Jan Baran to Co-Chair Important and Timely PLI Seminar on Corporate Political Activities; Caleb Burns to Speak on Campaign Finance Laws

September 4, 2018

Washington, DC—In the lead-up to the 2018 midterm elections, effective strategies to ensure compliance with federal and state lobbying, campaign finance, and ethics rules are more important than ever. The Practising Law Institute’s (PLI) annual political law conference is particularly noteworthy this year – and will once again be co-led by Jan Witold Baran, who serves as co-chair of Wiley Rein’s Election Law & Government Ethics Practice.

PLI’s two-day program, “Corporate Political Activities 2018: Complying with Campaign Finance, Lobbying, and Ethics Laws,” will be held September 6-7 at the Four Seasons Hotel in Washington, DC.

Mr. Baran, the longtime co-chair of this annual seminar, will moderate and participate in several panels. Wiley Rein partner Caleb P. Burns, who has also participated in the conference for many years, will again be a featured panelist.

The keynote luncheon speaker on September 6 is Jennifer E. Duffy of The Cook Political Report. Also that day, Mr. Baran will lead a morning session on “FECA and Political Committees”; will moderate a noon panel on working with the Federal Election Commission (FEC), featuring FEC Chair Caroline C. Hunter; and will give an afternoon presentation on “Federal Ethics Rules.” A September 6 session featuring Mr. Burns will address “Tax-Exempt Organizations and Independent Expenditures.”

On September 7, Mr. Baran will discuss “Criminal and Civil Enforcement of Election and Ethics Laws” with panelists including FEC Vice Chair Ellen L. Weintraub.

In addition to presentations from top FEC officials, the program will feature discussions with leaders from congressional ethics committees and state ethics agencies, corporate compliance officers, and private practitioners.

Subjects to be covered during the two-day seminar include:

• Developments in election law
• Creating effective compliance programs
• FEC and state ethics agency updates
• Recent case law impacting political activities
• Civil and criminal enforcement updates
• Pay-to-play, lobbying
• Foreign nationals, tax-exempt organizations, and independent expenditures

The program is designed for attorneys and others representing political contributors, PACs, lobbyists, corporations, trade and membership associations, unions, and other political interest groups and activists.

The program will be repeated for a San Francisco audience on October 4-5, 2018, and will be held in the PLI California Center at 685 Market Street. The San Francisco event also will be webcast for those who are unable to attend either the Washington, DC or San Francisco events in person.

PLI offers discounts for groups of 4-14 from the same organization, all registering at the same time. For further discount information, please contact membership@pli.edu or call (800) 260-4PLI. Wiley Rein clients receive a special 20% discount for the seminar and should contact Wiley Rein to receive the discount.

Wiley Rein is one of the premier Election Law & Government Ethics Practices in the country, recognized by Chambers USA as “the gold standard in this business.” Led by Mr. Baran and former FEC Chairman Michael E. Toner, the Group regularly provides sophisticated counsel on all aspects of political law, including federal, state, and local regulation of campaign finance, lobbying, and government ethics.