Amber R. Maltbie

Amber Maltbie leads the Firm's California election law practice, where she advises clients on the complex and highly regulated fields of governmental ethics, campaign finance, nonprofit formation and advocacy compliance. She represents clients before state and local regulators, achieving favorable settlements, successful resolutions of investigations and full vindications. Her clients include statewide constitutional officers, legislative caucus foundations, nonprofits of all sizes, independent expenditure campaigns, political consulting and lobbying firms, developers and other entities that are in highly regulated industries. She is a trusted advisor on compliance programs and audits, helping clients proactively manage risk while implementing their advocacy agendas with confidence.

Amber also spearheads the Firm's national nonprofit advocacy practice. She counsels nonprofits across the country on the intersection of federal tax law with state campaign finance and lobbying requirements to advance clients’ missions effectively and lawfully. She advises nonprofit organizations on all aspects of corporate formation as well, working with many from the ground up.

Recognized as a national thought leader in election law, Amber has taught Election Law at McGeorge School of Law since 2014 and serves on the American Bar Association’s Standing Committee on Election Law, where she chairs the Policy Committee and co-chairs the Campaign Finance Working Group. She also is on the board of the California Political Attorneys Association. Amber is frequently called upon as an expert witness in campaign finance matters in both civil and administrative proceedings and is a sought-after speaker and panelist on emerging legal and policy issues nationwide.

Amber is deeply committed to public service and civic leadership. She is a founding board member of APIs Mobilize, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering young Asian and Pacific Islander leaders to serve in government. She has served on the board of Emerge California, including as Chair during the record-breaking 2018 election cycle and has long supported efforts to increase women’s political participation. In Los Angeles, she was elected to the Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council (DLANC), later chairing its Election Committee to ensure accessible, high-turnout local elections.

Before practicing law, Amber spent more than a decade in politics as a Communications Director, Campaign Manager and Political Director for members of the California Legislature and U.S. Congress. She designed and implemented voter engagement programs in historically disenfranchised communities, significantly increasing participation in multiple election cycles.

Amber is widely recognized for her expertise at the intersection of election law, gender equity and democratic participation. Her research on women’s voting rights in emerging democracies has been cited in United Nations Development Programme reports and published by international NGOs. She also has worked on the ground with the International Foundation for Electoral Systems, including in North Mitrovica, Kosovo during the country’s first parliamentary elections.

Amber’s unique blend of legal expertise, political experience and nonprofit leadership allows her to partner with clients as both a strategist and advocate, guiding them through the most complex election law and advocacy challenges with clarity and impact.

Experience

Major Donor and Political Giving. Provides strategic counsel and legal advice to nonprofits, for profits, and individuals seeking to support candidates and ballot measures in all 50 states. Political giving goals are vetted for permissibility, limits, registration requirements, reporting and disclosure.

Candidates & Campaign General Counsel. Worked with dozens of Federal and state candidates from the inception of their campaigns. Amber has advised candidate clients through contentious political battles, including fending off recall efforts and successfully pursuing enforcement actions against political opponents who were violating ethics laws.

Nonprofits. Advises 501c.3 and 501c.4 nonprofit entities on lobbying and political activities, including reporting and disclosure. Also provides advice on all aspects of entity formation, including preparing forms that must be filed with the Internal Revenue Service, Attorney General’s office, and Secretary of State’s office forms; draft bylaws, internal policies and related corporate governance materials; and navigate charitable registration requirements.

Ballot Measures. Advises on all aspects of state and local ballot measures, including drafting language, qualification and petition gathering, campaign finance obligations, and pre-election litigation challenges. Advises major donors support ballot measures on their compliance requirements.

Election Litigation. Successfully defended defamation claims against clients for allegedly libelous campaign mail. Successfully challenged opponents’ preferred candidate ballot designations, as well as defended the same.

Expert Witness. Amber was an expert witness on behalf of Redondo Beach Mayor Bill Brand and other defendants in the case Arnette Travis and Chris Voisey v. Bill Brand, Nils Nehrenheim, et al. (Los Angeles Superior Court / BC665330). The judge in the case cited to Amber’s testimony when ruling in favor of the defendants.

State and Federal "Super PACS." Advises PACS from formation, including creation of PAC bylaws, ethics and compliance training of principal officers and PAC board members, review political advertisements, and fundraising solicitations.

Government Ethics and Open Government Laws. Advises on Political Reform Act and Government Code Section 1090 conflicts of interest; sunshine laws such as the Brown Act, Bagley-Keene, and the California Public Records Act; advise government agencies and public employees on the misuse of public resources, particularly with regard to supporting or opposing ballot measures; and advice former government employees on "revolving door" restrictions when leaving state service for private employment.

Training and Manuals. Provides tailored trainings, manuals and guidebooks for clients on government ethics, campaign finance rules, gift issues for public employees, and nonprofit political activity.

Enforcement and Audits. Represents clients undergoing audit or investigations by the California Fair Political Practices Commission, Los Angeles Ethics Commission, San Francisco Ethics Commission and other local agencies.

Publications

Speaking Engagements

News

Podcasts

Community & Professional

Fair Political Practices Commission, Digital Transparency Task Force

American Bar Association, Election Law Advisory Committee

Emerge California, Board of Directors, 2014-2020

APIs Mobilize, Board of Directors

Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council, 2016-2019

California Political Attorneys Association, Member

Fem Dems of Sacramento, Founder, Former President, General Counsel

McGeorge Capital Center Advisory Board

Honors & Recognitions

Recognized as one of the “Top Women Lawyers,” Daily Journal, 2020

Selected to the Rising Stars list for 2014-2015, 2017, 2019

Four Witkin Awards for academic excellence, including California Initiative Seminar Traynor Honor Society