Neil Reiff Tag Archive

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

SRYL News Round-Up McCutcheon Edition

Sandler Reiff Young & Lamb has been one of the go-to sources over the past few days as journalists have reported and analyzed the Supreme Court’s decision in McCutcheon v. FEC. Below are just some of the stories where attorneys at SRYL have provided their expertise:

  • David Mitrani told the Center for Public Integrity that since the Supreme Court ruled that aggregate contribution limits are unconsititutional, it is unlikely that similar aggregate limits in twelve states and the District of Columbia will continue to stand.
  • David Mitrani gave a similar statement to WAMU.
  • David Mitrani also helped Mother Jones break down the aforementioned aggregate limits at the state level.
  • Neil Reiff told Campaigns and Elections that party committees are one of the big winners in the aftermath of McCutcheon: “If an individual wants to triple max each year to the three national committees, that is $194,400 for the two-year cycle, way more than the aggregate limit.”
  • Neil Reiff reminded Bloomberg that while someone could theoretically create a “Super-Joint Fundraising Committee,” in order to write one check that is distributed among dozens of candidates, they could likely still get more bang for their buck by contributing to a Super PAC.
  • Late yesterday, David Mitrani told Reuters that campaign officials in Maryland and Massachusetts had already stopped enforcing aggregate contribution limits, a little more than 24-hours after the McCutcheon decision was handed down.
  • Finally, Neil Reiff told the Wall Street Journal that while Democratic lawmakers generally prefer more restrictions on money in elections, party strategists will welcome the loss of federal aggregate contribution limits.

Neil Reiff Quoted by Wall Street Journal

Neil Reiff was quoted in a story today in the Wall Street Journal about the effects that the Supreme Court’s ruling in McCutcheon v. FEC might have on future court challenges to campaign finance laws. While the Court left in place limits on contributions to individual candidates and committees, the Court did not offer a robust endorsement of said limits.

Mr. Reiff pointed out that further loosening of campaign finance restrictions could create a catch-22 for Democrats. On one hand, fewer restrictions would allow Democrats to raise more money. On the other hand, Democrats generally favor tighter restrictions on money in elections.

Mr. Reiff told the Journal “There is always that tension.”

To read, the full article, click here.

Neil Reiff Quoted by Bloomberg

Neil Reiff was quoted today in a story in Bloomberg on the effect that the Supreme Court’s decision in McCutcheon v. FEC will have on campaign fundraising in the coming months and years. With aggregate contribution limit declared unconstitutional, it is possible that super-Joint Fundraising Committees  could come into existence that support dozens of candidates. With a super-JFC, an individual could write one massive check that would then be distributed among many candidates.

However, Mr. Reiff tampered expectations of such a rise:

Whether the McCutcheon ruling will lead to “a groundswell of money in the system, I don’t know,” Neil Reiff, a Democratic campaign-finance lawyer with Sandler, Reiff, Young & Lamb, said in an interview. Writing a big check to a super-JFC is “still not as efficient as writing a check to a super-PAC, so I can’t necessarily compare this to the revolution of super-PACs in Citizens United. But obviously it’s something,” Reiff said.

To read the full article, click here.

Neil Reiff on McCutcheon: Parties Win

Neil Reiff was quoted in Campaigns & Elections magazine’s write-up on today’s McCutcheon v. FEC Supreme Court decision, striking down federal aggregate contribution limits. He told Campaigns & Elections that the “real winners will be national party committees. It’s been the national committees who are able to find and cultivate these larger donors. If an individual wants to triple max each year to the three national committees, that is $194,400 for the two-year cycle, way more than the aggregate limit.”

Under the old rules, an individual could only donate an aggregate of $74,600 per 2-year election cycle to all PAC and party committees, with a maximum contribution limit of $32,400 to any individual party committee. In addition, an individual could only donate an aggregate of $48,600 per cycle to all federal candidates, with a maximum contribution limit of $2,600 per candidate per election. Today’s decision strikes down the aggregate limits while preserving the contribution limits to individual candidates, PACs, and party committees.

Reiff Offers Preview of Campaign Finance in 2014

Neil Reiff has written a new article for Campaigns and Elections magazine this morning, offering a preview of several campaign finance issues likely to come to the forefront in 2014. With 2014 midterms right around the corner, Mr. Reiff identifies five issues likely to make news in the new year:

  • Super PACs expanding their influence into state and local races
  • States raising contribution limits
  • The McCutcheon v. FEC Supreme Court case and its impacts on federal and state aggregate contribution limits
  • A continued push for more disclosure from 501(c)(4) groups, especially as it regards to political spending by such groups
  • Potential for a new push from Congress  to reform campaign finance laws, especially Super PAC

You can read Mr. Reiff’s entire article here.

Sandler, Reiff, & Lamb Among Washington’s Best Lawyers

Joseph Sandler, Neil Reiff, and Jim Lamb were once again named by Washingtonian Magazine as three of the top attorneys in Washington, DC. They were recognized for their outstanding work in the field of Campaign and Election Law. Sandler, Reiff, Young & Lamb is one of only three firms to have three attorneys on the biennial list. This also marks the third consecutive biennial cycle that Mr. Sandler, Mr. Reiff, and Mr. Lamb were named by Washingtonian Magazine.