Drew Wilson
Jonathan Rees, the former Director of State Government Affairs for Anheuser-Busch, is joining the lobbying firm Smith Bryan & Myers.
“Jonathan Rees has established himself as a relentless advocate operating with the highest integrity and we are excited to have him join our team,” said Jeff Hartley, managing partner of Smith Bryan & Myers. “Jonathan’s diverse experience and well-established relationships will bring an additional level of service to our government affairs practice.”
At Anheuser-Busch, Rees developed, managed and executed plans to drive the company’s legislative strategy and commercial agenda, including overseeing a lobby team and budget in excess of $1 million within seven states.
Rees’ efforts secured a multimillion-dollar reduction in the company’s tax liability by decoupling from federal tax law in Florida, Tennessee and Mississippi; reformed Florida’s Beverage Law governing promotional displays and advertising; and helped defeat anti-competitive legislation in states such as Alabama and North Carolina.
Rees is a well-established figure within Florida politics having also served as the deputy legislative affairs director for the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, legislative assistant to former state Representative and Congressman Ross Spano and political affairs coordinator for the Associated Industries of Florida.
“Jonathan Rees brings a wealth of knowledge on policy and government to his new role. He is a trusted resource for me and my colleagues in the Florida Legislature, and we look forward to working with him to advance meaningful policies that support Florida families and strengthen the Sunshine State,” said Sen. Jim Boyd, a Sarasota Republican.
Smith Bryan & Myers is among the top-earning lobbying firms in the state. The seven lobbyists at SBM earned an estimated $1.34 million in Q3.
Based on median estimates, SBM earned $760,000 lobbying the Legislature and $580,000 lobbying the Governor, Cabinet and state agencies. SBM reported earnings between $500,000 and $1 million on each report, meaning it earned at least $1 million last quarter and had a top end of $2 million.
