The Democratic National Committee is parceling work to law firms—without a clear lead outside legal adviser—after cutting ties with prominent elections lawyer Marc Elias.
WilmerHale and Covington & Burling, two firms with big practices in Washington, are among those getting work from the DNC this year, according to Federal Election Commission filings. Perkins Coie, which has dialed back much of its consulting for Democrats since Elias’s 2021 exit, still provides legal work for the committee, filings show.
Perkins Coie maintains a political law practice, which is now largely focused on advising corporations’ political acitivity. WilmerHale has for years represented the DNC in litigation. Covington partner Robert Lenhard previously served as outside counsel to President Joe Biden’s 2020 campaign.
The split with Elias, the Washington-based lawyer who is a lead adviser to several Democratic committees and campaigns, marked a shift in the DNC’s legal strategy ahead of the 2024 election. The DNC worked with Elias for more than a decade when he was the leader of the political law practice at Perkins Coie and after he started the Elias Law Group with colleagues from the Big Law firm.
The DNC and Elias Law Group declined to comment on the reasons for the split. PunchBowl News reported in April that strategic disagreements led to the separation.
It’s not clear that any law firm has taken on the role as the DNC’s primary outside firm. DNC spokesman Ammar Moussa pointed to a...
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