Drew Wilson
New compensation reports show lobbying firm Metz Husband & Daughton topped $1 million in revenues during the second quarter.
Named partners Jim Daughton and Warren Husband worked alongside lobbyists Andy Palmer, Douglas Bell, Aimee Diaz Lyon, Alli Liby-Schoonover, Patricia Greene and Pierce Schuessler last quarter, handling the needs of more than 70 clients.
Their efforts netted an estimated $836,000 in legislative lobbying fees, with another $250,000 coming in through executive branch work.
Lobbying firms also list ranges for their overall pay. According to those, MHD earned no less than $600,000 and may have earned as much as $1.25 million last quarter. The top-end figure matches the firm’s haul for the same quarter last year.
Florida lobbyists report their pay in ranges covering $10,000 increments up to $50,000, after which they must report the exact amount of pay they received. Florida Politics estimates lobbying pay using the middle number of each range.
MHD’s legislative compensation report shows one client, Amscot Financial, broke the cap for range reporting, paying the firm $51,000.
At the $35,000 level, Attorneys’ Title Fund Services was the second-most lucrative legislative contract. It was followed by eight principals paying $25,000 apiece to retain the MHD team. Several well-known companies were among them, including Disney, General Motors and Avis Budget Group.
The executive compensation report shows the same cast of clients, though mostly in lower pay brackets.
Bluebird bio, Carr Riggs & Ingram and Curaleaf Florida tied for the top spot on the report, each paying $15,000 for the quarter. The rest of MHD’s executive Clients showed up in the up-to-$10,000 bracket.
Despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic causing some firms’ revenues to dip, MHD’s overall performance last quarter puts them on track to match their annual total for the past couple years Q2 — about $4.4 million in 2018 and about $4.6 million last year.
When lobbyists and their firms sign lobbying agreements with each client, they are required to report all earnings with the state on a quarterly basis.
Firms faced an Aug. 14 deadline to file compensation reports for the period covering April 1 through June 31. Compensation reports for the third quarter of 2020 are due to the state on Nov. 14.
