US lawyers at UK firms dig deep for Obama
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US lawyers working for UK firms have backed Barack Obama’s presidential bid by donating nearly $400,000 to his campaign.
In an overwhelming show of support for the Democratic candidate, US employees at top UK-headquartered firms dug deep to fund his presidential bid, but largely ignored his Republican rival John McCain, whose campaign received $40,250 – a tenth of the Democrats’ total.
The figures come from the ;Federal ;Election Commission (FEC), which publishes details of all major donations to political parties and lobby groups.
The top fundraisers were firms with large numbers of US-based lawyers.
DLA Piper’s employees were by far the most generous, offering $272,866 to the Democratic cause and $12,850 to the Republicans.
The firm’s US-based chief executive Lee Miller is a staunch Democrat and has donated $28,500 this year – the maximum individual donation permitted by law.
Allen & Overy’s staff were the most pro-Republican, donating $17,900 to McCain.
They also donated $17,600 to ;Obama. ;Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer was
the most pro-Democrat firm, providing $27,450 for Obama but not a single cent for McCain.
To read about DLA Piper co-CEO Nigel Knowles meeting Barack Obama, click here.
Readers' comments (9)
Sarah Palin | 27-Oct-2008 4:17 pm
You betcha!
What's happened to all the Republican lawyers?
Don't they know that Obama wants to steal all their money and redistribute it to poor immigrants?
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Captain Birdseye | 27-Oct-2008 4:39 pm
A& Oh dear
Why is Allen & Overy giving so much to McCain. They do know he's a politician and not a brand of oven chips right?
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Sarah P. | 28-Oct-2008 11:06 am
Pro-Obama lawyers
They must be the ones in Unamerica. The lawyers in Real America are all supporting John and Me.
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Sam | 28-Oct-2008 5:23 pm
It's not about Democrat/Republican
The reason that so many rich lawyers are giving to the Democrats is because this time the ordinary political ties don't fit. Yes, rich corporate lawyers might like tax breaks but they also support the rule of law - something George WB has a very poor record of supporting. Sure, McCain might not be GWB, but the Republicans are tainted with his reputation for the near-term.
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Anon. | 28-Oct-2008 5:32 pm
It's cool to be with Obama
For a lot of Americans, particularly those based overseas, saying 'I'm not supporting Obama' is understood as 'I'm a racist and think George Bush's two terms weren't a disaster'. Being seen with the Republican at this juncture just isn't a good PR move.
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Nige | 28-Oct-2008 5:37 pm
I'm voting DLA
Nige for president!
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A. Lincoln | 29-Oct-2008 10:25 am
Lawyers aren't stupid
Two reasons top lawyers are backing Obama:
1) Being a corporate lawyer at a successful firm requires being smart, and no-one smart is backing the Republicans again.
2) These lawyers are international in focus, while McCain represents parochialism.
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Slick-talking lawyer | 30-Oct-2008 4:04 pm
Speak for yourself
McCain isn't Bush, he's McCain: a decent man and a war hero. Obama is just like Bill Clinton: a slick-talking lawyer, no hero. It might not be fashionable but my donation was with the Republicans.
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Anonymous | 2-Nov-2008 5:02 pm
Shock swings
As an ethnic minority lawyer practising in the London office of an American firm, I have been rather shocked to find out how colour-conscious my fellow American colleagues are. Many undecided colleagues have swung in favour of the Republicans, merely because they just couldn’t get themselves to vote for a “black” person.
It is even more shocking when one considers that out of the two candidates, it is Obama who shares similar (if not better) educational and other credentials as themselves. I hope that it is just my firm, and that this story has not been repeated in other firms, but something tells me that this may just be wishful thinking …
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