Brian Svoboda
Brian Svoboda

Brian Svoboda

Partner

Washington DC

202.434.1654
brian.svoboda@ashurstperkins.com

Introduction

Brian advises clients on sensitive matters involving their political activity.

Brian G. Svoboda advises clients on laws regulating political activity. A partner in the Political Law practice, his clients include companies, trade associations, public affairs firms, law firms, elected officials, candidates, political committees, nonprofit organizations, and private individuals. He counsels on campaign finance and ethics laws, lobbying disclosure laws, and Internal Revenue Service rules on political activity. He also advises a wide range of clients, including law firms and public affairs firms, on compliance with the Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938.   

Brian has successfully defended clients in many campaign finance investigations. He has represented several members of Congress in ethics investigations before the U.S. House Committee on Ethics, the Office of Congressional Ethics, and the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Ethics. He frequently practices before the Federal Election Commission and state campaign finance agencies. 

Brian has written and speaks often on political law and Foreign Agents Registration Act issues. He is an adjunct professor at the Columbus School of Law at the Catholic University of America, where he serves as director of the Law and Public Policy Program. He designed and teaches the law school’s Nonprofit Advocacy Clinic, in which students train charity personnel on lobbying, gift, and political activity restrictions. He has taught American election law in a joint program with Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Poland. Brian has also appeared before representatives of the Council on Europe's Group of States Against Corruption in relation to its evaluation of transparency in the U.S. campaign finance system.

Education & credentials

  • University of Virginia School of Law, J.D.,

    Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Law & Politics, 1992-1993

    , 1993
  • University of Nebraska-Lincoln, B.A., Political Science and Russian,

    Phi Beta Kappa

    , 1989
  • District of Columbia
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
  • U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia
  • U.S. Senator Bob Kerrey, Washington, D.C., Legislative Assistant, 1993-1997
  • Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, Washington D.C., Deputy Advisor to the Chairman for Strategy and Policy, 1995-1997

Professional recognition

  • Ranked in Chambers USA "America’s Leading Lawyers" for Political Law, 2024-2026

  • Named by Washingtonian Magazine as a "Top Lawyer" for campaign and election law

Impact

  • The Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law, Director, Law & Public Policy Program, 2021-present
  • Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law, Nonprofit Advocacy Clinic, Adjunct Professor
House Ethics Committee Investigation

Represented a member of Congress in an investigation by the U.S. House Committee on Ethics over campaign email communications. The Committee dismissed the matter and took no further action.

House Ethics Committee Investigation

Represented a Member of Congress before the House Ethics Committee over claims that the Member violated House rules by endorsing commercial enterprises. The Committee unanimously found no violation and dismissed the referral of our client.

Ethics Committee Investigations

Counseled Members of Congress in several investigations by the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Ethics, the Office of Congressional Ethics, and other offices and agencies.

Investigations Counsel and Defense

Represented a wide range of clients in other investigations by the U.S. Department of Justice, state agencies and other investigative bodies.

GAO Audits of Lobbying Disclosure Act Filings

Represented multiple clients in audits of Lobbying Disclosure Act filings by the Government Accountability Office

Campaign Finance Law Counsel

Provided general counseling to a wide range of corporations, trade associations, nonprofit organizations, political party committees and multiple presidential campaigns.

FEC Audits and Enforcement Actions

Represented multiple clients in Federal Election Commission audits and enforcement actions, including the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, Chris Dodd for President, Gephardt for President, Representative Nancy Pelosi, Friends of Jim Clyburn, Friends of John Conyers, the Martin Frost Campaign Committee, Friends of Joe Lieberman, the Missouri Democratic State Committee and the Democratic Party of Illinois.

FEC Advisory Opinions for Tech and Political Clients

Obtained advisory opinions successfully from the FEC for technologically focused clients, including Meetup.com, Fired Up LLC and Third Millennium. Brian also obtained advisory opinions for major political figures, including Bill Bradley for President, Kerrey for U.S. Senate, Representative Howard Berman and Senator Jon Corzine.

Election And Campaign Finance Litigation

Litigated on behalf of clients in campaign finance and election-related issues in such cases as DGA v. Brandi, No. Civil Action No. 3:14-CV-00544-JCH (D. Conn. 2014); Meng v. Schwartz, 48 Fed. Appx. 1 (D.C. Cir. 2002); DSCC v. FEC, 139 F.3d 951 (1998); FEC v. Friends of Congresswoman Jane Harman, 59 F. Supp. 2d 1046 (C.D. Cal. 1999); Ohio Democratic Party v. FEC, No. 98-0991 (D.D.C. June 25, 1998).

FEC Rulemaking Testimony

Testified on several occasions in rulemakings before the Federal Election Commission.

Political Engagement Counsel

Helped companies and trade associations develop ways to engage in the political process at the federal, state and local levels by expanding their PACs, advising on proposed political contributions, training personnel and implementing “best practices” for political activity at the federal, state and local levels.

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