Michael Scanlon is a member of the Public Policy and Law group in the Washington, D.C. office of the global law firm K&L Gates. Mr. Scanlon engages in a wide-ranging federal practice that concentrates on the maritime, postal, and financial services industries, administrative procedure and litigation.

Mr. Scanlon advises and represents both large and small clients on a broad range of commercial and administrative law issues. His litigation experience includes numerous federal court and agency proceedings at both the trial and appellate levels.

Mr. Scanlon also advises and helps lobby on behalf of a wide range of companies and industry associations pursuing legislation, seeking regulatory implementation of newly-enacted laws, and representing their interests before Congress and federal agencies.

Before joining K&L Gates, Mr. Scanlon clerked for Chief U.S. District Judge Frederick J. Scullin of the Northern District of New York. He received a master's degree in public administration along with his law degree from the Maxwell School at Syracuse University.

Prior to studying law, Mr. Scanlon was the director of research and communications with a national financial services trade association based in Washington, D.C.

Postal
Mr. Scanlon is also a member of the postal law practice. He represents mailing, shipping, and ecommerce clients, mail service providers, mail technology companies, and industry trade associations on a wide-range of postal matters, including: strategic business counselling, contractual, and compliance advice, defending and resolving investigations and enforcement actions by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and litigation before the Postal Regulatory Commission and federal courts.

Mr. Scanlon has extensive experience representing clients in rate and classification proceedings, rulemakings, and complaint proceedings. He represents clients in USPS revenue deficiency claims and investigations alleging violations of the False Claims Act in connection with USPS Move Update and other complex mailing eligibility requirements.

Mr. Scanlon has experience with both domestic and international mail policy and rate issues and in negotiating contract pricing arrangements with the USPS. Mr. Scanlon has extensive experience working with industry associations and providing strategic advice on regulatory and legislative postal policy matters.

Maritime
Mr. Scanlon's practice involves domestic and international maritime matters. He represents U.S. and foreign shipping companies, including container shipping companies, tanker operators, cruise lines and bulk carriers, marine terminal operators, and marine service providers before the U.S. Maritime Administration, the Federal Maritime Commission, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, the U.S. Department of Commerce, the Congress and federal courts.

Mr. Scanlon has significant experience in areas of vessel documentation, citizenship, operation and crewing, operating support (VISA, Maritime Security Program), and national defense shipping. His maritime representations include extensive work on the coastwise laws and their enforcement.

Mr. Scanlon has significant fisheries litigation experience representing seafood harvesters, processors, trade associations, and environmental groups in federal court.

Nationally ranked as a top government relations lawyer by both Chambers USA and The Legal 500.

Ms. Purpuro is a government affairs advisor in the firm's public policy and law group. She focuses on energy, sustainability, and agriculture innovation policy.

Prior to joining the firm, Ms. Purpuro served as senior policy advisor to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). She has more than 10 years of experience on Capitol Hill working for Senator Spencer Abraham (R-MI) as Deputy Chief of Staff, and for Congressman Jim Saxton (R-NJ) and Congressman Bob Davis (R-MI) as Legislative Director. Ms. Purpuro has advised Members of Congress on issues including the environment, energy, tax, interior, agriculture, and appropriations.

Ms. Purpuro has experience with energy efficiency programs including the Energy Star program where she assists clients in developing comments and engaging Members of Congress on Energy Star issues. Ms. Purpuro also works on emissions reduction policy including advocating on behalf of clients for policy to support carbon utilization. Her work on behalf of agriculture clients includes supporting establishment of an Office of Urban Agriculture as well as the Agriculture Advanced Research and Development Authority (AGARA) at USDA. In addition to her Capitol Hill experience, Ms. Purpuro served as Director of Government Relations for the American Forest and Paper Association, where she lobbied Congress on environmental and transportation issues.

Legislative Counsel with respect to enabling and appropriations legislation creating a $30 million public-private partnership with the Department of Energy for a shared-services platform in the solar sector. Transaction counsel was also provided with respect to the contract negotiations and IP terms for the P3 agreement.

Government contracts counsel for a consortium of traditional and non-traditional defense contractors respecting a $100 million sole source 10 U.S.C. §2371, Section 845 Other Transaction Authority (OTA), contract vehicle issued by the Department of Defense ("DoD").
Site selection counsel for a nano-technology company looking to stand-up its first commercial manufacturing facility that focused on investments by local, state, and federal stakeholders. The engagement resulted in identifying three suitable jurisdictions, an ensuing "bake-off" of incentive packages (e.g., direct funding, tax incentives, work force development funds, land grants), a down selection process, and final negotiation of award.

Business development counsel on behalf of an ad hoc consortium of domestic semi-conductor companies seeking to reform the DoD/NSA Trusted Foundry Program in anticipation of unlocking hundreds-of-millions of dollars of government procurement opportunities for the consortium members.

Legislative counsel on behalf of several clients looking to access various measures within the Energy Tax Code (e.g., PTC, ITC, MLP) to which they were not entitled because they did not meet the technical requirements of the Energy Tax Code. Successful stand-alone legislation and amendment adoption have been resultant outcomes.

Counselor and advisor with respect to several campaigns regarding election disputes (e.g., Presidential contest recounts) and ballot access (e.g., ballot eligibility). Advising congressional candidates on statutory disclosures/reporting as well as seeking exemptions before relevant congressional committees and agencies.

Advisor and counselor to clients testifying/appearing before various congressional committees, including committees with jurisdiction over tax, appropriations, science & technology and financial services.

Legislative and regulatory counsel for an international fiber-optic cable company where various federal agencies were placing the company's assets in harms-way due to policy/regulatory decision making. Congressional and inter-industry negotiations successfully addressed the issue within congressional legislation.

Counsel to a client company's directors and officers during a wind down and asset disposition of a major federal contracting award, where D&O exposure and government "claw-back" became a significant impediment to the transaction. Liability and adverse public exposure on behalf of the D&O was successfully averted.

Before joining the firm, Mr. Leibham was a prosecutor on behalf of the State of California and was also in private practice where he counseled small business clients on a wide range of matters (e.g., HR, tax/audit reporting, real/personal property, general corporate, among other matters). Mr. Leibham worked as a senior aide to Rep. Gary Ackerman (NY) and Rep. Neil Abercrombie (HI) in the U.S. House of Representatives and was also a Western Regional Director for the Democratic National Committee in the late ‘90s and early ‘00s.