William McGinley is a Partner at Holtzman Vogel and has spent more than two decades in Washington, D.C. helping clients navigate the difficult intersection of law and politics.

Prior joining the firm, Bill served as Assistant to the President and Cabinet Secretary in the White House and was responsible for managing the Office of Cabinet Affairs (OCA).  As the former head of OCA, he served as the primary liaison between the White House and the Cabinet of the United States. He also organized the President’s Cabinet Meetings, communications, policy implementation, logistics between the White House and Cabinet Members, and helped manage issues affecting multiple departments and agencies.

Prior to joining the Administration, Bill was a partner in two international law firms where he represented Members of Congress, candidates, and corporations in investigations before the Office of Congressional Ethics and the House and Senate Ethics Committees, enforcement matters before the Federal Election Commission and state agencies, and in grand jury proceedings. He also advised corporations and trade associations regarding the design and implementation of political law compliance programs, and candidates, political party committees, and outside groups regarding election law issues such as the establishment and operation of independent expenditure units.

Bill also has extensive experience with presidential campaigns.  He managed the delegate whip team during the 2016 Republican National Convention, served as counsel to the 2012 Convention Committee on Rules and Order of Business, and represented parties in delegate contests before the Credentials Committee at the 2012 Republican National Convention.  He has played a significant role in the national convention delegate process since the 1996 Republican National Convention.

Earlier in his career, Bill served as general counsel to the National Republican Senatorial Committee (“NRSC”). In this capacity he advised the NRSC and Republican senatorial campaign committees regarding ethics, campaign finance, ballot access, and other election law issues. He also served as deputy counsel to the Republican National Committee (“RNC”), where he served as counsel to the RNC Standing Committee on Rules, which makes recommendations to the national conventions concerning the Rules of the Republican Party and national convention delegate selection and allocation procedures.

Clerkship/Government Experience

  • Assistant to the President and Cabinet Secretary in the White House
  • General Counsel to the National Republican Senatorial Committee
  • Deputy Counsel to the Republican National Committee 
  • Past Adjunct Faculty Member, The George Washington University Law School, Campaign Finance
  • Chair, The George Washington University Law School’s Political Law Studies Initiative (PLSI) Steering Committee
  • The Washingtonian, “Top Lawyer” for campaign and election law
  • Chambers USA, nationally ranked in government for political law
  • Washington DC Super Lawyers, 2023
  • American Bar Association, Lobbying Manual (5th Edition), contributing author
  • Frequently quoted on political law topics in publications such as The Wall Street Journal, The New York Time, The Washington Post, and Politico
  • The George Washington University Law School, J.D., with honors
  • California State University at Long Beach, M.A.
  • University of California at Los Angeles, B.A.
  • District of Columbia Bar
  • Maryland Bar