirmation process, with a particular focus on the detailed rules related to personal financial disclosure reports, the associated conflicts of interest analysis, and the application of these laws to complex financial holdings.
    • Advising multiple tech companies on federal, state, and local campaign finance laws applicable to accepting political advertisements, providing political contribution services, and working with political candidates and officeholders.
    • Providing ongoing political law support for a major sports league, including advice on Lobbying Disclosure Act compliance, PAC and federal campaign finance law issues, gift rule compliance, and other federal, state, and local political law topics.

    • Representing federal candidates and officeholders in matters before the Federal Election Commission.
    • Representing a tech company in a successful FEC advisory opinion request regarding an online political giving program.
    • Advising investment firms on state and local pay-to-play and lobbying compliance issues.
    • Advising a public relations firm on compliance with the Foreign Agents Registration Act.
    • Representing a pharmaceutical company in investigations by the Senate Finance Committee and House Energy and Commerce Committee.

    Areas of Expertise

  • Credentials
    Education
    • The George Washington University Law School, J.D., 2008
        • With High Honors
        • Order of the Coif
        • The George Washington Law Review, Editor-in-Chief
    • College of William and Mary, B.A., 1995
    Bar Admissions
    • District of Columbia
    • Virginia
    Judicial Clerkship
    • Hon. John M. Rogers, U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit, 2008 - 2009
    Pro Bono
    • Representing Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts as regulatory compliance counsel.
    • Representing a nonprofit organization in a successful FARA advisory opinion request related to work for a foreign principal.
    • Advising nonprofit charitable organizations on political tax and lobbying issues.
    • Representing an individual in a private adoption matter.
    Accolades
    • Chambers USA, Political Law (2025)

    Areas of Expertise

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