Theresa Russo, one of the founding Partners of SRC, has served as a lobby law compliance officer for more than a decade, providing guidance to numerous clients on a wide spectrum of issues and acting as in-house lobby law counsel to many companies in New York State ̶ training employees, establishing systems for capturing and reporting lobbying activity, and taking all steps necessary to ensure compliance.
Theresa routinely interfaces with the Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government and the Office of the City Clerk in New York City, providing clients with lobby report filing guidance and representing them in civil penalty hearings and audits. In addition, Theresa teaches CLE courses on the constantly evolving lobbying laws in New York State and New York City.
Under the more recent changes to the Lobby Laws, many activities that were traditionally common business practices are now considered “lobbying activity” that is reportable to the Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government and the City of New York and several other municipalities in New York State.
We offer comprehensive compliance services which include:
- Determining if the activities you are engaging in require you to register with the Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government or the municipality, and assist you with such registration;
- Assisting you with setting up internal procedures for tracking expenses, legislation, regulations, and procurement activity to report to the Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government and/or the appropriate authority;
- Providing help completing reports required to be filed with JCOPE and/or the appropriate authority;
- Performing internal audits to ensure that documentation is complete and accurate and would be sufficient in an actual audit conducted by the Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government and/or the appropriate authority;
- Representing you during an audit for penalty hearings;
- Providing training for persons required to file reports, and training for lobbyists to ensure they know the kinds of information they must track;
- Advising on questions regarding gifts to public officials, as well as hosting conferences and other events involving elected or public officials;
- Advising on the new Source of Funding requirements that many Associations are now required to report; and
- General legal advice on lobby laws