Lobbying compensation: Ballard Partners tops $10M in second-quarter earnings

Brian Ballard remains on top. Image via Bloomberg.

Ballard Partners’ state-level lobbying team held onto the No. 2 spot in Florida Politics’ lobby firm rankings after collecting more than $10 million in Q2 compensation reports.

The firm, founded by Brian Ballard, reported $5.89 million in legislative pay and $4.15 million in executive branch fees, for a combined median estimate of $10.04 million. At the high end, Ballard Partners could have earned as much as $12.89 million last quarter.

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 must also disclose overall earnings ranges, but the highest tier is $1 million or more — a threshold Ballard Partners easily cleared in both reports.

With 330 legislative contracts and 333 executive contracts, Ballard Partners represented one of the largest client sheets in the state. The roster includes 31 registered lobbyists, led in Tallahassee by Managing Partner Abby Vail and a cadre of former lawmakers and elected leaders such as Jeff Atwater, Dane Eagle, and Lenny Curry.

Q2 legislative filings were topped by Jacob Rodgers at $270,000, followed by BioCare Donor Tissue Network at $125,000, the McEntee Group at $98,000 and Advanced Rx Pharmacy at $60,000. BioCare and Advanced Rx also led the executive side, with BioCare adding another $125,000 and Advanced Rx another $60,000.

Ballard Partners’ median Q2 estimate of $10.04 million marked a solid step up from its $9.24 million report in Q1.

The figures only represent the firm’s state-level incomes — an important distinction for Ballard Partners especially, as the firm has spent much of the past decade building up one of the most lucrative federal lobbying operations in the country while also launching satellite branches in other states and multiple foreign countries.

Florida lobbyists and lobbying firms faced an Aug. 14 deadline to file compensation reports covering April 1 through June 30. Reports for the third quarter are due Nov. 14.