Margo Cardwell:

Born and raised in Austin, Margo attended Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., where she received her B.S. from the Walsh School of Foreign Service and majored in Science, Technology and International Affairs. While in Washington, Margo was an active member of the Georgetown University College Republicans, serving in multiple leadership roles. She was a frequent volunteer on the campaigns of Republican congressional and state candidates and interned on Capitol Hill for the then-senior U.S. Senator for Texas.

Cardwell returned to Austin to attend law school at the University of Texas. During this time, she worked for one of the state’s largest trade associations, where she drafted legal documents and policy memoranda that proved central to accomplishing the association’s key legislative priority during the 82nd Legislative Session.

After graduating law school, Margo served as General Counsel to a Republican Texas state senator. Following the 83rd Legislative Session, Margo joined Greg Abbott’s historic gubernatorial campaign during the 2014 election cycle, where she was the chief policy analyst. As a leading member of the policy team, Margo was instrumental in developing campaign policy on education, health care, natural resources, and criminal justice.

Prior to establishing Margo Cardwell, PLLC, Cardwell was employed at one of Austin’s top advocacy firms, where she represented the firm’s clients – spanning a myriad of industries – before the Texas legislature and the executive branch of state government.

In addition to her work as a legislative advocate, Margo is an accomplished attorney and one of the state’s few ethics lawyers. In this capacity, Margo advises legislators, statewide officeholders, and PACs on Texas election and campaign finance law.

Latest News: From Quorum Report (12/2): Margo Cardwell will join Rep. Phelan as General Counsel.

Ross Fischer:

Over 20 years practicing law, Ross Fischer has earned a wide array of appellations. Along the way, he has developed an expertise in the area of professional ethics, public law, and campaign finance.

Ross provides legal counsel to elected officials, candidates, trade associations, corporations, political committees, and public entities. Given his expertise in the area of professional ethics, he is often called upon to conduct investigations on behalf of organizational clients.

Ross is graduate of St. Edward’s University and of the University of Texas School of Law, both in Austin. More.

Ed Shack:

Ed Shack advises officeholders, candidates, political committees, lobbyists, attorneys, corporations, and the media regarding the conduct of state officials, campaign finance, lobby, and election laws. He has appeared as an expert witness in criminal trials and before grand juries and legislative committees.

Previously he served as a staff member of the Governor’s Ethics Task Force in 1991, which was responsible for drafting emergency rules for the new Texas Ethics Commission and laying the groundwork for the operation of the Commission. He is a former member, City of Austin Ethics Review Commission. He has taught “Ethics and Legal Issues” at the Seminars for Texas State Board Members

conducted by the Offices’ of former Governor George W. Bush and current Governor Rick Perry. Shack graduated with honors from the University of Texas School of Law in 1977. During the 1980’s he served as a staff attorney for the Elections Division of the Secretary of State.