Lobbying compensation: Top 15 firms clear $1M+ in Q3

Image via Colin Hackley.

Florida Politics’ countdown of the Top 30 lobbying firms for Q3 continues with a rundown of the No. 15 through No. 11 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.

If you are joining the countdown late, catch it by reading Florida Politics’ posts on the No. 30-26, No. 25-21 and No. 20-16 ranked firms.

No. 14 (Tie): Ramba Consulting Group

The firm led by David Ramba finished the third quarter with a $1 million haul, tying for No. 14 in Florida Politics’ rankings.

Ramba Consulting Group, which also has Republican Party of Florida Chair Evan Power in its stable of advocates, handled more than 50 clients in Q3. The team also includes Allison Carvajal, Ryan Cox, Paul Handerhan and Cameron Yarbrough.

Its most lucrative contract was a $45,000 deal with the Florida Optometric Association, the statewide trade group for optometrists. The Florida Chiropractic Association and Propel Florida tied for the second-place spot at $35,000 apiece.

The Florida Automobile Dealers Association, Florida Concrete & Products Association, Florida Healthy Alternatives Association, Josera and Tampa Bay Downs were one rung down at the $25,000 level.

The bottom line of the firm’s reports show it earned between $250,000 and $500,000 in the Legislature and the exec. Per-client ranges show it may have hit the ceiling on each report, with potential earnings of $1million in Q3.

No. 14 (Tie): Continental Strategy

Continental Strategy is once again a Top 15 firm.

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. In Q1, it earned the No. 16 slot and last quarter in cracked the Top 15.

It kept pace in Q3, with an estimated $1 million in earnings across its legislative and executive reports.

Since its founding, the Continental Strategies team has added a solid mix of veteran lobbyists and rising stars in the field. The roster include James Card, Tom DiGiacomo, Gangul Gabadage, Courtney Larkin, Tyler Russell, and Ashley Spicola.

Though Continental is a force in Florida, it recently made a play to expand its practice in Washington by installing Alberto Martinez as the managing partner of the firm’s D.C. office.

The firm’s 61 legislative branch contracts produced a combined $500,000 in earnings and the firm’s executive branch report showed the same amount.

Continental’s top clients in the Legislature were CREI Holdings and the Safety Net Hospital Alliance of Florida, both of 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 Q3.

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 of all, Google.

No. 13: Johnson & Blanton

The five lobbyists at Johnson & Blanton kept up the pace they set in the first half of the year with another $1.1 million compensation report.

The firm, led by Jon Johnson and Travis Blanton, reported earning $1.08 million in the third quarter, with $680,000 earned via its efforts in the Legislature and the remaining $405,000 listed on its executive report.

Team J&B — including Marnie George, Darrick McGhee Sr. and Eric Prutsman — represented 84 clients last quarter.

Advent Health topped the legislative compensation report with a $35,000 check. 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 Q3 and may have earned as much as $1.5 million.

No. 12: Floridian Partners

The nine-person team at Floridian Partners reported $1.36 million in earnings for Q3, which is within a hair of the high watermark it hit in Q2.

Lobbyists Charles Dudley, Jorge Chamizo, Clayton Clemens, George Feijoo, Hunter Flack, Cory Guzzo, Gary Guzzo, Toby Philpot and Melissa Ramba represented 73 clients in the third 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 and MorseLife were one rung down at $35,000, while nice 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, with each contributing $45,000 to the executive branch total.

Floridian Partners’ overall earnings fell within the $500,000 to $1 million on both reports, meaning the firm earned at least $1 million in Q3. At the top end, Team J&B could have earned $1.8 million.

No. 11: Smith Bryan & Myers

Smith Bryan & Myers held firm at No. 11 last quarter with an estimated $1.49 million in earnings.

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 third quarter, they represented more than 100 clients.

TMX Finance of Florida topped SBM’s legislative compensation with a $35,000 check. A quartet of $25,000 clients followed. The list: The Family Law Section of the Florida Bar, the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association, HS1 Medical Management and JM Family Enterprises. With the other 97 clients mixed in, the firm’s legislative earnings worked out to $855,000 million in Q3.

The firm’s executive branch tally was $635,000. The report listed the same clients as the legislative version, although most paid slightly less for executive help. The top of the report shows a glut of contracts worth $15,000 apiece. A sampling from that set: American Integrity Insurance Company, BusPatrol America, the Florida Hospital Association, Publix  and Turo.

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 Q3 is $2 million.