Adie J. Olson

Partner

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Areas of Work

Government Affairs & Public Policy, Campaign Finance & Political Law

Overview

Adie Olson advises corporations on lobbying, campaign finance, ethics, and pay-to-play compliance, at the federal level and in all 50 states. Her experience includes the following:

Representing corporations with government affairs compliance issues—as national and regional counsel—for matters including lobbying registration and reporting, campaign finance issues, political outreach planning, independent expenditures, procurement lobbying, "pay-to-play" compliance, statements of economic interest, and enforcement actions.
Developing and implementing comprehensive corporate government affairs compliance programs.
Performing comprehensive audits including: campaign finance audits for federal and state political action committees, overall corporate government affairs policy and practice assessments, and lobbying/ethics specific audits.
Training government affairs and cross-disciplinary corporate teams on best practices and legal requirements for compliance.

Additionally, Adie is actively engaged in supporting the retention and promotion of fellow women and diverse lawyers in Chicago and nationally. She also is active in her community, supporting the City of Chicago and its public schools.

Illinois
Wisconsin
Supreme Court of Wisconsin
US District Court, Eastern District of Wisconsin
US District Court, Western District of Wisconsin

J.D., Marquette University Law School, 2003
B.S., University of Wisconsin, 1997

Representative Matters

Assisted client, in a highly regulated industry, with the review, approval, and proper transmittal of a significant number of political contributions in all 50 states annually.
Successfully responded to multiple audit requests by three state agencies for a corporate California PAC under compliance scrutiny.
Drafted and implemented companywide government affairs compliance program at the federal and state levels, for a Fortune 100 company.
Audited one of the largest corporate federal PACs for a Fortune 500 Company.

Speaking Engagements

Speaker, "Regulatory and Legislative Updates in Campaign Finance Law," The Conference Board, March 27, 2024.
Speaker, "Navigating an Election Year at the Peak of Polarization," The Conference Board, March 12, 2024.
Speaker, "Chicago Lobbying Laws: Updates to the Lobbying Registration Requirements under the Chicago Ethics Ordinance," Federal Taxation, Exempt Organizations Division H of the Chicago Bar Association, February 8, 2024.
Speaker, "Boots on the Ground: The Tricky Laws with Grassroots and Procurement Lobbying," Council of Government Ethics Laws, December 6, 2023.
Speaker, “Gifts Galore: Tips for Navigating Ethics Issues with Big Ticket Events,” Council of Government Ethics Laws, December 5, 2023.
"Corporate Compliance in a Complex and Divisive Political World", Ethico Ethicsverse Masterclass Podcast Series, March 16, 2023.
"Lobbying Compliance for Non-Profits", Chicago Lawyer's Committee for Civil Rights, March 2, 2023.
"Corporate Political Activity: Opportunity Amid Scrutiny," ESG News and Views Podcast Series, The Conference Board, February 16, 2022.
"#MeToo: Addressing Sexual Harassment Issues through Government Ethics," Council on Government Ethics Lawyers Annual Conference, December 18, 2019.
"PAC Management Bootcamp," Public Affairs Council Bootcamp Series, October 16, 2019.
"The Lawyer Is In: Issues in State and Local Political Law Compliance," Public Affairs Council: State and Local Government Affairs Conference, September 26, 2019.
"Staying Complaint in the States," Washington Area State Relations Group Annual Meeting, November 2, 2018
"State Compliance Best Practices," SLGA Annual Conference Webinar, October 27, 2018.
"Issues Management: Maximizing Opportunity, Minimizing Risk," Public Affairs Council's 2018 State & Local Government Relations Conference, October 18, 2018.
"What Motivates Unethical Political Acts - Understanding Behavior to Help Fulfill Your Agency's Mission," 39th Annual Council on Government Ethics Attorneys Conference, December 6, 2017.
"The Legislative Process and Charities: The Lobbying Rules Every Nonprofit Needs to Know" Kent University Non-Profit Symposium, September 20, 2017.
“The How and Why of Advocacy for Tax-Exempt Organizations," Chicago-Kent College of Law's 36th Annual Conference on Not-for-Profit Organizations, June 8, 2017.
"Compliance at the State Level," Public Affairs Council Webinar, July 20, 2016.