Zach West

west@goconnorlaw.com

614.208.4375

Zach West is of counsel to O’Connor, Haseley, & Wilhelm. West’s practice focuses on political, government, and administrative law. With over a decade of experience in political law, Zach has worked with campaigns at all levels of government, from local ballot issues to presidential campaigns. Prior to joining O’Connor, Haseley, & Wilhelm, Zach served as the Ohio Democratic Party’s General Counsel for five years. During his tenure, Zach represented the party in a range of matters from multiple Voting Rights Act lawsuits to negotiating a first-of-its- kind collective bargaining agreement with Democratic campaign staff. Zach also advised elected officials and local candidates and parties on issues such as ballot access, campaign finance, and government ethics. Before joining ODP, Zach was in private practice for several years. Representative matters included advising a major municipality on the legality of endorsements of ballot issues in regularly published municipal newsletters using public funds; representing a 501(c)(3) organization in a dispute with a former board member who created a competing organization and sought to use his client’s goodwill and trademarks in fundraising; advising candidates and judges; and serving as treasurer of an independent expenditure-only committee (a “SuperPAC”). Before going to law school, Zach was a legal assistant at an election law firm in Columbus, Ohio, where he oversaw compliance operations for clients ranging from city council to presidential campaigns. Zach received his law degree from Case Western Reserve University, where he was on the staff of the Journal of Law, Technology & the Internet. He did his undergraduate work at The Ohio State University, where he majored in political science and minored in philosophy.