Former Counsel to Speaker Hastert Adds to Firm’s Leadership
June 15, 2007
Washington, D.C. (June 15, 2007) – Ted Van Der Meid has joined McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP’s political law practice as Of Counsel in the firm’s Washington, D.C. office. For more than 20 years, Van Der Meid worked on Capitol Hill as a legal advisor. He was chief counsel and director of floor operations to then House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R-IL).
Van Der Meid’s practice will focus on representing individuals, corporations and other entities with respect to state and federal election law, campaign finance, and lobbying laws and ethics issues. His experience working at the highest levels of the legislative branch on these and other issues further deepens the already well-established firm practice.
Van Der Meid is well known for his work on ethics issues as staff director and chief counsel for the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct (House Ethics Committee) in the mid-1990s. He led the committee through one of its busiest and most difficult periods, which included a number of high profile investigations as well as implementation of the most restrictive gift rule created by Congress.
“We are very excited to have Ted join our political law team,” said Stefan Passantino, who heads the firm’s political law practice with Randy Evans. “Ted has been a longtime insider on Capitol Hill. His background fits nicely with the business solutions we provide our clients. The group is excited about him coming on board and building on these services.”
“McKenna Long & Aldridge is a firm known in Washington and throughout the United States for offering innovative and solid solutions to corporations and political leaders,” said Van Der Meid. “I am excited to join an experienced team of attorneys and public-policy advisors, who have also been leaders in public-policy and regulatory affairs for some time.”
Van Der Meid earned a M.P.A. from Harvard University (1989), obtained his J.D. at Syracuse University College of Law (1983), and obtained and his B.A. at North Park College (1979).
About the Political Law Practice
McKenna Long & Aldridge’s political law practice has a bipartisan team of attorneys and professionals knowledgeable in lobbying, compliance, campaign finance, election law and government ethics. The firm offers its clients a broad range of services from the firm's government affairs, corporate, tax, and litigation practice groups. Members of the team have held senior positions in the executive and legislative branches of federal, state and local governments and played significant roles in various political campaigns and political parties.
About McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP
McKenna Long & Aldridge is an international law firm composed of more than 430 lawyers and public-policy advisors with offices in Albany, Atlanta, Brussels, Denver, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. The firm provides business solutions in the areas of corporate law, government contracts, intellectual property and technology, complex litigation, public policy and regulatory affairs, international law, real estate, environmental, energy and finance.