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W. Alan Wilk

Member

Successful political, campaign, and lobbying efforts require a well-balanced mix of vision and pragmatism, attention to detail, and big-picture thinking.

As one of the country's foremost practitioners in election, campaign finance, and lobbying law, Alan Wilk combines all those qualities to deliver consistent counsel that keeps his clients on a winning path and steers them away from avoidable regulatory hazards.

Leader of the firm's government policy practice and its political compliance team, Alan works closely with individuals, corporate entities, and political organizations at the federal, state, and local levels when their efforts and interests intersect with the complex web of laws that govern campaign and political activities.

He leverages the significant insights he gained as a legislative staff member, fundraising and campaign consultant, and the past 25 years of legal political counseling to help his clients stay compliant and accomplish their political goals.

Alan's practice also includes substantial work on public pension and retirement plans. Co-leader of the firm's public retirement team and a Special Assistant Attorney General for the State of Michigan retirement systems, Alan has assisted in drafting and implementing several innovative retirement programs for large public pensions.

His experience includes tax qualification matters, defined contribution plan conversions, excess benefit plans, "early-out" incentive programs, prefunding of health benefits, and the use of annual and sick leave plans as a method for saving public entities' budget dollars.

Highly responsive and known for his ethics and professionalism, Alan advises political and nonprofit entities on a wide range of operational, governance, tax, and regulatory matters.

Charities, civic organizations, trade associations, and political groups all rely on Alan's sound judgment and clear counsel to help them fulfill their missions and maximize their effectiveness.

“Corporations and political organizations operate in a highly charged and fast-moving environment. They can't afford missteps, nor can they spend time or energy worrying about them. My goal is to provide my clients with confidence that the legal, regulatory, and compliance aspects of their efforts are well taken care of.”
    • Boston College, J.D.
    • James Madison College at Michigan State University, B.A., with honors

  • Bar Admissions

    • Michigan, 1995

  • Court Admissions

    • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan, 1998
    • U.S. District Court, Western District of Michigan, 1999
    • U.S. Court of Appeals, 6th Circuit, 2002

    • Recognized by The Best Lawyers in America® for Administrative/Regulatory Law, 2011-2024

    • Recognized by The Legal 500 United States for Cannabis Law, 2021
    • Recipient of the 33rd Annual Distinguished Brief Award, Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley Law Review, 2018

    • Named a Michigan Leading Lawyer in the areas of Association & Nonprofit, Election, Political & Campaign and Governmental, Municipal, Lobbying & Administrative Law by the Leading Lawyers Network, 2014-2017

    • Recipient of Martindale-Hubbell® AV® Preeminent™ Peer Review Rating
    • American Bar Association, Member
    • Michigan Society of Association Executives, Member and contributing author for organization's magazine, Impact
    • State Bar of Michigan, Member
    • Ingham County Bar Association, Member
    • Friends of the Capitol Areas District Library, Former Board Member
    • University United Methodist Church, Member and Christian Education Volunteer
    • East Lansing Youth Sports Coach, Baseball, Basketball, Football
    • MSU Alumni Association, Lifetime Member
      • Legal Externship, Boston, Mass., white collar criminal defense law firm
      • Legal Clerk, Michigan Telecommunications Association
      • Community Affairs Specialist, Michigan State Senate
      • Intern, Michigan State House of Representatives
      • Campaign manager, Michigan 9thCongressional District
      • Campaign consulting for numerous state and local candidates

Contact

Lansing517-374-9122

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