Office of General Counsel
The Office of the General Counsel (OGC) consists of five organization units: (1) the Deputy General Counsel—Administration; (2) the Deputy General Counsel—Law; (3) the Enforcement Division; (4) the Litigation Division; and (5) the Policy Division.
The Federal Election Commission appointed Ms. Stevenson Acting General Counsel on September 22, 2016. Ms. Stevenson joined the Commission in May 2012, serving as Special Counsel to the General Counsel. In October 2012, she was named Deputy General Counsel for Law, where she advised the General Counsel and assisted in overseeing all of the organizational units of the Office of General Counsel, including Policy, Litigation, and Enforcement. Prior to her arrival at the Commission, Ms. Stevenson was a Partner at Zuckerman Spaeder LLP. Before joining Zuckerman Spaeder, she was an Associate with Covington & Burling from 1997 to 2005, and she served as Law Clerk to Honorable Judge James Robertson of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia from 1996 to 1997. Ms. Stevenson is a 1992 magna cum laude graduate of Amherst College and she received her law degree from the University of Michigan in 1996.
Deputy General Counsel—Administration
The Deputy General Counsel—Administration reports directly to the General Counsel, is a member of the senior management team and participates in formulating and effecting policies and programs with respect to the Office's overall responsibilities, its budget, and its personnel. Supports the General Counsel in the direction and management of all phases of OGC programs and work (other than those that cannot be delegated as a matter of law) when the General Counsel is present, and acts on the General Counsel's behalf during the General Counsel's temporary absences.
Gregory R. Baker was named the Commission’s Deputy General Counsel in September 2012. Prior to that, he served as the Special Counsel for Complaints Examination & Legal Administration. Mr. Baker was Acting Associate General Counsel from 2001 to 2003, and the Commission’s Special Assistant General Counsel from 1994 to 2001. He worked as an FEC Staff Attorney from 1990-1994, and first joined the FEC as a Legal Intern in 1988. Mr. Baker earned his law degree from the Ohio Northern University Claude W. Pettit School of Law in 1990 and his B.A. from Washington College in 1985.
Deputy General Counsel—Law
The Deputy General Counsel -- Law reports directly to the General Counsel, is a member of the senior management team and participates in overseeing all of the substantive, legal work produced by the Office. Supports the General Counsel in the direction and management of all phases of OGC legal work product (other than those that cannot be delegated as a matter of law) when the General Counsel is present and is authorized to act on the General Counsel's behalf during the General Counsel's temporary absences.
Associate General Counsel for Enforcement
The Enforcement Division is responsible for overall enforcement of the FECA, with the exception of administrative fines for certain disclosure reports that are filed late or not at all and matters that are handled within the Alternative Dispute Resolution Office. Following procedures set forth in the statute, the Enforcement Division investigates alleged violations of the law, recommends to the Commission appropriate action to take with respect to apparent violations, and directly negotiates conciliation agreements, which may include civil penalties and other remedies, with respondents or their counsel to resolve the matter. If an enforcement matter does not conciliate during the administrative process, the Commission may authorize suit in district court, at which point the matter is transferred to the Litigation Division.
Associate General Counsel for Litigation
The Litigation Division represents the Commission before the federal district courts and courts of appeal in all civil litigation involving the campaign finance statutes. The Division assists the Solicitor General’s office at the Department of Justice when the Commission’s cases are before the Supreme Court.
Associate General Counsel for Policy
The Policy Division drafts advisory opinions and regulations for Commission consideration and counsels the Commission in audits and other matters requiring interpretation of federal campaign finance law. In addition, the Policy Division provides guidance regarding the implementation of legislation and court decisions and conducts legal reviews of Commission publications.
Neven Stipanovic was appointed Associate General Counsel for Policy in July 2019. Mr. Stipanovic joined the Commission in 2008 as a staff attorney in the Policy Division. In 2016, he was promoted to Acting Assistant General Counsel for Policy, and in 2018 to Acting Associate General Counsel for Policy. Prior to his arrival at the Commission, Mr. Stipanovic worked in private practice as an associate with two law firms in Washington, DC. He was an Associate with Baker & Hostetler from 2006 to 2008, and with Barnes, Richardson & Colburn from 2003 to 2006. Before embarking on a legal career, Mr. Stipanovic worked as an Economic Analyst at the World Trade Organization in Geneva, Switzerland from 1998 to 1999, and as a financial analyst for a real estate firm in Denver, Colorado from 1996 to 1998. Mr. Stipanovic received his J.D. from the George Washington University in 2002 and his B.S. from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 1996.