Ballard Partners reclaimed the top spot in quarterly lobbying compensation last quarter, netting more than $7.4 million from its 200-plus clients.
New compensation reports show the team led by firm founder and president Brian Ballard collected $4.14 million lobbying the Legislature and another $3.29 million lobbying the executive branch during the January through March reporting period.
The total haul represents a $900,000 boost over Q4 and a $1.4 million increase over Q1 2022 when the firm reported $6 million in overall pay.
Florida Politics estimates lobbying pay based on the middle number of the per-client ranges firms listed on their compensation reports. Contracts are reported in $10,000 increments up to $50,000. Firms are also required to register overall earnings ranges. However, firm-level ranges top out at $1 million, a hurdle most Top 10 earning firms quickly cleared.
Ballard Partners was the top-earning firm overall last year, though The Southern Group kept it close and even sneaked past Ballard in Q4. The year-end score was $24.35 million for Ballard Partners and $25.02 million for TSG.
The Southern Group remained a fierce competitor in Q1, reporting $7.08 million in receipts from nearly 300 clients.
The firm, led by founder Paul Bradshaw, showed an estimated $4.37 million in legislative lobbying pay — more than any other firm on that side of the fence — and an additional $2.71 million in executive lobbying pay.
Like Ballard, The Southern Group's Q1 incomes show signs of growth, increasing 5% quarter-over-quarter and 20% year-over-year. The balance sheet boost follows a year after TSG cut the ribbon on new offices in Downtown Orlando and Broward County and grew its roster to 30-plus advocates with a string of splash hires.
Capital City Consulting held steady at the No. 3 spot with more than $6.2 million — another high watermark in quarterly pay.
Founded by Nick Iarossi and Ron LaFace, the firm represented over 250 clients in Q1, collecting an estimated $3.16 million in legislative lobbying fees and an additional $3.07 million in executive branch lobbying fees.
The combined total is 36% higher than in Q1 2022 when the firm earned $4.56 million, and 53% higher than in Q1 2021, when it reported $4.08 million in earnings.
GrayRobinson remained in the No. 4 spot with just over $3 million in Q1 earnings. The team led by Dean Cannon represented more than 180 clients, posting a $1.63 million report in the Legislature and adding another $1.38 million lobbying the executive branch.
Like the rest of the Top 5, GrayRobinson's quarterly tallies have ratcheted up over the past year — firm revenues are up about 10% compared to Q1 2022. They are also about $325,000 higher quarter-over-quarter.
Ron Book and lobbying partners Rana Brown, Kelly Mallette and Gabriela Navarro rounded out the Top 5 with $2.78 million in the first quarter.
The quartet earned the most Q1 pay in the Legislature, where reports show an estimated $2.28 million in receipts across its 100 or so clients. The report listed several contracts that broke the $50,000 cap on range reporting, with the largest being a $150,000 deal with Title Clerk Consulting Company. The firm's executive branch report showed another $500,000 in pay, with most clients checking in at the $5,000 level.
Compared to Q4, Book and Co. saw revenues grow by more than 10%. The Q1 haul was also about $250,000 higher than last year's quarter.
Florida lobbyists and lobbying firms faced a May 15 deadline to file compensation reports covering Jan. 1 through May. 31. Compensation reports for the second quarter are due to the state on Aug. 14.
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