ABOUT US
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Ward & Lawless LLC partners have more than 30 years combined experience in this field. They are a resource to law firms and regulators. Our outstanding team has the background, credentials and expertise to help you.
With offices in the DC and NY metropolitan areas, Ward & Lawless LLC is a nationally recognized compliance management firm specializing in federal, state and local lobby and election law disclosure.
Mark W. Ward
Partner and Founder
Prior to forming Ward & Lawless LLC, Mr. Ward was a Client Specialist in the Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP Political Law Group. There, Mr. Ward was the head of the team that developed and administered compliance and reporting programs for many of the firm's clients.
Mr. Ward maintains regular contact with federal, state, and local enforcement agencies and, as he is known for his specialized working knowledge of campaign finance, gift and lobby disclosure laws at the various levels, he is often consulted for his opinion on compliance-related systems or related issues. In addition to developing programs and tracking systems to manage compliance required under the various statutes, Mr. Ward provides full-service administration and reporting services for PACs and political committees, candidates, lobbyists, corporations and individuals whose political activities require public disclosure. For the past six years, Mr. Ward has assisted The Council on Government Ethics Laws (“COGEL”) with the preparation and compiling of materials for the annual COGEL conferences. For the last three years, he edited and published the COGEL Blue Book: Update on Legislation and Litigation, U.S. & Canada. Mr. Ward also maintained and published the electronic and online versions of Skadden's Ethics Handbook For Entertaining and Lobbying Public Officials — Gift and Gratuity and Lobbying Laws.
Before Skadden, Mr. Ward worked for the United States Senate, where he served as the Secretary of the Senate's Administrator for Foreign Travel and Lobbying Disclosure. While at the Senate, Mr. Ward was directly responsible for the implementation of the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 ("LDA") and the administration of the former disclosure law, the Federal Regulation of Lobbying Act of 1946. Mr. Ward was responsible for drafting forms and formulating guidance during the last-minute passage of the LDA and ultimately revamped the disclosure program by authoring a new, all-inclusive guidance document and streamlined forms that incorporated the changes made by the Technical Amendments Act of 1998. He was also the architect behind the electronic filing and disclosure system previously used by the Senate.
Mr. Ward is a sworn Reserve Officer with the Maryland Natural Resources Police, Marine Division. Mr. Ward has been an instructor at the Maryland Department of Natural Resources Police Training Academy at Matapeake and has authored many training guides related to navigation, seamanship, boat handling, emergency procedures and police communications. Mr. Ward currently holds a 100-ton U. S. Coast Guard Master's License.
He lives aboard his boat, Southern Cross, with his wife, Maggie, and their two cats.
Bridget Lawless
Partner and Founder
Bridget Lawless personally understands the stress, the frustrations and the fear of this unique compliance area and what it feels like to have that form in front of you and that deadline looming.
During her career, she has been a PAC Director, a lobbyist and the corporate manager in charge of government relations compliance and employee political policies. She was responsible for federal, state and local lobby filings. She has organized restricted class political fundraisers and run employee grassroots programs. She has been on the receiving end of that call from the junior VP with the signed contract due tomorrow asking, "Can you certify for me that we are in compliance with something called 'pay to play?'" And she has been the one to explain to the banker why the personal political contribution he just made to his neighbor's campaign could put his company out of business for the next few years.
Prior to forming Ward & Lawless LLC, Ms. Lawless was a Client Specialist in the Political Law Group at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP. While there, her clients were corporations, non-profits, campaigns and wealthy individuals. She developed and maintained full service, customized, tracking, reporting and communications programs to keep them and their employees in compliance with federal, state and local election, lobby, gift, ethics and related tax laws. When needed, she served as a liaison for her clients with applicable government regulators. Confidentiality was a given.
Before Skadden, Ms. Lawless was at J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. for more than 13 years, through three major corporate mergers and several smaller ones. At the time of her resignation, she oversaw a PAC program that solicited more than 50,000 employees worldwide, received approximately $1 million a year and gave to candidates and committees at the federal level and in 23 states. In addition to being PAC Director, she was responsible for monitoring all other political contributions — corporate, executive and employee industry-specific (i.e., MFPs, IMPs and procurement lobbyists) — and for organizing company-sponsored political fundraisers, within applicable law. For most of her career, she was the corporate point-person for all questions regarding interacting with government officials: for bank branch and credit card staff calling with questions about accounts for candidates; for interacting with the Corporate Secretary's office when employees wished to run for public office; for approving all political checks and employee reimbursements run through Accounts Payable; and for drafting and updating all corporate written policies for these. Ms. Lawless also developed and managed employee grassroots programs, including budgeting, marketing, database management and employee training. And for many years she was the company's registered New York City Lobbyist.
Ms. Lawless earned Bachelor of Science degree from Fairfield University and is a graduate of the CORO Leadership New York Program. She is currently a member and was until recently on the board of the NY-based Government Affairs Professionals (www.govaffairspro.com). She has served on the State Regulation and Legislation Committee of the Securities Industry Association (now called the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association) and was a Regional Vice Chairman of the National Association of Manufacturers National Public Affairs Steering Committee. As a corporate representative to USA Engage, she was involved in the early stages of the 2000 Supreme Court Case NFTC vs. Baker, which found Massachusetts' Burma law (prohibiting the commonwealth from doing business with any company operating in that country) unconstitutional.
Ms. Lawless lives in CT with her husband and children.
Ward & Lawless LLC is not a law firm nor does it employ or retain any attorneys. The services provided by Ward & Lawless LLC are not prepared, endorsed or reviewed by any form of licensed legal professional, including but not limited to an attorney. No communication of Ward & Lawless LLC should be taken as legal advice. You will be encouraged to consult with a licensed attorney/lawyer for all legal questions or matters.