News · Explainer
Who Does Mayer Brown Work For? Morocco, Iceland and Libya's Tri-Star, FARA Filings Show
Mayer Brown LLP registered under FARA in 2014 for Morocco's government and later added Iceland's embassy. Its registration was terminated in 2020.
By Americans for Transparency · Published
Written by AFTorg's automated desk from the public record. Before publication, each of its 27 statements was checked against the source it cites; 1 that could not be matched were cut. How this works · Report an error
The short answer
Under FARA, Mayer Brown LLP worked for foreign principals that DOJ lists as the Government of the Kingdom of Morocco, the Embassy of Iceland in Washington and Tri-Star International Trading, Co. of Libya. It is registrant No. 6236. It registered on 2014-07-30. Its registration was terminated on 2020-01-31. The filings name a partnership run by a Management Committee and list staff who did government relations. They do not show what any foreign principal paid.
- Mayer Brown LLP is FARA registrant No. 6236 and registered on 2014-07-30.
- DOJ lists three foreign principals: Iceland's embassy in Washington, Libya's Tri-Star International Trading, Co., and Morocco's government.
- The 2014 registration lists the Government of the Kingdom of Morocco as the foreign principal and lists three employees doing government relations.
- A 2019 Exhibit A adds the Embassy of Iceland in Washington and names Deputy Chief of Mission Hreinn Palsson as the official the firm dealt with.
- DOJ's index says the registration was terminated on 2020-01-31 and lists 31 filings, the latest stamped 2020-08-17.
Mayer Brown LLP represented foreign principals under the Foreign Agents Registration Act. DOJ lists three of them: the Embassy of Iceland in Washington, Tri-Star International Trading, Co. of Libya, and the Government of the Kingdom of Morocco.[1]
The firm is registrant No. 6236. It registered on 2014-07-30. DOJ's index says the registration was terminated on 2020-01-31. The index lists 31 filings from the firm. The latest is stamped 2020-08-17.[1]
Morocco came first
The 2014 registration statement lists one foreign principal: the Government of the Kingdom of Morocco, at its embassy address in Washington, DC. The firm said its work under the registration would be provided from its Washington, DC office.[2]
The firm described its regular business as a "Legal services provider". It listed Anthony Moffett, Michael A. Leibner and Michael J. Kelley as employees giving services for the foreign principal. The nature of the services is given as "Government relations".[2]
Iceland's embassy added in 2019
An Exhibit A received on 07/26/2019 names The Embassy of Iceland in Washington as a foreign principal. It gives the embassy's address at the House of Sweden on K Street, NW. It names Hreinn Palsson, Deputy Chief of Mission, as the official the registrant deals with.[3]
Libya's Tri-Star
DOJ's index lists Tri-Star International Trading, Co. (LIBYA) as a foreign principal. None of the filings provided here describes the work for Tri-Star. On that work: Inconclusive.[1]
Who runs the firm
“Mayer Brown LLP is a limited liability partnership that is managed by the Management Committee of Mayer Brown.”
The filing says the committee's members are partners of Mayer Brown LLP or of affiliated Mayer Brown entities outside the United States. Asked which partners or officers serve the foreign principals directly, the firm answered "None".[2]
DOJ's index names eight short-form registrants: Omar El-Khattabi, Michael J. Kelley, Duane Layton, Michael A. Leibner, Anthony Moffett, Warren Payne III, Heather Smith and Tiffany Smith.[1]
Why this matters
FARA filings show who works in Washington for foreign governments. The Exhibit A form says every filing is a public record open to inspection. It says the Attorney General reports to Congress twice a year on the names of all registered agents and the foreign principals they represent. These filings name Morocco's government and Iceland's embassy as Mayer Brown's foreign principals, and they name the people who did the work.[3][1][2]
What is not known
The filings provided here show no payment amounts. They describe no informational materials and no specific political activities. They do not say what the government relations work involved.[2][4]
The paperwork
Questions people ask
Who does Mayer Brown work for?
Mayer Brown LLP's FARA filings list three foreign principals: the Embassy of Iceland in Washington, Tri-Star International Trading, Co. of Libya, and the Government of the Kingdom of Morocco, DOJ's index shows. Its FARA registration was terminated on 2020-01-31.
Who runs Mayer Brown and what is its FARA registration about?
Mayer Brown LLP's 2014 FARA registration says the limited liability partnership is managed by its Management Committee of partners. The firm registered to act for Morocco's government and later added Iceland's embassy. It listed Anthony Moffett, Michael A. Leibner and Michael J. Kelley doing government relations.
Is Mayer Brown a registered foreign agent?
Mayer Brown LLP registered under the Foreign Agents Registration Act on 2014-07-30 as registrant No. 6236. DOJ's index says that registration was terminated on 2020-01-31. A FARA registration is a legal public disclosure.
Who at Mayer Brown is named in its FARA filings?
DOJ's index names eight short-form registrants for Mayer Brown LLP: Omar El-Khattabi, Michael J. Kelley, Duane Layton, Michael A. Leibner, Anthony Moffett, Warren Payne III, Heather Smith and Tiffany Smith.
How much was Mayer Brown paid by foreign governments?
The Mayer Brown LLP FARA filings provided here show no payment amounts from Morocco, Iceland or Tri-Star. On payments, the record here is Inconclusive.
Sources
- [1]U.S. Department of Justice, FARA Unit, FARA filing index for Mayer Brown, LLP (No. 6236), August 17, 2020. Primary record“Its registration was terminated 2020-01-31.”
- [2]U.S. Department of Justice, FARA Unit, Mayer Brown, LLP: Registration Statement, stamped 2014-07-30, July 30, 2014. Primary record“Legal services provider”
- [3]U.S. Department of Justice, FARA Unit, Mayer Brown, LLP: Exhibit AB, stamped 2019-07-26, July 26, 2019. Primary record“Hreinn Palsson, Deputy Chief of Mission”
- [4]U.S. Department of Justice, FARA Unit, Mayer Brown, LLP: Supplemental Statement, stamped 2020-02-28, February 28, 2020. Primary record“Embassy of Iceland in Washington”