Click on any tab to expand panel and view Attorney profile.
Lance H. Olson is the founder and managing partner of Olson Hagel & Fishburn LLP. He specializes in the practice of election and political law.
He earned a B.A. degree in political science from California State University, Sacramento in 1972. Mr. Olson received his law degree from the University of the Pacific's McGeorge School of Law in 1977. While attending law school, he worked for a statewide legislative consulting firm. He edited and wrote publications monitoring legal activities of the Fair Political Practices Commission.
He founded the law firm in 1977. The firm's clientele includes candidates, elected officials, PACs, ballot measure committees, lobbyists, lobbyist employers and major donors, as well as individuals, labor organizations, businesses and government agencies involved in the political process.
Mr. Olson is counsel to statewide elected officials, members of the California Congressional Delegation and California Legislature, and many local elected officials. He has served as general counsel to the California Democratic Party since 1982 and regularly advises the President pro Tem of the Senate. At the request of the State Legislature, Mr. Olson drafted Proposition 34, the comprehensive campaign finance reform measure adopted by the voters in November 2000.
He routinely lectures and conducts training on campaign and political law developments. Mr. Olson served as an adjunct professor of law at McGeorge School of Law from 1995 to 2003 where he taught election law. He is also a consultant to the CEB publication, Advising California Nonprofit Corporations.
His other credits include co-founder and past president of the California Political Attorney's Association. He has served on many government bodies, including the California Bipartisan Commission on the Political Reform Act of 1974, Sacramento County Civil Service Commission, Sacramento County Parks and Recreation Commission and Sacramento County Charter Reform Committee. Beginning in 2002 he served three years as a Lawyer Representative for the Eastern District of California to the Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference.
Diane M. Fishburn is a partner at Olson Hagel & Fishburn LLP, with over 20 years of experience in political, administrative, and election law.
Ms. Fishburn advises private, public and nonprofit clients on federal and state campaign reporting obligations as well as financial disclosure, ethics, lobbying and conflicts-of-interest requirements. She has expertise and experience in state and local ballot measure campaigns, and she also defends enforcement cases before the Federal Election Commission, the California Fair Political Practices Commission and other administrative agencies.
Ms. Fishburn oversees the firm’s practice in advising and assisting major donor contributors with compliance with federal and state contribution limitations and reporting requirements.
She regularly presents seminars on various aspects of political and ethics laws before unions, trade associations and other tax exempt organizations as well as associations of public officials and candidates. She is co-author of two publications addressing the involvement of public charities and private foundations in the California ballot initiative process.
Ms. Fishburn is past President of the California Political Attorneys Association and currently serves as a member of the Sacramento County Bar Diversity Hiring and Retention Committee.
Ms. Fishburn was an attorney with the Fair Political Practices Commission for five years, and spent another five years as staff counsel in the California Air Resources Board Office of Legal Affairs.
She received both her B.A. and law degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles. She clerked with the New Mexico State Supreme Court and received the Order of the Coif and Distinguished Advocate Awards.
Deborah B. Caplan is a partner with Olson Hagel & Fishburn LLP and is certified by the California State Bar as an appellate specialist. Ms. Caplan currently manages the litigation practice area of the firm, although she also plays a role in political advising, particularly in the area of conflicts of interest. She argued the constitutionality of the "McCain-Feingold" campaign finance law before a three-judge panel of federal judges in Washington, D.C. and briefed the matter before the U.S. Supreme Court. She has also been involved in litigation on issues including state-mandated local costs, campaign finance and other campaign regulation, education audits, the permissible uses of initiative and referendum, and the State's obligation to make payments to the State's teacher retirement system. She has argued before the U.S. Court of Appeals (District of Columbia), the U.S. District Court (Eastern District of California), the California Supreme Court, the District of Columbia Court of Appeal and several California Courts of Appeal.
Ms. Caplan received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Loyola Marymount University and her law degree from Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, D.C. in 1979. Ms. Caplan was a Professor of Clinical Law at George Washington University Law School until 1992, specializing in administrative law and general civil practice. She relocated to Sacramento in 1992 and clerked for the Honorable David Russell, United States Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District. She subsequently served as an adjunct professor of law at the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law until she joined Olson Hagel & Fishburn in 1998.
She is a member of the Federal Bar Association, the California Political Attorneys Association and the Sacramento County Bar.
N. Eugene Hill is a member of the litigation section of Olson Hagel & Fishburn LLP. He joined the firm in 1995, after 33 years in the Office of the State Attorney General, where he served as Deputy Attorney General, Senior Assistant Attorney General and Chief Assistant Attorney General. He was Senior Assistant in charge of the Government Section for about 10 years, and has participated in issues involving ballot measures on virtually every statewide election since 1983, including litigation involving such measures as Propositions 13, 68/73 (Campaign Finance), 99 (Tobacco Tax), 140 (Term Limits), 209 (Affirmative Action) and 218 (Taxation), representing both government and non-government parties.
Mr. Hill has considerable litigation experience representing public entities in mandate, declaratory relief and injunction proceedings. During his tenure with the Attorney General—and particularly during his 12 years in the Attorney General's Government Law Section—he represented public agencies on a wide range of issues. He acted as the statewide chief of that section for over ten years.
