Peter Schorsch
Fresh off a 30th anniversary celebration in Washington, top lobbying firm Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck is angling to expand in the Sunshine State.
“We started our Washington, DC office as humbly as one can begin: in a small office above the Capital Grill. I founded a strong law firm in 1968 with Steve Farber and Jack Hyatt, and from there, my vision was to expand with a bipartisan lobbying shop,” founder and Chair Norm Brownstein recalled during a well-attended celebration in Washington.
“Thirty years ago, I hired one Republican and one Democrat and today, our D.C. office has remained bipartisan with over 100 employees and is the top lobbying firm in the country. We have played on the world’s biggest stage for three decades and been involved in the most pressing issues. I’m extremely proud of what we’ve accomplished for our clients and know we’ve made a difference.”
Founded in Denver, Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck has grown over the decades into a powerhouse firm with more than a dozen offices in major metros across the country, including Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Atlantic City, New Jersey. The latest addition to the list: Tampa.
The firm has some heavy hitters supporting its entry into the Florida lobbying world. When it announced the Tampa expansion earlier this year, Brownstein billed it as further strengthening its strategic alliance with Rubin Turnbull & Associates, the Tallahassee-based shop co-led by veteran lobbyists Bill Rubin and Heather Turnbull that routinely places in the Top 5 on Florida Politics’ Lobby Firm Rankings.
“As the country’s top lobbying firm, it makes absolute sense to expand our physical presence in Florida given the state’s importance on the national political scene,” Brownstein Managing Partner Rich Benenson said when announcing the Tampa office.
“We have had strong collaboration with Bill and Heather’s team at Rubin Turnbull since 2021 and look forward to this next stage of growth. This investment in Florida highlights the intersection where Brownstein thrives: business, law and politics.”
Brownstein has tapped shareholder Melissa Kuipers Blake, a veteran of the firm’s Government Relations practice, as Managing Partner of the Tampa office.
“As a Floridian, I’m thrilled to lead this new office and focus on growth in the state where I started my career with Bill Rubin more than two decades ago,” Kuipers Blake said. “This homecoming and increased collaboration with Bill and Heather is special for me. Florida is such a significant player on the national level and in Washington, D.C., and an important state for many of our clients.”
Rubin added, “We have enjoyed working with Brownstein since the start of our strategic alliance. Our goal is to continue creating great synergy with Brownstein’s national platform and our existing market position in a key state like Florida.”
A grand opening reception attended by Kuipers Blake, Bill Rubin, Heather Turnbull and fellow Rubin Turnbull lobbyist Matt Sacco is planned for next month.
