Drew Wilson
The state’s biggest lobbying firms may be scooping up $2 million plus every quarter, but there’s still plenty of work to go around for the rest of the lobby corps.
In fact, many of the firms in the back half of the Top 25 are putting up numbers that could go toe-to-toe with the blue bloods after considering team size.
Here’s a rundown of the No. 25 through No. 21 firms’ second-quarter numbers.
A reminder: Florida Politics estimates how much firms earn based on the middle number of the per-client ranges they list on their compensation reports. Firms report contracts in $10,000 increments. Compensation reports also include firm-level ranges, giving outsiders a rough idea of their minimum and maximum earnings.
No. 25: Becker & Poliakoff
The Becker team held its spot in the Top 25 last quarter, earning an estimated $645,000, most of it from the legislative branch.
The South Florida-based firm reported an estimated $640,000 in pay across 82 legislative lobbying contracts, with the City of Miami and Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated splitting the top spot in the $35,000-per-quarter bracket.
Government Affairs practice chief Bernie Friedman led the 10-person team, which also includes former Sen. Ellyn Bogdanoff, Jose Fuentes, Yolanda Cash Jackson, Max Losner, Nicholas Matthews, Cody Rogers, LaToya Sheals, Bryony Swift and Jileah Wilder.
Beyond the clients at the top of the sheet, Becker represented many South Florida interests, many hailing from its home turf in Broward and nearby Miami-Dade. The list included Broward County Public Schools and the Broward County Sheriff’s Office, as well as the city governments for South Miami, Homestead, Lauderdale Lakes, Lighthouse Point, Miami Springs, and North Lauderdale.
The firm’s executive branch report listed the same set of clients, but the only paid contract on that side of the fence was a $5,000 deal with Advanced Green Technologies.
Becker earned at least $500,000 from its Q1 clientele, with the firm’s top-end estimate coming in at around $1 million.
No. 24: PinPoint Results
The seven-person team at PinPoint Results entered the Top 25 after earning $655,000 last quarter.
Robert Beck, Bryan Cherry, Marti Coley, Vance Coley, Andrea Gheen, Tanya Jackson, and Jason Maine represented 59 clients in the Legislature and reported earnings of $405,000.
The top-paying client on the firm’s legislative compensation report was HCA Healthcare at $35,000. The hospital company was followed by Florida Children’s Rights Coalition at $25,000, with a dozen other clients close behind in the $15,000-per-quarter bracket.
PinPoint’s executive branch report listed the same clients, though most paid slightly less. The leads were Capital Asphalt, Charis Healthcare Holdings, Independent Living Systems and North Walton Rural Hospital, all chipped in $15,000.
According to the firm’s overall ranges, Q2 receipts could have reached $750,000 — $500,000 in the Legislature and $250,000 in the executive branch.
No. 23: The Fiorentino Group
Led by veteran lobbyist Marty Fiorentino, The Fiorentino Group has long been considered one of the Jacksonville area’s preeminent firms, which remained the case in Q2.
New reports show Fiorentino and partners Davis Bean, Melissa Braude, Earl Jones, Cody McCloud, and Joe Mobley collected $370,000 lobbying the Legislature and $340,000 lobbying the executive branch in Q1, for a grand total of $710,000.
As expected, the firm’s reports include many well-known Northeast Florida interests, such as UF Health Jax, Crowley Maritime, Flagler College, and Florida East Coast Railway. Each paid $30,000 last quarter — $15,000 for legislative lobbying and the same amount for executive branch work.
The Fiorentino Group is also the go-to firm for Jacksonville’s municipal government and the county government in Flagler. Flagler the firm $15,000 for legislative lobbying and $5,000 for executive, while Jax at $5,000 in each report.
According to the min-max disclosures on The Fiorentino Group’s reports, the firm collected at least $500,000 in Q2, while a top-end estimate places it in the $1 million range.
No. 22: The Vogel Group
The Vogel Group entered the Top 25 in Q1 and they held on in Q2 with another $700,000-plus performance.
The bulk of the firm’s $715,000 quarter came from their work in the Legislature, which netted the six-member team $465,000. The Vogel Group earned an additional $250,000 in the executive branch.
Lobbyists David Childs, Gary Hunter, Kyle Langan, Andrew Liebert, Chad Revis, and Eileen Stuart represented 41 clients for all or part of the quarter.
The firm’s legislative report listed Mosaic Fertilizer at $35,000, placing it in the No. 1 slot. Five $25,000 clients followed: The American Resort Development Association, Forestar Real Estate Group, JEA, the SAS Institute and Walt Disney Parks & Resorts.
Vogel’s executive branch report listed the same clients, most of whom were listed a rung or two down on the pay scale compared to the legislative report.
Still, there was a pair of $35,000 clients. Mosaic Fertilizer repeated in that pay range and shared the top spot with the Florida Water Environment Association Utility Council.
Overall, Vogel Group reported earning between $250,000 and $500,000 on each of its reports, making its quarterly minimum $500,000 and its maximum $1 million.
No. 21: Shumaker Advisors Florida
Shumaker Advisors Florida has consistently been in the Top 25 since it doubled down on its lobbying operation by acquiring Suskey Consulting — and Alan Suskey’s lobbying acumen — three years ago.
It remained a top firm in the first quarter, with legislative and executive reports showing a combined $760,000 in earnings, which represents a $20,000 bump from its Q1 report.
Shumaker’s reports were evenly split at $380,000 apiece, and both listed an identical set of principals — the firm represented 69 clients in all during the April-through-June reporting period — all of whom were listed in the same compensation brackets in each report.
The firm’s top clients in Q1 were Conduent Incorporated, FARM-ED, Florida Power & Light Co., the Florida Public Defender Association and Revival Ministries International. Each chipped in $15,000 for legislative work and $15,000 for executive branch work.
Local governments were another moneymaker for Shumaker, with several municipalities — many of them in Pinellas — trusting the firm to handle their business in the state capital. The list includes Gulfport, Madeira Beach, Oldsmar, Pensacola, Safety Harbor, St. Pete Beach and Treasure Island.
In all, the eight-person team led by Suskey reported earning at least $500,000 in Q1. The top end of per-client ranges indicate incomes may have been as high as $1 million.
