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Mike Wittenwyler is an administrative and regulatory attorney at Godfrey & Kahn, S.C., and the lead attorney in the firm's Political Law Group. He advises businesses, trade associations and other organizations in their interactions with government - local, state and federal. Mike works with clients each day on campaign finance, election law, ethics and lobbying regulation, and the tax regulation of political and lobbying activities. He performs legislative planning, analysis and drafting for business and industry groups. His work on administrative and regulatory matters includes responding to agency investigations and enforcement actions as well as the review of and challenge to agency actions. He often participates in litigation on these matters on behalf of coalitions of individuals, businesses and trade associations. Many of Mike's clients are tax exempt organizations and he understands how these organizations operate as well as how increasing regulation affects their activites. Mike navigates businesses through state and local government approvals and has negotiated government contracts as well as challenged and defended government procurement processes. Through his work, Mike has a comprehensive understanding of the regulation of alcoholic beverages under Wisconsin law. Many of the matters Mike works on are controversial, high-profile and involve the courtroom of public opinion. In these situations, Mike often takes a leading role in developing and coordinating a crisis management team assembled to deal with the problem at hand. He is skilled at explaining legal issues in compelling but accessible language and frequently interacts with the media. As part of his work on political law matters, Mike provides consulting services to a variety of organizations in connection with their government affairs activities. Working with lobbyists and lobbying organizations (but not as a lobbyist himself), Mike helps organizations improve their public policy programs through audits and reviews of an organization's legislative and political effectiveness. He is consulted on structural and staffing changes by organizations and has participated in the recruitment and hiring of many government relations professionals.
Mike is the author of "Take the Pain Out of Contributing: Complexities of Campaign Finance Laws Can Cause the Unwary to Stumble" published in the April 2000 issue of the ABA Journal. He frequently speaks before seminars organized by businesses and trade associations and teaches "Political Law: Campaign Finance, Ethics & Elections" at the University of Wisconsin Law School. He is a member of the Council on Governmental Ethics Law, American Association of Political Consultants as well as the American Bar Association's Administrative Law and Regulatory Practice Section. Mike is a principal in Capitol Opinion, LLC, a non-partisan survey research firm.
In 2005, Mike served as a public member of the Joint Legislative Council's Special Committee on Election Law Review, a committee directed by the Wisconsin Legislature to examine the election process and administration of elections in Wisconsin. In 2003, 2005 and again in 2007, Mike was voted a "top lawyer" in Election/Campaign Finance/Political law in a survey of other attorneys conducted by Madison Magazine. He has been selected in 2006 and again in 2007 as a "rising star" by Wisconsin Super Lawyers. Mike has direct experience with political campaigns and media relations and, prior to law school, worked as a congressional aide in Washington, D.C. Before joining the firm, he served as campaign manager and spokesperson for U.S. Senator Russ Feingold's (D-WI) successful 1998 re-election. In 1995, Mike graduated with distinction from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a bachelor's degree in political science and earned his law degree from the University of Wisconsin in 1998. Mike is licensed to practice law in Wisconsin and the District of Columbia.
Publications
"WI Political Law Update: GAB Review of Existing Regulations/Opinions" March 03, 2008
"Political Law Reminder: Jan 1, 2008 - New Federal Lobbying Law Reporting Periods Begin" January 04, 2008
"Political Law Update: Federal Lobbying and Ethics Reform - The New Law" October 04, 2007
"Wisconsin Creates Government Accountability Board to Regulate Elections" July 12, 2007
"Foreign Agents Registration Act: An Overview" June 13, 2007
"IRS Guidelines on "Political Activity"" June 01, 2007
"At What Point Does Advocacy Become Regulated?" March 13, 2007
"FEC Approves New Contribution Limits for 2007-2008 Election Cycle" January 26, 2007
"FEC Subjects Section 527 Organizations to Regulation and Civil Penalties" December 14, 2006
"The LDA Debate as a Lesson for Campaign Finance Reform?" Administrative & Regulatory Law News Summer 2006
"Legal Coordination: When Legal Independent Political Activities Become Illegal Conduct" Capitol Report Wisconsin
Spring 2006
"New Federal Coordination Regulations" April 09, 2006
"Statutory Change: Wisconsin Reporting Requirements for Non-resident PACs" March 31, 2006
"FEC Adopts New Rules Regulating Internet Communications" March 28, 2006
"Wisconsin Right to Life v. FEC" January 25, 2006
"Political Law - Campaign Finance, Ethics & Elections" November 18, 2005
"Stop the Reimbursements/Corporate and Lobbyist Credit Card Payments!" September 07, 2005
"August 22, 2005 Effective Date for Payroll Deduction for Federal Trade Association PACs" July 22, 2005
"New Lobbying Ordinance Takes Effect July 1, 2005, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin" June 27, 2005
"Increased Federal Election 2005-2006 Contribution Limits" February 05, 2005
"Political Contributions: Election Year Reminders for Wisconsin Employers" Corporate Update May 2004
"Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act - an Overview" April 30, 2004
"McConnell v. FEC: An Overview" May 05, 2003
"Costly Speech"
ABA Journal
October 01, 2002
"Take the Pain Out of Contributing"
ABA Journal
April 2000.
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