Mr. Hill has analyzed and prepared titles and summaries for proposed initiatives and ballot measures for every election since 1983. His expertise in state election law, constitutional and fiscal matters developed over the 33 years he practiced with the Attorney General.
Mr. Hill, as a member of the litigation section of the firm, has represented both public and private entities on matters involving application of state law to particular circumstances and advised them on the steps needed to comply with statutory criteria. His advice and representation has covered many issues concerning the application of state and local government provisions of the California Constitution and statutes implementing such provisions. In public and private practice, he has participated in over 100 appellate cases construing application of California constitutional and statutory provisions. Many include inter-governmental relationships and state fiscal policies. He also has considerable experience advising public and private entities on the application of the state Administrative Procedure Act, Public Records Act, open meeting requirements of the Brown and Bagley-Keene Acts, conflict of interest provisions, such as Government Code section 1090, and the application of the reimbursement requirements for state mandated local programs set forth in California Constitution Article XIII B. In addition, he has provided advice and representation to public and private entities concerning implementation of newly enacted initiative measures, and he has represented both public and private entities in constitutional challenges to such provisions.
Mr. Hill received the Attorney General's Award for Outstanding Achievement in 1992. He was also named "Public Lawyer of the Year" by the State Bar of California in 1994. Mr. Hill earned his law degree from Hastings College of the Law (L.L.B. 1961).
Richard C. Miadich is a senior associate with Olson Hagel & Fishburn LLP and a member of the firm's litigation unit. Mr. Miadich's practice focuses on litigation matters involving election and campaign finance law, education law, government and administrative law, and constitutional law. His litigation experience includes law and motion, written discovery, depositions, and development of case strategy. He also has experience with civil writs and appeals. Representing appellant pro bono, Mr. Miadich successfully briefed and argued Lee v. Keith (7th. Cir. 2006) 463 F.3d 763, an appeal that resulted in several Illinois ballot access laws being declared unconstitutional.
Since October 2006, Mr. Miadich has served on the Executive Committee of the Public Law Section of the California State Bar and is currently the Committee's Vice-Chair. He is a regular contributor to the Public Law Journal's Legislation and Litigation & Case Law Updates. His article When to Run, Walk or Crawl to the Courthouse: Proper Timing of Legal Challenges to Initiative Measures, (co-authored with William B. Tunick), was published in the Spring 2007 Public Law Journal.
Mr. Miadich earned his law degree from the University of California at Davis in 2002. While there, he served as a member of the U.C. Davis Law Review, externed with the California State Assembly Judiciary Committee, and participated in the school's trial practice program. He received his B.A. in both political science and history in 1998 from the University of California at Los Angeles.
He is a member of the State Bar of California and is admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court, the United States Courts of Appeals for the Seventh and Ninth Circuits, and the United States District Courts for the Northern and Eastern Districts of California. His professional memberships include: the American Bar Association, the Federal Bar Association, the Sacramento County Bar Association and the California Political Attorneys Association.
Richard R. Rios is an associate with Olson Hagel & Fishburn LLP's political compliance unit, which assists clients in conforming with local, state, and federal campaign and election laws.
Mr. Rios has substantial experience in statutory research and public policy development. Most recently, he served as a consultant to Senate Majority Leader Gloria Romero, and was responsible for providing strategic, legislative, and political advice on a wide range of issues including elections-related legislation and Indian gaming policy. As Director of Labor Affairs for Assembly Speaker Herb Wesson, he provided direction and assistance to legislators, staff, lobbyists, and other interested parties on significant labor and pension legislation.
Mr. Rios served as a law clerk for two prestigious political and election law firms. His work included advising clients on lobbyist and campaign reporting. Mr. Rios has worked as a campaign director in state and congressional elections, and helped coordinate member-to-member communications and outreach for the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor's 2000 General Election effort.
Mr. Rios earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Redlands where he majored in Political Science and Philosophy. He received his law degree from the University of California at Davis.
Chris Waddell, joined Olson, Hagel & Fishburn, LLP as a Senior Attorney in December, 2008, where he heads the firm's newly created Public Retirement Law practice. Most recently, he served as General Counsel for two California public retirement systems; first at the California State Teachers' Retirement System (CalSTRS), the second largest public pension fund in the country, and later at the San Diego City Employees' Retirement System (SDCERS). He has extensive experience in advising public pension trustees and staff on fiduciary obligations, Article XVI, Section 17 of the California Constitution (Proposition 162), the Political Reform Act, Government Code 1090, the Brown and Bagley-Keene open meetings acts, and the Public Records Act.
Under Mr. Waddell's leadership, SDCERS adopted a number of cutting edge board governance policies in the areas of ethics, conflicts of interest, independence and Board member core competencies.
While at CalSTRS, Mr. Waddell worked with the Olson, Hagel litigation team and oversaw the strategy that recovered $700 million in unpaid pension contributions plus interest from the State of California in the Teachers Retirement Board v. Genest case. He also developed and administered an innovative securities litigation policy that recouped approximately $200 million in CalSTRS investment losses.
