Drew Wilson
Corcoran Partners earned more than $1.5 million in lobbying fees last quarter, new compensation reports show.
The firm led by Michael Corcoran represented more than 100 clients during the July-through-September reporting period, collecting $1.08 million lobbying lawmakers and another $568,000 lobbying the Governor, Cabinet and state agencies.
In addition to Corcoran, the third-quarter team included Jacqueline Corcoran, Matt Blair, Helen Levine, Bethany McAlister, Will Rodriguez and Andrea Tovar.
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.
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 in Q3, which comes in above the $50,000 cap on range reporting.
Fontainebleau Development also paid $68,000 for executive branch lobbying work, making it the firm’s top client overall.
Corcoran Partners’ No. 2 client last quarter was the Florida Optometric Association, which has for years been advocating for expanded scope-of-practice for optometrists in the “Eyeball Wars.” The association had a $35,000 legislative lobbying contract and a $35,000 executive branch lobbying contract, for a total of $70,000 in Q3 payments.
The Big Easy Casino, a South Florida gaming venue, also showed up in the $35,000 bracket on Corcoran Partners’ legislative compensation report, and chipped in another $15,000 for the team’s help in the executive.
Corcoran Partners contracts include dozens of well-known interests in the $25,000 or $15,000 range, such as Lennar Corporation, the University of South Florida, Verizon, Walmart, Florida Crystals, Nova Southeastern University and the Philadelphia Phillies, which is one of many teams to hold spring training in the Sunshine State.
The firm reported earning at least $1 million in legislative lobbying pay and between $500,000 and $1 million in executive branch lobbying pay, meaning it earned no less than $1.5 million in Q3. Based on per-client ranges, the firm could have earned as much as $2.45 million.
Florida lobbyists and lobbying firms faced a Nov. 14 deadline to file compensation reports for the period covering July 1 through Sept. 30. Compensation reports for the fourth quarter are due to the state on Feb. 14.
