Lobbying compensation: Ballard Partners takes No. 1 in Q3, The Southern Group close behind

Brian Ballard remains on top. Image via Bloomberg.

Ballard Partners earned the No. 1 spot in Florida Politics’ lobby firm rankings with a whopping $9 million quarter.

The firm, founded by Brian Ballard, collected $5.25 million in legislative lobbying pay and reeled in $3.76 million lobbying the executive branch for an overall total of $9.01 million received in Q3.

More than 300 clients contributed to Ballard Partners’ gold-medal effort last quarter, and several paid the firm more than the $50,000 cap on range reporting.

At the top of the heap: the Council of Florida Medical School Deans at $256,000, split evenly between Ballard’s legislative and executive branch earnings reports. Extremity Care was close behind at $250,000 — or, $125,000 on each report.

The firm had two dozen crew members on deck for the quarter. In addition to Brian Ballard and Tallahassee Managing Partner Abby Vail, the team included Michael Abrams, former Florida CFO Jeff Atwater, Brady Benford, Carol Bracy, Christina Brodeur, Bradley Burleson, Robert Burleson, Jennifer Busby, former DeSantis Deputy Chief of Staff Courtney Coppola, Ana Cruz, former Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry, former Rep. Jose Diaz, former Secretary of Economic Opportunity Dane Eagle, Jordan Elsbury, Mathew Forrest, Jan Gorrie, Christopher Hansen, John Johnston, Todd Josko, former DeSantis Chief of Staff Adrian Lukis, Carlos Ramos, Monica Rodriguez, Katherine San Pedro, Justin Sayfie, Tola Thompson, Courtney Whitney and Amy Young.

Ballard Partners is back on top after ceding first place to The Southern Group in Q2. The firms have finished neck-and-neck for the past several quarters — Ballard was No. 1 in Q1 2024 and Q4 2023, though TSG’s strong showings earlier last year secured it the top spot in the annual rankings.

The final tally was especially close in Q3 — just $238,000 separated the top two firms. The Southern Group’s reports combined to $8.77 million, with $5.14 million coming via the Legislature and $3.63 million earned lobbying the executive branch.

Led by Paul Bradshaw, TSG’s client sheet also sported several $50,000-plus contracts. At $54,000 and $52,000, respectively, Metro Development Group and Friends of Florida Iron & Steel surpassed the threshold in the Legislature. TSG’s executive branch report showed The Vestcor Companies at $64,000 and Goldman Sachs at $58,000.

With Q3 in the books, the race for No. 1 in the annual rankings is tight. Ballard Partners has pulled in $26.49 million so far this year, besting The Southern Group’s $26.35 million total by a mere $145,000.

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 third quarter are due to the state on Feb. 14.