Sacramento's Go-to Firm for Campaign and Election Law
"Lawyer of the Year" Award 2016
"One of California's Most Prestigious Political Law Firms"
California’s Leading Political Law Compliance and Litigation Firm
Bell, McAndrews & Hiltachk, LLP specializes in political law and election law, and related litigation at all levels of government. For more than a quarter century we’ve dedicated ourselves and our practice to providing clients politically-informed expertise and practical experience.
Our firm’s hallmarks are delivering superior advice and counsel, and forging favorable resolutions to challenges faced by our clients. We pride ourselves on providing accessibility to our team of attorneys and legal support staff, and the ability to advise clients on the most direct, efficient and beneficial pathway to achieving our clients’ objectives.
Legal Expertise and Services
Initiatives & Referenda
Bell, McAndrews & Hiltachk, LLP specializes in providing legal counsel to proponents and opponents of state and local initiatives and referenda, including drafting and analysis, advice regarding qualification, campaign related legal issues and post-election matters.
Election Law
The firm’s electoral law attorneys advise clients on issues surrounding the conduct of elections, including ballot security, election recounts and contests, and recall efforts. The firm also advises clients on voter registration matters, candidate qualification and nomination processes and ballot pamphlet issues.
Conflicts of Interest
Bell, McAndrews & Hiltachk, LLP advises officeholders, public entities and private sector parties on the rules that relate to conflicts of interest and the governmental decision-making process.
Nonprofit and Tax Exempt Organizations
Bell, McAndrews & Hiltachk, LLP assists with obtaining and maintaining appropriate nonprofit and tax exempt statuses for the type of political advocacy in which the client will be engaging. The firm helps our clients incorporate or otherwise organize, creates operational bylaws and obtains recognition of tax exemption from federal and state authorities.
Campaign Reporting
Bell, McAndrews & Hiltachk, LLP prepares required campaign reports for local, state and federal campaign committees and, in some cases, serves as treasurer of campaign committees. Our highly trained staff maintains detailed financial reports for candidates, ballot measure committees and PACs.
Enforcement Defense
Bell, McAndrews & Hiltachk, LLP assists clients with the defense of administrative enforcement actions brought by federal, state and local governmental agencies for violations of laws involving campaigns, elections, lobbying and conflicts-of-interest. The firm also represents clients in audits of federal, state and local campaign and lobbying reports. Bell, McAndrews & Hiltachk, LLP also associates with experienced criminal law counsel in cases which raise potential issues of criminal exposure in the campaign, lobbying and conflict-of-interest areas.
Campaign Law
Our firm advises campaign contributors and recipients of campaign contributions concerning limits, prohibitions or other restrictions that relate to money in politics. The firm also advises campaign committees on legal issues that arise during a campaign including restrictions on certain forms of mass media, contracting with vendors and similar legal matters.
Political Broadcast Advertising
Bell, McAndrews & Hiltachk, LLP specializes in communications law and the rules of the Federal Communications Commission as they relate to political campaigns, including advertising disclaimer requirements, broadcast advertising rate issues and media access requirements.
Lobbying Reporting
Bell, McAndrews & Hiltachk, LLP advises lobbyists and lobbying firms on the rules, restrictions and reporting of their activity. The firm also advises employers of lobbyists on similar legal questions. Bell, McAndrews & Hiltachk, LLP both assists and prepares lobbying reports for our clients.
Election Related Litigation
Bell, McAndrews & Hiltachk, LLP prosecutes, defends and assists in election related litigation, including writ proceedings relating to ballot pamphlet arguments and summaries, qualification of candidates and measures for the ballot, candidate ballot designations and statements and election contests.
Placement Agents
Bell, McAndrews & Hiltachk, LLP advises firms, companies and individual placement agents regarding registration and reporting requirements governing the marketing/sales of securities and other investments to the California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS), the California State Teachers Retirement System (CalSTRS), the University of California Board of Regents, and local public retirement systems and associations. Bell, McAndrews & Hiltachk, LLP provides counsel regarding the applicability of the rules and prepares placement agent disclosure reports for our clients.