Drew Wilson
Corcoran Partners is one of Florida’s Top 5 lobbying firms after reporting more than $2.7 million in earnings last quarter.
Founding partner Michael Corcoran and the team of Matt Blair, Jacqueline Corcoran, Samantha Sexton Greer, Helen Levine, Bethany McAlister, Will Rodriguez and Andrea Tovar represented more than 100 clients in Q3.
Those contracts netted Corcoran Partners an estimated $1.85 million in legislative lobbying pay and an additional $853,000 in executive branch earnings. Both reports represent a quarter-over-quarter boost for the firm, with overall earnings increasing by about 17% from Q2, when the firm earned an estimated $2.3 million.
Florida Politics estimates lobbying pay based on the middle number of the per-client ranges firms list on their compensation reports. Contracts are reported in $10,000 increments up to $50,000. Using median estimates, Corcoran Partners ranked No. 5 on Florida Politics’ Q3 Lobby Firm Rankings.
Corcoran Partners’ Q3 tally was buoyed by a pair of massive contracts related to claims bills. Also known as “relief acts,” claims bills are intended to compensate a person for injuries or losses caused by the negligence or error of a public officer or agency. Without legislative approval, individuals can only receive $200,000 in a settlement with the state, regardless of the overall award.
One of the claims bill clients was the estate of Molly Parker, a woman from Santa Rosa Beach who was killed after a dump truck driven by a Florida Department of Transportation worker crashed into her car. The estate paid Corcoran Partners $208,000 for legislative lobbying and $89,000 for executive branch work.
The other claims contract was for Kristen Stewart, a woman who was struck by a truck driven by a Sarasota County employee and subsequently dragged 60 feet down a sidewalk. Stewart and her legal representation paid $201,000 for legislative lobbying and an additional $86,000 for executive branch work.
Following the claims bill clients was a recurring slate of high-dollar contracts. The largest of the bunch was with Fontainebleau Development, the South Florida-based luxury real estate development company behind the eponymous Fontainebleau Miami Beach and several other well-known hotels and resorts. It paid $68,000 for legislative lobbying work and the same amount for executive lobbying.
The Florida Optometric Association followed Fontainebleau on the client roster with a combined $120,000 in payments — $60,000 on each report.
The association has long battled ophthalmologists in what’s known as the “Eyeball Wars.” The 2023 Legislative Session saw ophthalmologists come out on top with the passage of a bill that essentially bans anyone but medical doctors and osteopathic physicians from using the word “physician” in their advertisements and daily interactions with patients.
Corcoran Partners also represented several well-known national corporations, including Coca-Cola. The client sheet was also stocked with Tampa Bay area interests, such as the Tampa Hillsborough Expressway Authority, the University of South Florida, Feeding Tampa Bay and Buccaneers Limited Partnership.
Corcoran Partners reported earning at least $1 million in lobbying pay on each of its compensation reports. Based on per-client ranges, the firm may have earned as much as $3.66 million — $2.33 million in the Legislature and $1.33 million in the executive.
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.
