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
Alexandria Real Estate
Bain Capital
California Resources Corporation
Glaser Weil
New Deal Advisers
San Diego County Building Industry Association
San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo
Solutions San Jose
Southwest Strategies
Alpert Barr & Grant
Bay Area Housing Action Coalition
Carmel Partners
Committee on Industrial Safety (Contra Costa County)
Kilroy Realty
Los Angeles Central City Association
Panda Restaurant Group
Prologis
Webcor Builders
Alston & Bird
Berkeley Property Owners Association
County of San Bernardino
Latham & Watkins
Park & Velayos
Rancho Guejito
San Diego Padres
San Francisco Deputy Sheriff’s Association
Treasurer Fiona Ma
Oakland Zoo
CleanSweep Campaigns
Los Angeles Building Improvement District Coalition
San Francisco Building Owners & Managers Association
Sugerman Communications Group
San Francisco Chamber of Commerce
Valley Industry & Commerce Association (VICA)
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