Spencer Fane LLP is pleased to announce William A. Powers joined the firm’s Washington, D.C. office as a partner in the Business Transactions practice group.
Bill counsels nonprofits, PACs, associations, and companies on all aspects of political and related compliance law. Drawing on almost 20 years of experience in private practice and government, including as Assistant General Counsel for Enforcement for the Federal Election Commission (FEC), Bill guides clients on federal laws related to campaign fundraising, U.S. House and Senate Ethics Rules, and similar rules at the state and local levels. He has advised presidential and congressional campaigns, draft committees, and Super PACs, as well as counseled leading vendors of campaign technology.
Bill also works with companies shaping today’s modern digital infrastructure. Leveraging legal and regulatory landscapes to maximize innovation and drive client success, he uses creative legal and compliance strategies to help his clients assess and mitigate legal and regulatory risk as they develop and deploy new technologies. Bill’s unique depth of government and private sector knowledge helps clients bring to market and advance groundbreaking ideas in politics, digital media, and emerging sectors at the intersection of technology and politics.
Bill also represents clients in white-collar defense matters related to election law, bribery, and ethics statutes before the U.S. Department of Justice, FEC, and the Internal Revenue Service.
“Bill’s extensive track record of success is not only markedly impressive, but also demonstrates his unique ability to toggle between divergent perspectives as he provides legal counsel,” said Blair Jacobs, Managing Partner for Spencer Fane in Washington, D.C. “His innovative skills in emerging sectors open the door to new markets on the East Coast and beyond. As Spencer Fane continues to enter new geographies through intentional hiring and growth initiatives, we look forward to supporting cutting-edge practices like Bill’s with our national bank of resources.”
“I’m excited to join Spencer Fane – a firm that is as ambitious as my clients,” said Bill. “I look forward to diving right in and supporting the firm’s clients as they navigate the complex and ever-changing rules of political engagement, this election year and in the future.”
Bill completed his undergraduate studies summa cum laude at the University of Massachusetts Amherst before earning his Juris Doctor magna cum laude at the University of Connecticut School of Law.
