David E. Owens

Counsel
Owens David

Dave Owens advises clients on a wide range of issues related to government affairs, including compliance with all aspects of federal state and local campaign finance and election laws, lobbying registration and reporting, procurement lobbying, post-employment restrictions, "pay-to-play" compliance, gift and ethics rules, and related enforcement actions. Dave also counsels candidates and ballot measure committees on ballot access requirements and applicable registration and disclosure requirements.

Dave regularly conducts training for government affairs and cross-disciplinary corporate teams on best practices and legal requirements for compliance. He develops corporate government affairs compliance programs and performs comprehensive audits, including campaign finance audits for political action committees, corporate government affairs policy and practice assessments, and lobbying- and ethics-specific audits. Dave’s practice also includes vetting political contributions and grants made by individuals, nonprofits, and corporate clients.

Prior to returning to Venable, Dave served as in-house counsel to a major multinational technology firm, where he led the company’s political law compliance programs. He started his legal career as a regulatory counsel and ethics officer at a leading Washington, DC-area state and local government affairs firm before initially joining Venable. While earning his law degree, Dave was a law clerk at the Federal Election Commission and was a Voter Protection Research Fellow at the Democratic National Committee.

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Credentials
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Education

  • J.D. with honors Catholic University 2011
    • Staff editor, The Catholic University Law Review
  • B.A. Law and Society American University 2008

Bar Admissions

  • Maryland
  • District of Columbia

Professional Memberships and Activities

  • Member, American Bar Association
  • Member, Maryland State Bar Association

Recognition
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  • The Best Lawyers in America, Ones to Watch, 2024