Frederick T. Dombo III

Fred Dombo serves as chair of Nossaman's Government Relations & Regulation Group. He combines experience as an aide to Members of the U.S. House of Representatives Committees on Appropriations and Energy & Commerce with nearly 28 years of private practice to provide clients with cost effective advice on the legal and political implications of their government relations activities.

Fred advises clients on local, state and federal pay to play, campaign and lobby laws, gift rules, ethics compliance and investigations. His practice includes counsel to nonprofit advocacy organizations with respect to their general operations, as well as their compliance requirements with Internal Revenue Service regulations and the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. Fred also serves as a lobbyist for private and public sector clients on authorization and appropriations issues. He speaks widely on ethics and election law reform issues. 

Fred’s practice includes creation and implementation of strategic communication plans regarding the public policy aspects of clients’ advocacy campaigns or government/legal dilemmas. He has been active in many presidential nominating conventions and political campaigns and has supported candidates for state and national offices. He speaks widely on ethics, lobbying and campaign finance at the local, state and federal levels. 

Fred serves on Nossaman’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee and chairs the Nossaman LLP Political Action Committee.

Beyond the Law

Fred is deeply committed to public service, and one of the causes he’s most proud to support is the 9/11 National Day of Service and Remembrance. For more than twenty years, Fred has provided pro bono support to the nonprofit “9/11 Day” (formerly MyGoodDeed), helping build bipartisan momentum in Congress to officially recognize September 11 as a national day dedicated to service. This recognition first took shape in a 2004 Concurrent Resolution of the U.S. Senate and House and later became part of federal law through the bipartisan Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act of 2009. Today, it stands as the largest federally recognized day of service in the country. Throughout this effort, Fred has offered legal and advocacy guidance that continues to strengthen the organization’s mission — encouraging public and private entities across the nation to honor those lost on 9/11 through community, compassion and meaningful acts of service.

Experience

GOVERNMENT RELATIONS

Obtained for a city in Illinois several million dollars of appropriations for construction of an environmental cap over highway expansion project as part of team working to preserve continuity of an urban village.

Devised and implemented strategy for town government in New York to retain an oceanfront parcel of land threatened with reversion by the federal government.

Protected contract American furniture company holds with the United States Government.

Represented the U.S. Park Police Fraternal Order of Police on retirement and criminal justice matters; as well as Congressional inquiries regarding force operations and equipment.

Led campaign that secured multi-million dollar appropriation for a citrus growers association to combat citrus canker disease.

ETHICS & ELECTION LAW COMPLIANCE

Established state and federal pay to play compliance programs for companies in the financial services, retail, and other industries and remains involved in all compliance aspects of their administration and operation. 

Defended Fortune 50 financial services company during Congressional committee investigations and investigations conducted by the Office of Congressional Ethics.

Created Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) compliance training and program applicable to vendors in India working for a US coalition of healthcare organizations. 

Established federal, state and local political action committees (PACs) and ballot issue/question committees for corporations and trade associations, and remains involved in all aspects of operation and growth. 

STRATEGIC PUBLIC POLICY COMMUNICATIONS

Planned and executed with Archdiocese of Washington a comprehensive public affairs campaign to educate policy makers, parishioners and the media about the historic effectiveness of the child protection program of the Church in Washington D.C. and Maryland.

Secured, with the 9/11 legacy volunteer organization “9/11 Day” (formerly myGoodDeed.org), the first Presidential proclamation and Congressional resolution acknowledging 9/11 as a day of volunteerism. Similarly, secured commitments from the Obama, McCain, Romney, Clinton, Trump and Biden campaigns to abstain from critical campaign advertisements on 9/11.

Publications

Blog Posts

Speaking Engagements

News

Podcasts

Multimedia

Community & Professional

Federalist Society, Member

The John Carroll Society, Archdiocese of Washington, Member

California Political Attorneys Association, Member

Honors & Recognitions

Individual recognition for Government, Political Law – Nationwide, Chambers USA, 2018-2019

SABRE Certificate of Excellence, Congress Passes Resolution to Designate 9/11 as National Day of Service, 2004