Lobbying compensation: Top 25 firms notched $700K+ in Q3

Image via Colin Hackley.

Florida Politics’ countdown of the Top 30 lobbying firms for Q3 continues with a rundown of the No. 25 through No. 21 ranked firms.

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.

With all that out of the way, here’s a rundown of the next five firms in the rankings — if you missed our look at the No. 30 through No. 26 ranked firms, you can check that out here.

No. 25: McGuireWoods Consulting

The team at McGuireWoods wrapped up Q3 with an estimated $690,000 in lobbying pay, snagging the No. 25 spot in the rankings.

Sara Clements, Jack Fahey, Rhett O’Doski, Ryder Rudd and Sean Stafford represented more than 50 clients in the third quarter, netting $500,000 lobbying the Legislature and another $190,000 lobbying the executive branch.

United Healthcare was the firm’s top legislative client, paying an estimated $35,000 over the three-month period. Following United were nine contracts in the $25,000 bracket.

Thompson Consulting Group, listed at $25,000, ranks as the firm’s top executive branch contract. CIGNA, Innovative Emergency Management, Lexia Learning, PRWT Services and Systems & Methods followed at $15,000 while the remainder of the firm’s legislative clientele chipped in $5,000 apiece.

According to McGuireWoods’ legislative report, the firm earned between $250,000 and $500,000 lobbying the Legislature and between $100,000 and $250,000 lobbying the executive branch in Q3. At the top end, the team could have reeled in $750,000.

No. 24: The Mayernick Group

The Mayernick Group finished the third quarter with an estimated $710,000 in pay, $620,000 of which flowed in through their efforts in the Legislature.

Led by husband-and-wife duo Frank and Tracy Mayernick, the firm represented 58 legislative clients in Q3, including a half-dozen that paid $25,000 apiece. Those contracts were with ALDI, Alkermes, Citrus Health Network, HCA Healthcare, Hikma Specialty USA and The Home Depot.

AT&T, Florida Power & Light Co. and U.S. Sugar are also among the powerhouses represented by The Mayernick Group, though their portfolio also includes a bevy of state-level interests such as the Florida Behavioral Health Association, Florida Health Care Association, Florida Medical Association and the Florida Network of Youth and Family Services.

The Mayernicks and lobbying partners Rob Johnson and Brooke Evans listed 50 executive branch clients, all of which overlapped with the legislative list. The list shows ALDI and

Energy Systems Group at the $15,000 level, while all other contracts on that side of the fence was in the up-to-$10,000 range.

Overall, the firm reported earning between $500,000 and $1 million in the Legislature and between $50,000 and $100,000 in the executive, making for a top-end earnings estimate of $1.1 million.

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 Q3.

New reports show Fiorentino and partners Davis Bean, Melissa Braude, Earl Jones, Cody McCloud and Joe Mobley collected $370,000 lobbying the Legislature and $350,000 lobbying the executive branch last quarter, for a grand total of $720,000.

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 paid 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 Q3, while a top-end estimate places it in the $1 million range.

No. 22: RSA Consulting Group

Ron Pierce and the roster of lobbyists at RSA Consulting Group reported earning an estimated $730,000 in the third quarter, once again earning a spot in the Top 25.

The Tampa Bay-based firm is a regional powerhouse and the firm’s client sheet is chock full of clients with “Tampa” in their name, such as the Tampa Bay Builders Association, Tampa Bay Partnership, the Tampa Bay Lightning and Tampa Theatre, among many others. In all, the firm represented 85 clients in the Legislature, earning an estimated $370,000.

Founder Pierce, COO Natalie King, VP Edward Briggs, Director of Government Relations Matthew Herndon, Government & Community Affairs Coordinator William George and lobbyists Melody Arnold and Natalie Brown also reported earning $360,000 in the executive branch via a nearly identical set of clients.

Both reports listed overall ranges between $250,000 and $500,000, indicating the firm finished Q3 with at least $500,000 in earnings and could have reached the $1 million mark.

No. 21: Anfield Consulting

Anfield Consulting snagged the No. 21 spot in the rankings on the back of a $500,000 haul in the Legislature and a $245,000 performance in the executive branch.

Al Balido, Frank Bernardino, Rosanna Catalano, Brett Cyphers, Natalie Fausel and Edgar Fernandez represented 61 clients in the Legislature for all or part of the quarter with 59 of those also relying on the firm to ply the Governor, Cabinet and state agencies.

The Polk County Commission, Resource Environmental Solutions and Canadian consulting juggernaut WSP topped the legislative report, with all three listed in the $35,000 bracket.

The firm’s overall total was bolstered by a slew of other county and municipal governments, including Gulf County, Indian River County, Monroe County, Palm Beach County, St. Lucie County, Flagler Beach, North Miami Beach, Broward County, Punta Gorda, Wildwood, Cutler Bay and Sunrise.

Anfield’s legislative report fell into the $250,000 to $500,000 range, while the exec sheet showed earnings in the $100,000 to $250,000 range, giving the firm a $350,000 floor and $750,000 ceiling.