Drew Wilson
Florida Politics’ countdown of the top lobbying firms in the state continues with a rundown of the No. 15 through No. 11 ranked firms, all of which topped $1 million in revenues last quarter.
Those just now tuning in can catch up by reading Florida Politics’ reports on the No. 25-No. 21 and the No. 20-No.16 firms, published earlier this week.
As in past lobbying compensation stories, the revenue estimates below represent the sum of the middle number of the per-client ranges firms 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. 15: Continental Strategy
Another quarter, another rung up in the rankings for Continental Strategy.
Co-founded by former state Representative and U.S. Amb. Carlos Trujillo, the state-level lobbying practice entered the Top 25 in 2023 — its first full year of operation — and in Q1, it earned the No. 16 slot on the list. Three months later, Continental can officially call itself a Top 15 firm.
Since its founding, the Continental Strategies team has added a solid mix of veteran lobbyists and rising stars in the field. The roster includes James Card, Tom DiGiacomo, Gangul Gabadage, Courtney Larkin, Tyler Russell, and Ashley Spicola.
The firm’s 60 legislative branch contracts produced a combined $560,000 in earnings. The firm’s executive branch report showed an additional $470,000 in pay for an overall total of $1.03 million.
Continental’s top client in the Legislature was the Safety Net Hospital Alliance of Florida, which cut the firm a $35,000 check. World Wide Technology took No. 1 in the Executive, with an estimated $45,000 in payments during Q2.
The diverse client sheet also includes Sazerac — the company behind Stagg Bourbon, which is rightfully climbing out of criminally underappreciated territory — and one of the biggest Big Tech companies, Google.
No. 14: Johnston & Stewart Government Strategies
Johnston & Stewart held steady at No. 14, earning an estimated $1.08 million during the April-through-June reporting period.
There were no roster changes from last quarter, with the firm sticking to the power quartet of Jeff Johnston, Amanda Stewart, Anita Berry, and Omar Raschid. Their efforts netted $730,000 in the Legislature and $345,000 in the Executive.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office was far and away the top paying client—its $70,000 nearly half again exceeds the cap on range reporting. Gulfstream Park Racing Association was the distant No. 2 at $35,000.
The Hillsborough Sheriff repeated as the top client on the firm’s executive branch report, chipping in $35,000 last quarter, or $105,000 overall, combined with its legislative lobbying retainers.
Five clients followed in the $10,000 to $20,000 range: The Florida Horsemen’s Benevolent & Protective Association, Gulfstream Park Racing Association, Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, the Nicklaus Children’s Health System and TECO Energy.
Overall, the firm reported earning between $500,000 and $1 million lobbying the Legislature and between $250,000 and $500,000 lobbying the executive branch, indicating the firm earned at least $750,000 in Q2. Johnston & Stewart could have earned as much as $1.5 million at the high end.
No. 13: Johnson & Blanton
The five lobbyists at Johnson & Blanton are stuck to the pace they set in Q1 with another $1.1 million-plus compensation report.
The firm, led by Jon Johnson and Travis Blanton, reported earning $1.12 million in the second quarter, with $690,000 earned via its efforts in the Legislature and the remaining $450,000 listed on its executive report.
Team J&B — including Marnie George, Darrick McGhee Sr. and Eric Prutsman — represented 85 clients last quarter.
Advent Health topped the legislative compensation report with a $35,000 salary. It was also J&B’s top client in the executive branch, paying the firm an additional $25,000.
As one might presume from the top client, the health care industry is Team J&B’s biggest revenue driver. The firm represents numerous associations, insurers, corporations, and other health care-related interests, such as DaVita, the Florida Academy of Dermatology, the Florida Dental Association, the Florida Hospice & Palliative Care Association, the Florida Hospital Association, and the Florida Psychological Association, among others.
The total earnings range on J&B’s legislative report was $500,000 to $1 million, while executive earnings were between $250,000 and $500,000. Based on those figures and the top end of each client contract, Johnson & Blanton earned at least $750,000 in Q2 and may have earned as much as $1.5 million.
No. 12: Floridian Partners
The nine-person team at Floridian Partners reported $1.41 million in earnings for Q2, making it one of few firms to report a quarter-over-quarter revenue bump.
Lobbyists Charles Dudley, Jorge Chamizo, Clayton Clemens, George Feijoo, Hunter Flack, Cory Guzzo, Gary Guzzo, Toby Philpot and Melissa Ramba represented 74 clients in the first quarter.
Two $45,000-level clients topped their legislative report: Elevance Health and Florida Internet & Television, the industry association representing major cable providers operating in the state. The Seminole Tribe of Florida was one rung down at $35,000, while 10 other contracts were listed in the $25,000 bracket.
The National Council on Compensation Insurance outperformed the rest of the firm’s executive branch clients with $56,000 in payments—the cap on range reporting is $50,000, so that figure is exact. Elevance Health and Washington, D.C.-based law firm Venable weren’t far behind, contributing $45,000 to the executive branch total.
Floridian Partners’ overall earnings fell within the $500,000 to $1 million range in the Legislature and the $250,000 to $500,000 range in the eExecutive meaning the firm earned at least $750,000 and may have earned as much as $1.5 million.
No. 11: Smith Bryan & Myers
Smith Bryan & Myers had a strong quarter with $1.64 million in pay, though the slight dip from Q1 pushed it just outside the Top 10.
Led by Matt Bryan and Jeff Hartley, the firm’s roster includes Teye Carmichael, David Daniel, Lisa Hurley, Jim Naff, and Jonathan Rees. In the second quarter, they represented more than 100 clients.
The top of SBM’s legislative compensation report features a half-dozen $25,000 clients. The list: The Family Law Section of the Florida Bar, the Florida Chamber of Commerce, the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association, the Hillsborough County Commission, HS1 Medical Management and JM Family Enterprises.
With the other 99 clients mixed in, the firm’s legislative earnings worked out to $905,000 million in Q2.
The firm’s executive branch tally was $730,000. The report listed the same clients as the legislative version, although most paid slightly less for executive help. MLU Services was the solo No. 1 at $35,000, and Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company took No. 2 with $25,000 in payments.
SBM reported earning between $500,000 and $1 million on each of its reports, meaning the firm earned at least $1 million last quarter. The firm’s top-end estimate for Q2 is $2 million.
