Benjamin P. Keane
FAX: 404.527.4198
Experience
As a member of McKenna Long & Aldridge’s Political Law Team, Benjamin P. Keane has a nationwide practice that focuses on the representation of political figures, corporations, and other political entities with respect to state and federal election law, campaign finance, lobbying law, and ethics issues. He also assists clients in their compliance with state and local pay-to-play laws and aids in the publication of the firm’s Pay To Play blog. The blog is dedicated to helping readers monitor the status of proposed legislation and is set to become a leading online community for the analysis of new and proposed lobbying, contribution, and gift rules around the country.
Mr. Keane has significant experience navigating the intersection of law, politics, and public policy. Prior to joining McKenna Long & Aldridge, he served as a Visiting Legal Fellow in the Center for Legal and Judicial Studies at The Heritage Foundation in Washington, DC. During that time, he worked extensively on law and public policy issues associated with criminal justice, met frequently with Members of Congress and their aides, established valuable relationships with public policy organizations across the political spectrum, and gained valuable expertise in legislative drafting and the composition of congressional testimony.
Having spent several years working in the Research, Communications, and Strategic Planning Departments of the Republican National Committee, Mr. Keane also has great familiarity with various aspects of political campaign work, including policy development, communications strategy, grassroots organization, and fundraising compliance. His campaign experience stretches across the country and includes work with a wide range of federal, state, and local candidates.
Mr. Keane also has experience representing parties in white collar/government investigation matters and complex commercial litigation disputes. While working as an associate at another large Atlanta law firm, he was a key contributor in a high-profile audit committee investigation of a Fortune 500 company and helped secure a summary judgment victory for a national financial entity in a multi-million dollar defamation action. In addition, he previously gained valuable experience working on fraud and criminal investigation matters while serving as a legal intern in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.
While in law school at the University of Virginia, Mr. Keane was a recipient of the Dillard Fellowship, which is given to recognize excellence in legal research and writing. Additionally, Mr. Keane served on the managing boards of The Journal of Law and Politics, The Federalist Society, and the Student Legal Forum.
Education
- J.D., University of Virginia School of Law, 2006
- B.A., Princeton University, 2001
Bar Admissions
- Georgia
Publications:
- Contributor to the Award-Winning Pay to Play Law Blog.
- Contributor, Political Law and Campaign Finance, Politics, Law and Policy Blog.
- “Georgia State and Local Government Contracts,” Thompson Reuters, Contributing Author on Vendor Lobbying Laws, (2012-13 ed.).
- Co-author, “Overcriminalization and the Constitution,” The Heritage Foundation, Legal Memorandum, No. 64, April 13, 2011.
- Co-author, “Overcriminalization: An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure,” Inside ALEC, February 2011.
- “Private Securities Suit ‘Reform’: Undermining Economic Recovery to Aid and Abet Lawyers,” Washington Legal Foundation, Critical Legal Issues: Working Paper Series, No. 172, April 2010.
Seminars and Presentations:
- "Election Law Seminar Presentation," The 14th Congressional District & DeKalb County GOP Candidate Training Conference, May 26, 2012, Atlanta, GA.
- “Effective Corporate Political Engagement and Compliance in the 2012 Election Year,” McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP, January 2012, Washington, DC.