Joseph Birkenstock Tag Archive

Joe Birkenstock Discusses SEC Pay To Play In The IA Watch Weekly Briefing

Earlier this month Joe Birkenstock was quoted in the IA Watch Weekly Briefing, discussing SEC pay to play.

“Advisers should take away great skepticism from the SEC [in this case] that segregating your operations like this means that you’re exempt from registration,” says Joseph Birkenstock, a partner with Sandler Reiff Lamb in Washington, D.C. The agency expects virtually all firms (except for venture capital and single-family offices) above a certain asset threshold to register, he adds. The relatively modest penalty assessed to TL Ventures suggests the Commission took into account the firms’ defense – that they were exempt-reporting advisers and thus not subject to the pay-to-play rule, continues Birkenstock.

Most of his clients have adapted to the pay-to-play rule with the motto “just don’t give contributions,” he states. Others hold to a policy that, if there’s any doubt, don’t allow the political contribution. The enforcement case presented “zero doubt” of a violation because the mayor of Philadelphia and the state’s governor clearly have influence over their respective employee public pensions, Birkenstock says. Some lower-level candidates can be tougher to figure out, arguing for caution to avoid the rule’s painful two-year time-out.

To read the entire article, click here.

Sandler Reiff Lamb Rosenstein & Birkenstock

The Firm is proud to announce that Joseph M. Birkenstock has become a member of the Firm. Mr. Birkenstock, previously a member of Caplin & Drysdale, brings to the firm two decades of expertise in all aspects of political law. Firm founder Joseph Sandler stated, “We are truly excited that Joe , who worked with us for several years as chief counsel at the DNC, will be re-joining us and bringing to our practice his exceptional reputation and skill in the political law field.”

In addition to Mr. Birkenstock’s addition to the Firm, the Firm has elevated Joshua Rosenstein to Partner. In recognition of these changes, the Firm is being renamed SANDLER REIFF LAMB ROSENSTEIN & BIRKENSTOCK, P.C.

Joseph Sandler, Neil Reiff and Elizabeth Howard Named on The Super Lawyers 2014 Annual List of Top Attorneys

The Super Lawyers 2014 Annual List of top attorneys in the Washington, D.C. metro area have just named Joseph Sandler, Neil Reiff and Joesph Birkenstock as three of only twenty-one lawyers for their outstanding work in the field of Legislative and Government Affairs. In addition, Elizabeth Howard was named as one of only five lawyers in the Rising Stars section for Administrative Law.

The 2014 D.C. list, which was distributed with the Sunday Washington Post Magazine on April 27, 2014, can also be found here: http://digital.superlawyers.com/superlawyers/dcslrs14#pg1