Attorney Avi D. Kelin, an expert in campaign finance law, has been named the new chair of Genova Burns’ Corporate Political Activity Law Group, the firm announced this week.
The Nov. 7 General Election will be the first governed by the New Jersey Elections Transparency Act, a law signed in April that represents the most significant change in how New Jersey’s elections are financed in at least 15 years. All 120 seats in the New Jersey Legislature are on the ballot in November, and there are expected to be several close races.
“Many people, corporations, and nonprofits will be newly involved in the political process because they have heard about the new laws and understand the stakes of our elections,” Kelin said Tuesday. “People want to have a voice, and they feel this is a great time to do it.”
New Jersey’s 2023 legislative elections are also seen across the country as foreshadowing turnout and relative political strength ahead of 2024’s presidential and congressional elections, and ahead of 2025’s New Jersey gubernatorial election. Gov. Phil Murphy, now in his second four-year term, is prohibited by the constitution from running for a third term in office in 2025.
“Political campaigns, strategists, and commentators will tune into New Jersey election results for a preview of the next two years—and people and organizations recognize this as an opportunity,” Kelin said.
Kelin helps businesses, trade associations, and nonprofits interact with government and the political process, focusing on campaign-finance law, pay-to-play restrictions, lobbying, government-ethics rules, and government contracting.
He has formed and operates many New Jersey, federal, and multi-jurisdiction PACs, Super PACs, 501(c)(3) charities, and 501(c)(4) social-welfare organizations, and he was also recognized as an Essex County Top Lawyer in both 2022 and 2023 in the area of nonprofit law.
“Having worked with Avi personally for many years as a colleague, I know him to be exceptional in his command of campaign finance and political law,” says Angelo J. Genova, Esq., chairman of Genova Burns LLC. “He is ready to assume the mantle of the Genova Burns legacy in this unique practice area, one in which our firm has been a recognized leader for decades.”
Previously, Kelin founded Genova Burns’ Automated Vehicle Practice and served on New Jersey’s Advanced Autonomous Vehicle Task Force, which submitted a 2020 report to the Governor and Legislature with recommendations on laws and regulations the state should adopt for driverless vehicles.
An alumnus of the ADL Glass Leadership Institute and Lead NJ, Kelin currently serves as a member of the board of advisors of the Meadowlands Chamber and of the board of directors of the New Jersey Jewish Business Alliance.
