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william minor

William H. Minor

Partner
Managing Partner, Washington, DC office
He has, without exception, provided prompt, thoughtful, effective and practical advice and solutions
source quoted in Chambers USA
About
William Minor leads the firm's political law practice, which advises clients on the intersection of law, advocacy, and political activity. The practice represents corporations, associations, non-profits and others in high-profile government investigations and enforcement matters.

For more than 25 years, William has counselled clients on matters of political and legal risk; particularly federal, state, and international lobbying laws, campaign finance regulations, and government ethics rules. To these representations, he brings a deep understanding of both the legal requirements as well as the practical needs and objectives of those involved in government advocacy and political activity.

William regularly represents clients in enforcement matters before the Department of Justice, the Federal Election Commission, and the congressional ethics committees. He has also represented clients in formal and informal congressional investigations. He works closely with corporate and non-profit clients to develop and implement effective compliance strategies for lobbying, advocacy, and political activity.

William currently serves as Managing Partner of the Washington, DC office and manages the firm's own PAC and political law compliance efforts, working closely with the firm's Office of General Counsel.
Bar admissionsDistrict of ColumbiaMaryland
Education
  • J.D., Columbia University School of Law 1995
    Editor-in-Chief, Columbia Journal of Law and Social Problems
  • B.A., Tufts University 1989
    magna cum laude
  • B.A., London School of Economics and Political Science 1988

Awards

Chambers USA

  • Band 2, Nationwide Political Law (2023-2024)

Chambers USA, The Washingtonian, the Ethisphere Institute, and others have long recognized William as a leading authority on the Lobbying Disclosure Act (LDA), the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), campaign finance law and regulations, congressional and Executive Branch gift and travel rules, and "pay-to-play" restrictions applicable to government contractors and regulated entities.

For more than a decade, Chambers USA has noted William for his "sophisticated practice" among Political Law practitioners nationwide. Clients have asserted that they "look to William for his expertise across a range of federal legislation concerning political activities in the US. He is always abreast of developments in his field."

The Washingtonian magazine has named William to its "Top Lawyers" list for Campaign and Election Law, and the Ethisphere Institute has recognized him among "Attorneys Who Matter' in business ethics and compliance.

Pro Bono

Active in DLA Piper pro bono projects, William was named Pro Bono Partner of the Year for the Washington, DC office in 2004. In 2007, the Capital Area Food Bank awarded him its Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Keeping the Dream Alive Award for his work in support of federal funding for the Food Bank's expanded operations. He is also a former board chairman of Habitat for Humanity of Washington, DC.

William currently serves as counsel to and on the board of directors of the National Archives Foundation, working closely with the Archivist of the United States and the Archives staff. William is also a member of the board of directors of Running Start, a DC-based non-profit which trains and inspires young women to seek political office with an aim of bringing greater equality and diversity to government.

Bylines

William is the author of the Bureau of National Affairs (BNA) portfolio on the regulation of corporate lobbying, part of the BNA Corporate Practice Series. He also contributes an annual chapter on the Lobbying Disclosure Act to the Thomson Reuters legal treatise on political law, speaks frequently on political law matters, and is regularly quoted in the press on developments in this area of the law.

  • Corporate Lobbying: Federal and State Regulation (Bloomberg BNA Corporate Practice Series, 2014)
  • Political Activity, Lobbying Laws and Gift Rules Guide (Trevor Potter and Matthew T. Sanderson eds., 3d ed. 2013 – 2014) (author of chapter on the Lobbying Disclosure Act)
  • "Political Activity: Election Year Considerations for Corporate Counsel," 27 Bloomberg BNA’s Corporate Counsel Weekly 136 (April 25, 2012)

Seminars

  • Speaker, "Canada-US Energy and Trade Policy: Cooperation or Confrontation," Plenary Session of Canadian Corporate Counsel Association's World Summit and National Spring Conference, Montreal, April 17, 2012 (with Governor James Blanchard and Kiera Gans)

Prior Experience

Prior to joining DLA Piper, William was an associate at Verner, Liipfert, Bernhard, McPherson and Hand and served as a legislative assistant to US Representative (now Senator) Edward J. Markey. He has also worked for Marttila & Kiley, a political consulting firm, and previously held positions with the American Civil Liberties Union, US Representative Joseph P. Kennedy II and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

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