Honorable mentions
The state’s biggest lobbying firms may be scooping up well over $2 million a quarter, but there’s still plenty of work to go around for the rest of the lobby corps.
In fact, many of the firms lingering just outside the Top 5 are putting up numbers that could go toe-to-toe with the bluebloods if team size is considered. Here’s a rundown of how the rest of the firms in the Top 15 fared in legislative lobbying revenues last quarter.
But first, a primer. Florida Politics estimates how much firms earn based on the middle number of the per-client ranges they list on their compensation reports. Contracts are reported in $10,000 increments. Compensation reports also include firm-level ranges, which can give outsiders a rough idea of their minimum and maximum earnings.
Florida lobbyists and lobbying firms faced a Aug. 14 deadline to file compensation reports for the period covering April 1 through July 31. Compensation reports for the third quarter are due to the state on Nov. 14.
No. 6: Greenberg Traurig
The team at Greenberg Traurig represented 90 clients and earned an estimated $1.1 million in the first quarter.
The team of Fred Baggett, Gus Corbella, Hayden Dempsey, Elizabeth Dudek, Samantha Ferrin, Fred Karlinsky and Timothy Stanfield submitted a legislative compensation report that was topped by five clients that paid $45,000 apiece: Baptist Health South Florida, Centauri Specialty Insurance, the Florida Association of Court Clerks & Comptrollers and Heritage Property & Casualty Insurance Company and Risk Management Solutions.
A half-dozen other clients were marked down at $35,000 on the legislative side. One of those clients was the Seminole Tribe of Florida, which is still battling the federal government over the new Gaming Compact allowing them to oversee sports betting in the state. The Tribe saw progress on that front this week when the U.S. Department of Interior filed a brief in support of the deal.
Two clients followed at the $25,000 level, and 30 at the $15,000 level. The remainder of Greenberg Traurig’s legislative clients were listed in the up-to-$10,000 range.
The bottom line of the firm’s legislative report shows the firm earned at least $1 million lobbying lawmakers, but the firm may have earned as much as $1.48 million.
No. 7: Metz Husband & Daughton
The eight-member team at Metz Husband & Daughton also posted a $1 million-plus report for Q2.
Warren Husband and James Daughton worked alongside lobbyists Doug Bell, Leslie Dughi, Allison Liby-Schoonover, Aimee Lyon, Andy Palmer and Karl Rasmussen to represent 88 clients, including one who broke through the cap on range reporting.
Amscot Financial paid the firm $51,000 for help in the Legislature. The Tampa-based company is best known for its check cashing and payday loan products, though it offers a range of other financial services such as money orders, wire transfers and notary services.
The firm’s No. 2 client was Attorneys’ Title Fund Services, which paid $35,000. It was followed by 10 clients at the $25,000 level, including Disney and General Motors.
Several well-known brands were also among the 39 clients listed in the $15,000 bracket. They included Avis Budget Group, Bristol-Myers Squibb, eBay, Microsoft, TikTok and StubHub.
The overall range listed on MHD’s report shows it earned at least $1 million in legislative lobbying pay. At the top end, the firm could have earned $1.4 million.
No. 8: Corcoran Partners
The team at Corcoran Partners netted just shy of $1 million lobbying the Legislature last quarter.
Michael Corcoran and lobbyists Jacqueline Corcoran, Matt Blair, Helen Levine, Bethany McAlister, Will Rodriguez, and Andrea Tovar juggled 87 clients during the three-month reporting period, including a pair that crossed the $50,000 mark.
The team’s top contract was with Fontainebleau Development, a South Florida-based luxury real estate development company behind the eponymous Fontainebleau Miami Beach and several other well-known hotels and resorts. It paid Corcoran Partners $68,000.
The No. 2 spot belonged to Merlin Law Group, a Tampa-based law firm that represents property owners in insurance claim litigation nationwide.
The Florida Optometric Association, one of the belligerents in the long-running “Eyeball Wars,” as well as The Big Easy Casino, a South Florida gaming venue, each chipped in $35,000 for the quarter.
Several major corporations — including some Fortune 500 companies — were listed further down on the report. Walmart, Verizon and Coca-Cola are but three examples.
Corcoran Partners’ overall range shows it collected between $500,000 and $1 million in legislative lobbying fees, and contract sizes indicate it was closer to the ceiling than the floor.
No. 9: Rubin, Turnbull & Associates
Lobbying firm Rubin, Turnbull & Associates tallied an estimated $886,000 in legislative lobbying fees during the reporting period.
Led by Bill Rubin and Heather Turnbull, the firm represented 78 legislative clients in Q2 and reported earning between $500,000 and $1 million for its efforts.
In addition to the named partners, Rubin Turnbull’s second-quarter team included Melissa Akeson, Jacqueline Carmona, Erica Chanti, Jodi Bock Davidson, Chris Finkbeiner, Zach Hubbard, Matthew Sacco and Sharonda Wright-Placide.
Their legislative report listed 78 clients. HCA Healthcare was at the top on the list with $56,000 in pay, which exceeds the cap on range reporting.
Agriculture powerhouse Florida Crystals and Charter Communications, the No. 2 cable TV and internet provider behind only Comcast, followed at the $35,000 level alongside The Richman Group of Florida and Twelvetrees Three.
Other major companies represented by Rubin Turnbull & Associates include health insurer Aetna, cruise giant Carnival Corporation, both of which paid $25,000 for the quarter.
No. 10: Smith Bryan & Myers
Smith Bryan & Myers rounded out the top 10 with an estimated $815,000 earned lobbying the House and Senate.
Led by Matt Bryan, the firm’s roster includes Teye Carmichael, David Daniel, Thomas Griffin, Jeff Hartley, Lisa Hurley and Jim Naff. They represented 84 clients in the Legislature, where they earned during the April-through-June reporting period.
The top of SBM’s legislative compensation report showed two clients that paid $35,000 apiece — the Hillsborough County Commission and JM Family Enterprises.
Three clients followed at the $25,000 level, including The Family Law Section of the Florida Bar, which led the opposition to this year’s alimony reform bill, which was vetoed by the Governor in late June.
Another 30 contracts measured in at $15,000. Several of those companies hailed from the health care industry, including the Florida Health Care Association, the Florida Hospital Association and Johnson & Johnson.
Other notable clients at the $15,000 level last quarter included the National Football League, Publix and the University of Florida.
Overall, SBM reported between $500,000 and $1 million in incomes lobbying the Legislature. Per-client pay ranges indicate it may have come close to the upper limit.
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