At CalSTRS, Mr. Waddell developed for Board adoption significant enhancements to governance and policy, including "pay to play" policies and regulations that received national attention. In addition to legal services, Mr. Waddell was also responsible for the compliance, privacy, contracts and audit functions and developed a framework for a strong, independent Audit committee based upon private sector best practices.
Prior to joining CalSTRS, Mr. Waddell was the Chief Counsel for the California Department of Finance and before that was the Chief Counsel for the California Department of Personnel Administration. During a portion of his tenure at Finance, Mr. Waddell served as the Department's representative on the CalSTRS Board. At both departments, Waddell worked on a number of significant pension issues affecting CalSTRS and CalPERS.
Mr. Waddell is a Corporate Governance Fellow at the Stanford Law School, where he is Co-Director of the Fiduciary College, which provides education to pension trustees and staff. He is a member of the National Association of Public Pension Plan Attorneys (NAPPA) and has served as the Chair of the Investment Section and Co-Chair of the Fiduciary Section. He has spoken frequently on pension governance, conflicts of interest, and securities litigation issues before the National Council on Teacher Retirement, NAPPA, the California Association of Public Retirement Systems, and the Stanford Fiduciary College. He has also testified before Congress, the California Legislature, the San Diego City Council, and the San Diego Charter Revision Commission.
Mr. Waddell earned his Bachelor's degree in Political Science/Public Service from the University of California at Davis and his law degree from the McGeorge School of Law, where he was a writer and editor for the Pacific Law Journal.
Stephen A. “Tony” Valizan is an associate with Olson Hagel & Fishburn LLP and a member of the firm's litigation unit, working on litigation relating to the political process, government administration and regulation, education, and public finance.
Mr. Valizan earned his law degree from the University of California at Davis in 2008. While there he received the Public Service Law certification for his studies and work in the area of public service. During law school, he worked as a research assistant focusing on issues related to ballot access and voting rights law, and participated in the 2008 UC Davis Interdisciplinary Graduate Symposium presenting on the topic of statutory interpretation. He also has experience working in criminal defense and Social Security/disability law.
Prior to attending law school, Mr. Valizan earned Bachelor of Arts degrees in political science and sociology from the University of California at Davis in 2005.
Mr. Valizan is a member of the State Bar of California, the American Bar Association, the California Political Attorneys Association, and the Public Law Section of the California State Bar. He is also admitted to practice before the Federal District Court for the Eastern District of California.
Lacey E. Keys, an associate with Olson Hagel & Fishburn LLP, is a member of the firm’s political counseling unit. Ms. Keys counsels clients on compliance with state and federal campaign and election laws.
Ms. Keys served as a clerk at Olson Hagel & Fishburn during the summer of 2008 and during her third year of law school. While clerking, she co-authored an article entitled Business Improvement Districts and Proposition 218 After Silicon Valley Taxpayers Association v. Santa Clara County Open Space Authority, which was published in the Fall 2008 volume of the Public Law Journal.
Ms. Keys earned her law degree from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law in 2009. While there, she served as a member of the Hastings Law Journal, participated in the Moot Court program and served on the Moot Court Student Board. Ms. Keys also participated in a student project to assist in re-drafting the Fair Political Practices Commission’s Regulations for clarity and consistency.
Prior to attending law school, Ms. Keys earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and Psychology from the University of San Diego in 2006.
Ms. Keys is admitted to practice in California and is a member of the California Political Attorneys Association.
Matthew R. Cody is an attorney in the litigation unit of Olson, Hagel & Fishburn, LLP. His experience includes matters involving education law, election law, government and administrative law, and conflicts of interest.
Mr. Cody earned his law degree from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law, where he was a writer and member of the board of editors for the McGeorge Law Review. In addition to clerking for Olson, Hagel & Fishburn during the summer of 2008, he worked for the Human Rights/Fair Housing Commission of Sacramento and the California Department of Personnel Administration. During his last semester of law school, he externed for Judge Morrison England, Jr. of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California.
Prior to law school, Mr. Cody earned his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of California, Berkeley. After graduation, he completed a yearlong term of service as an AmeriCorps member with the East Bay Conservation Corps, a charter high school in Oakland, California. He then worked as a field organizer in a primary campaign for the California State Senate.
Mr. Cody is admitted to practice in California. He is also a member of the California Political Attorneys Association.
Joshua R. Daniels is an associate with Olson Hagel & Fishburn LLP and a member of the firm’s litigation unit.
Prior to joining Olson Hagel & Fishburn, Mr. Daniels served as a financial advisor to local governments on capital management and financing. He offered advice on cash flow modeling, short- and long-term debt issuances, State aid, federal assistance under the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act (the Stimulus Act), and capital program oversight and administration. In addition, he provided daily political direction and guidance to campaign committees in connection with local bond measures. Mr. Daniels also has public policy experience in the areas of health care governance, technology literacy, and higher education financing.
Mr. Daniels holds a law degree and a master's degree in public policy from the University of California, Berkeley as well as a master's degree in mathematics from Wesleyan University in Connecticut.