The Election Law Partner at the Center of the Russia Dossier Story

For all his prowess in election law, Perkins Coie’s Marc E. Elias is unlikely to relish being the focus of attention in one of the most salacious and mysterious sagas at the heart of the 2016 presidential election.

Elias, a firm partner and chair of its high-powered political law practice, found himself in the spotlight after it was reported that he hired the research firm that compiled a controversial, but unverified, dossier detailing explosive allegations about President Donald Trump’s connections to Russia and those between his campaign and Russian representatives.

According to the Washington Post, which broke the story Oct. ...