Lobbying compensation: Greenberg Traurig earns at least $1.5M in Q2 fees

Greenberg Traurig is one of a handful of lobbying firms that routinely breaks the $1 million mark in legislative lobbying compensation.

They continued that trend in the second quarter, wrangling an estimated $1.19 million in pay representing their 100-plus clients in the Legislature. The firm also raked in $700,000 for executive branch lobbying, bringing their Q2 earnings to the precipice of $1.9 million.

Florida lobbyists report their pay in ranges covering $10,000 increments up to $50,000, after which they must report their exact pay to the nearest $1,000. Florida Politics uses the middle number of each range to estimate overall pay.

According to the legislative compensation report, the team of David Ashburn, Fred Baggett, Kerri Barsh, Gus Corbella, Hayden Dempsey, Elizabeth Dudek, Leslie Dughi, Fred Karlinsky, Barry Richard and Timothy Stanfield earned a paycheck from 110 clients in Q2.

Topping the list were a trio of principals paying $45,000 apiece to retain the firm: Guy Carpenter & Company, Heritage Property & Casualty Insurance Company and Humana Medical Plan.

Following them were seven contracts in the ballpark of $35,000; a half-dozen weighing in at $25,000; 28 at the $15,000 level; and more than three dozen chipping in $5,000 each during the reporting period.

Household names on the client sheet included the Seminole Tribe of Florida, AT&T, Florida Power & Light Company, Ford Motor Company and LegalZoom.com.

The executive branch report included the same cast as the legislative one, with Richard Fidei and Mary Keating also pitching in. The client roster was larger, too, with 134 principals making the list.

The report featured the firm’s top contract of the quarter, a $56,000 haul from Terrace of Kissimmee. It was Greenberg Traurig’s lone client to bust through the $50,000 cap on range reporting.

Following the 120-bed rehabilitation center were ArtCan Group and Heritage Property & Casualty Insurance Company at the $35,000 level.

Heritage’s placement on the executive report indicates it was likely the firm’s most lucrative client overall — the ranges show it paid no less than $70,000 for the quarter with a top end of $90,000. Terrace of Kissimmee could also lay claim to the No. 1 spot as it paid an estimated $15,000 for legislative lobbying, putting the client between $66,000 and $76,000 for the reporting period.

The executive compensation report continued with three $25,000 contracts and 10 in the $15,000 range. A whopping 70 clients paid Greenberg Traurig about $5,000 each to lobby the Governor and Cabinet.

In addition to per-client compensation, lobbying firms must report an overall pay range on each disclosure.

Greenberg Traurig reported earning no less than $1 million via legislative lobbying in Q2 and the executive report registered in the $500,000 to $1 million range, indicating minimum earnings of $1.5 million with a top end that could have surpassed $2 million for the quarter — if the firm earned top dollar from their legislative clients, that report could have crossed the $1.6 million mark.

Including median estimates from the first quarter, Greenberg Traurig has already earned $3.84 million this year while maximum estimates would put them past the $5 million mark.

That keeps the firm ahead of schedule compared to 2018, when it earned $7.7 million for the year.

Florida lobbyists and lobbying firms must name their clients when they sign lobbying agreements and must report their earnings from each client on a quarterly basis. Reports for the second quarter were due Aug. 14.