Lobbying compensation: The Southern Group leads the pack with $10M+ quarter

Southern Group reigns for another quarter.

The Southern Group posted record-high compensation reports for the first quarter, comfortably earning the No. 1 spot in Florida Politics’ lobby firm rankings.

According to newly filed reports, the firm led by founder Paul Bradshaw earned $10.32 million between Jan. 1 and March 31. The eight-figure haul bests its Q4 tally—TSG’s previous high watermark—by $1.21 million.

“This quarter’s performance underscores the strength of our people and the clarity of our vision,” said David Browning, board member at The Southern Group. “Delivering such a commanding lead in the market is no accident — it’s the direct result of our team’s commitment to excellence and our clients’ continued confidence in our work.”

Florida Politics estimates lobbying pay based on the middle number of the per-client ranges firms list on their compensation reports. Contracts are reported in $10,000 increments up to $50,000. Firms are also required to register overall earnings ranges. However, firm-level ranges top out at $1 million, a hurdle most Top 10 firms easily clear.

In addition to raw compensation, The Southern Group was also No. 1 in overall contracts, representing 436 unique clients.

TSG’s legislative compensation reports list 422 contracts, topped by a trio of clients in the $50,000-plus bracket. Florida Insurance Council provided the largest payday at $119,000, followed by Vestcor Companies at $68,000 and Metro Development Group at $54,000. TSG also lists a baker’s dozen in the $40,000-to-$50,000 range. The set included a handful of household names, such as the House of Mouse and vacation rental company Airbnb.

“Our Q1 results are a testament to our team’s relentless drive and strategic focus,” added James McFaddin, Senior Managing Partner. “Surpassing the competition by more than $1 million is a reflection of the trust our clients place in us and the extraordinary talent we have across the firm.”

Baldwin Risk Partners led the firm’s executive report at $70,000, followed by Goldman Sachs at $55,000. The report lists 436 clients, though typical for most lobbying firms, most clients’ executive-branch contracts were smaller than their legislative ones.

Other major players represented by The Southern Group include Apple, CVS, FedEx, TECO, U.S. Sugar and NASCAR. The Southern Group’s client list includes numerous municipal governments, higher ed institutions, and professional organizations.

The Southern Group’s first-quarter team included more than three dozen lobbyists, many of whom previously held elected office or high-level posts in state government, such as former Rep. Seth McKeel, former Sen. Oscar Braynon II, former Insurance Commissioner David Altmaier, former Rick Scott Deputy Chief of Staff Rachel Cone, former DMS Secretary Erin Rock and Nelson Diaz, the former chief legislative aide to now-Secretary of State Marco Rubio. A rundown of the full 43-member Florida roster and the firm’s growing federal practice is available here.

TSG’s median estimate includes $6.41 million in legislative and $3.91 million in executive earnings. At the top end, The Southern Group could have earned as much as $8.23 million in the Legislature and $5.80 million in the executive for an overall tally of $14.02 million.

Florida lobbyists and lobbying firms faced a mid-May deadline to file compensation reports covering Jan. 1 through March 31. Compensation reports for the second quarter are due Aug. 14.