At Dunn, Craig & Francuzenko, our goal is to serve you with compassion, skill, and knowledge in every matter you bring to us. The collective experience of our team of attorneys is particularly strong in the following areas.

Areas of Concentration

Campaigns & Elections

Election campaigns have become an important part of our country’s politics, and the laws governing both the campaigns and the elections themselves are fairly stringent. These cases also tend to be charged with very real political consequences, so discretion and professionalism are necessary. Our attorneys are well-versed in the laws surrounding campaigns and elections, and have experience navigating the sometimes complex political atmosphere.

Federal and State PACs

Federal “Independent Expenditure-Only Political Action Committees,” also known as SuperPACs in their current form, are now almost a decade old, arising to prominence in the wake of the landmark cases SpeechNow.org v. Federal Election Commission and Citizens United.

SuperPACs are not limited in the amount of money they can raise and spend, and they are allowed to receive contributions in support of or opposition to candidates and campaign committees from corporations, unions, associations, and individuals. SuperPACs cannot donate directly to political candidates, campaign committees, or parties, nor may they coordinate their spending with candidates, campaign committees, or party committees. SuperPAC donor names are disclosed to the Federal Election Commission.

Political action committees, SuperPacs, and independent expenditure-only committees can also exist and participate in politics at the state level and in the District of Columbia. As such, state PACs can be subjected to up to 51 different regulatory schemes, depending on where the committee wants to “play.”

Creating and maintaining a SuperPAC can be challenging, especially for new-comers to the 21st Century American political scene – but strategic use of SuperPacs (and other political committees) can be a rewarding way to participate in electoral politics at the grassroots and above. We at Dunn, Craig & Francuzenko have decades of experience with state and federal campaign, candidate, party, and independent political committees, creating them, helping manage their risk and working through the regulatory process. If you have any questions please contact us and set up a consultation.

Rail and Transportation Law

Laws governing railroads are typically industry specific and often have complex issues of preemption involved. Rail-transportation general liability defense requires a knowledge of the railroad business and an understanding of how railroads go about their day to day operations. Rail-transportation law frequently also confronts issues with the Department of Transportation, the Federal Railroad Administration, and sometimes the Department of Environmental Quality. Similarly, Railroad employment defense demands experience with the Federal Employers Liability Act (FELA) in order to successfully advise and advocate for railroad clients. Make sure you choose attorneys with a fundamental understanding of the railroad business to defend your railroad.

FOIA Law

Our attorneys understand how critical an organization’s response to FOIA requests can be and the effects a FOIA response can have on future litigation. We have significant experience helping clients manage both the process of responding to the FOIA request and any litigation thereafter. Please contact us to discuss any FOIA issues as soon as possible since with these matters, time is of the essence!

Defamation Law

Allegations of defamation have become commonplace within organizations, businesses, and other entities. Does your organization know how to defend against such a claim? Our attorneys regularly work on defamation matters, meaning we have a deep understanding of defamation law and privileges attendant thereto in Virginia, Maryland, and DC. If your organization or one of your employees has been accused of making defamatory statements, you need someone who understands the contours of the current jurisprudence working on your case. Contact us to learn more about this practice area.