Shelter in Place Notice
The Sutton Law Firm is open for business during shelter-in-place orders — responding to client inquiries, filing campaign and lobbying reports, preparing nonprofit tax returns, appearing at court hearings, and continuing to provide the highest level of legal service to our clients. Most of our attorneys, Political Compliance Specialists and administrative staff are now working in our San Francisco, Los Angeles and Sacramento offices, complying with all social distancing rules and following additional safety protocols. We are not meeting clients in-person at this time, but are enjoying seeing everyone on Zoom.
Our thoughts and prayers are with people affected by the virus, and our gratitude goes out to healthcare and other essential workers. The Sutton Law Firm has made donations to the COVID response funds in San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego in honor of these individuals.
The Sutton Law Firm specializes in political and election law and litigation, representing businesses, individuals, candidates, ballot measures, PACs, and nonprofit organizations involved in the political and legislative processes on the local, state and national levels. The firm seeks to help its clients achieve their political and legislative goals while avoiding legal pitfalls.
Practice Areas
Campaign & Election Law
Providing legal representation to business entities, ballot measure committees, candidates, and others involved in state, local, and federal elections, including monitoring and advising on campaign contributions, independent expenditures, fundraising, and other political activities.
Governmental Ethics Law
Advising elected and appointed officials, government employees, and others regarding conflicts of interest, Government Code section 1090, statements of economic interest, “revolving door” and gift restrictions, and other ethics law matters.
Lobbying Law
Assisting businesses, trade associations, nonprofits, and others determine whether to register as “lobbyists” on the state, local, or federal levels, and whether and to what extent lobbying activities must be disclosed, as well as assisting with legal compliance under lobby laws.
Litigation
Representing candidates, committees, organizations, citizens’ groups, and municipalities in political, election, and municipal litigation and administrative law matters, including those regarding campaign finance regulation, initiatives, referenda, recall, lobbying disclosure and governmental ethics, election contests, candidate ballot designations or candidate statements, ballot arguments, ethics agency enforcement, and related matters.
Nonprofit Law
Establishing 501(c)(3), (c)(4), and (c)(6) nonprofit organizations, including preparing and submitting tax exempt applications and periodic filings to the IRS and Franchise Tax Board, providing guidance to nonprofit officers and directors regarding corporate governance issues, conflicts of interests, required corporate formalities, and related matters.
Reporting Services
Providing comprehensive bookkeeping and reporting services, including establishing and staffing state, local and federal ballot measure and candidate committees, PACs, and independent expenditure committees, and preparing and filing all necessary campaign reports (including 10-day and 24-hour reports) and tax returns.
People
COMMITMENT TO CLIENTS
The Sutton Law Firm seeks to help clients achieve their political and legislative goals while avoiding legal pitfalls. The firm is explicitly and emphatically nonpartisan, representing interest groups, candidates and ballot measures with a wide range of political viewpoints
The following standards guide the firm’s relationship with its clients:
• Maintain the highest quality of legal work, the highest level of professionalism and the highest ethical standards.
• Conduct thorough research and prepare well-written work product, translating the law into understandable guidelines and persuasive pleadings.
• Rather than responding to specific or narrow questions, ask clients to describe their ultimate goals, and then work with clients on identifying alternative ways to reach their goals with the fewest (if any) legal pitfalls.
• Take a pro-active stance vis-á-vis our clients’ legal and political needs by keeping them informed of significant new laws, upcoming filing deadlines and relevant court decisions, and by contacting them on a regular basis about any proposed activities that may require legal input.
• Advise clients about the risks associated with their proposed activities (including legal liabilities and press scrutiny), and help them decide whether the political benefits of the proposed actions outweigh these risks.
• Strive for 100% accurate public disclosure reports and 100% complete back-up documentation.
• Be responsive and accessible, especially during election seasons, reporting deadline periods, and litigation.
• Maintain complete confidentiality of all client information.
• Offer legal services on a pro bono basis to community-based nonprofits and political organizations.
Representative Sampling of Clients
Alpert Barr & Grant
Bain Capital
City of San Jose
Food & Water Watch
Latham & Watkins
New Deal Advisors
Pasadena Medical Cannibas Dispensaries
Recology
San Diego County Supervisor Nathan Fletcher
San Francisco Deputy Sheriff’s Association
Silicon Valley Organization
Stearns Consulting
Tom Shepard & Associates
Webcor Builders
Alexandria Real Estate
Berkeley Property Owners Association
City of Torrance
Glaser Weil
Lighthouse Public Affairs
Newland Communities
Platinum Advisors
San Diego County Building Industry Association
San Francisco Association of Realtors
San Francisco District Attorney George Gascon
Sugerman Communications Group
Valley Industry & Commerce Association (VICA)
Alston & Bird
California Resources Corporation
Committee on Industrial Safety (Contra Costa County)
Greenberg Traurig
Los Angeles Central City Association
Panda Restaurant Group
Prologis
San Diego County Supervisor Candidate Nathan Fletcher
San Francisco Building Owners & Managers Association
San Francisco Supervisor Catherine Stefani
Southwest Strategies
Teamsters Local 665
Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG)
Carmel Partners
Dana Point Taxpayers Association
Kilroy Realty
Los Angeles Lobbyist Association
Park & Velayos
Rancho Guejito
San Diego Hotel-Motel Association
San Francisco Chamber of Commerce
San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo
State Treasurer Fiona Ma
Terris, Barnes & Walters
Get in touch
Contact Details
BAY AREA
information@campaignlawyers.com
415.732.7700
150 Post Street, Suite 405
San Francisco, CA 94108
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA OFFICE
information@campaignlawyers.com
818.593.2949
22815 Ventura Blvd, #405
Los Angeles, CA 91364