Chip Nielsen is the senior political law partner in campaign finance, pay-to-play, initiative, lobbying, conflict of interest and non-profit laws and a member of the firm's Management Committee. He also plays a very important role as one of the firm's top government law strategists.
His Chambers USA ranking is top tier in political law nationwide
He is widely published in the area of political law and has been or is a member of the Board of Directors of the California Journal, the Bay Area Council, the North Bay Leadership Council, the American Bar Association Committee on Election Law, the University of California at Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies National Advisory Board, the American Association of Political Consultants, and the Citizens Research Foundation. For 31 years, he has been a National Co-Chair of the Practising Law Institute's seminar courses on "Corporate Political Activities."
He has been actively involved in California state politics and government for over four decades, having been a campaign manager and a political law advisor to numerous politicians and government leaders as well as having served in senior government positions himself, such as being the Chief Administrative Officer for the California Assembly, the Assistant Deputy State Controller and Chief of Staff to the Lieutenant Governor.
He was on the President's Advisory Panel on Federal Judges, Central District of California, in the 2000s.
He is an honors graduate from Yale University, a Coro Fellow and received his law degree from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law.