Boutique lobbying firms packed a big punch in second quarter of 2016

Small firms stayed busy during the second quarter of 2016, despite each reporting earnings of less than $100,000 in the three-month period.

Stuart K. Brown’s SKB Consulting reported earning between $50,000 and $99,999 during the second quarter. The firm reported similar earnings in the first quarter of the year.

Brown’s clients include the Consortium of Florida Education Foundations, Independent Colleges & Universities of Florida, K12 Inc., Scholastic Inc., and Teaching Strategies Inc., all of which paid between $1 and $9,999 for his services in the second quarter.

Firms must file compensation reports each quarter. The reports covering the second quarter of 2016 are due on Aug. 14. The reports typically include compensation ranges.

Sunrise Consulting and Unconventional Strategies also reported earning between $50,000 and $99,999 in the second quarter.

Shawn Foster boasts a dozen clients at Sunrise Consulting. Clients during the second quarter included the Florida Blueberry Festival and the Florida Blueberry Growers Association, which paid between $1 and $9,999.

Other clients included the Pasco County Board of County Commissioners, the Pasco Hernando State College Foundation, and Seven Diamonds LLC., which paid between $10,000 and $19,999 for legislative services.

At Unconventional Strategies, the team of Adam B. Corey, Nicholas G. Matthews, and Ralph L. Schwarz reported earning $50,000 to $99,999 in the second quarter of 2016.

The team’s clients included the Coalition of Affordable Housing Providers and Presidio Networked Solutions, which paid between $10,000 and $19,999 for legislative services; Computer Aid Inc. and Uncompass, which paid between $20,000 and $29,999; and B&L Services Inc. and Quest Management Group, which paid between $1 and $9,999 for legislative services in the second quarter of the year.

The Labrador Company also reported earnings between $50,000 and $99,999 in the second quarter of 2016. Led by Brecht Heuchan, the Tallahassee firm represented more than a half-dozen clients between April 1 and June 30.

Heuchan’s clients included the Florida Justice Association, The Richman Group of Florida, Southern Wine & Spirits of America, and Wilkes & McHugh P.A., all of which paid between $10,000 and $19,999 for legislative services. The American Progressive Bag Alliance, which paid between $1 and $9,999, also tapped Heuchan for legislative services.

While all four of these firms reported earnings similar to those reported during the first quarter of 2016, not all of the state’s small firms were as lucky.

Lobbying reports filed with the state lobbyist compensation website show a few firms — including Louis Betz & Associates, Paul Hawkes, and Jefferson Monroe Consulting — saw a drop in reported earnings in the second quarter.

That drop, however, could be due to the timing of the annual 60-day legislative session. The Florida Legislature met from January to March this year, instead of holding its normal spring session. That means the three-month reporting period covers the months after session ended.

Louis Betz & Associates earned between $50,000 and $99,999 in the second quarter. That’s down from the first three months of the year, when the two-man team of Louis Betz and Travis Mitchell reported earning between $100,000 and $249,999.

Despite a drop in reported earnings, the firm continued to stay busy. It boasted a roster of more than two dozen clients including the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay, the Museum of Science and Industry, and the Tampa-Hillsborough County Expressway Authority, all of which paid the firm between $1 and $9,999 for legislative services in the second quarter.

The firm also represented American Traffic Solutions, Tampa Taxi Coalition, and Waste Management Inc. of Florida, all of which paid between $10,000 and $19,999 for legislative services.

Hawkes also saw his earnings decline from reporting period to reporting period. The Tallahassee-based lobbyist reported earning between $50,000 and $99,999 in the second quarter of 2016. That’s down from the first three months of the year, when state records show he reported earning between $100,000 and $249,999.

Hawkes’ clients in the second quarter included Duke Energy Corp., the Florida Court and Comptrollers, the Florida Medical Association, the Florida Public Defenders Association, and Shands Jacksonville Medical Center, all of which paid between $1 and $9,999 for legislative services.

Jefferson Monroe Consulting reported earning up to $49,999. That’s down from the first quarter of 2016, when the the firm — founded in 2008 by Chip Case — reported earning between $50,000 and $99,999.

Top clients included the Safety Net Hospital Alliance of Florida, which paid between $10,000 and $19,999 for legislative services; the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network and its affiliates; the University of West Florida Foundation; and the Florida Independent Pharmacy Network, all three of which paid between $1 and $9,999 for legislative services.