Coronavirus boom fuels huge year on K Street — What the numbers mean — South Korea hires Brownstein

By Caitlin Oprysko

Presented by the American Beverage Association

With Daniel Lippman

Here are your Lobbying Disclosure Act revenue rankings for 2020.

TOP FIRMS

1. Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld: $49.6 million (versus $42.6 million in 2019) and $12.4 million in Q4 2020 (versus $11.4 million in Q4 2019)
2. Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck: $49.3 million (versus $40.8 million in 2019) and $12.4 million in Q4 2020 (versus $11.5 million in Q4 2019)
3. BGR Group: $31.9 million (versus $29.5 million in 2019) and $8.1 million in Q4 2020 (versus $7.9 million in Q4 2019)
4. Cornerstone Government Affairs: $28 million (versus $23.2 million in 2019) and $7.6 million in Q4 2020 (versus $6.1 million in Q4 2019)
5. Ballard Partners: $24.6 million (versus $19.1 million in 2019) and $6 million in Q4 2020 (versus $5 million in Q4 2019)
6. Squire Patton Boggs: $24.3 million (versus $25.8 million in 2019) and $5 million in Q4 2020 (versus $6.7 million in Q4 2019)
7. Holland & Knight: $23.2 million (versus $24.6 million in 2019) and $7.4 million in Q4 2020 (versus $6.4 million in Q4 2019)
8. Invariant: $21.1 million (versus $16.4 million in 2019) and $5.7 million in Q4 2020 (versus $4.7 million in Q4 2019)
9. Forbes Tate Partners: $19.5 million (versus $15.1 million in 2019) and $5.1 million in Q4 2020 (versus $14.1 million in Q4 2019)
10. Capitol Counsel: $19.1 million (versus $17.8 million in 2019) and $5.1 million in Q4 2020 (versus $4.7 million in Q4 2019)
11. Mehlman Castagnetti Rosen & Thomas: $19.3 million (versus $16.6 million in 2019) and $5.1 million in Q4 2020 (versus $4.3 million in Q4 2019)
12. K&L Gates: $18.5 million (versus $17.3 million in 2019) and $4.2 million in Q4 2020 (versus $4.4 million in Q4 2019)
13. Van Scoyoc Associates: $17.9 million (versus $17 million in 2019) and $5 million in Q4 2020 (versus $4.7 million in Q4 2019)
14. Cassidy & Associates: $16.9 million (versus $15.2 million in 2019) and $4.3 million in Q4 2020 (versus $4 million in Q4 2020)
15. Crossroads Strategies: $16.5 million (versus $13.4 million in 2019) and $4.6 million in Q4 2020 (versus $3.5 million in Q4 2019)
16. Covington & Burling: $16.4 million (versus $16.4 million in 2019) and $4 million in Q4 2020 (versus $4.1 million in Q4 2019)
17. Subject Matter: $14.5 million (versus $13 million in 2019) and $3.8 million in Q4 2020 (versus $3.2 million in Q4 2019)
18. Thorn Run Partners: $14.2 million (versus $12.1 million in 2019) and $3.8 million in Q4 2020 (versus $3.1 million in 2019)
19. Fierce Government Relations: $13.2 million (versus $13 million in 2019) and $3.2 million in Q4 2020 (versus $3.3 million in Q4 2019)
20. Peck Madigan Jones: $12.8 million* (versus $16 million* in 2019) and $4.5 million* in Q4 2020 (versus $4 million* in Q4 2020

*Estimated based on Senate disclosure filings. All other numbers have been verified by the firms.

A message from the American Beverage Association:

America’s leading beverage companies are working together to help make our communities healthy, sustainable, and economically strong. Our companies are providing family-supporting jobs, more beverage choices with less sugar, and 100% recyclable bottles that are made to be remade. We stand ready to roll up our sleeves and work with President Biden, Vice President Harris and Congress to address the problems facing our country and strengthen the quality of life for all Americans. AmericanBeverage.org

OTHER NOTABLE FIRMS

— Hogan Lovells: $11.1 million (versus $12.5 million in 2019) and $2.3 million in Q4 2020 (versus $3.2 million in Q4 2019)
— Monument Advocacy: $9.1 million (versus $8.8 million in 2019) and $2.5 million in Q4 2020 (versus $2.2 million in Q4 2019)
— Ricchetti, Inc.: $1.3 million* (versus $781,000* in 2019) and $610,000* in Q4 2020 (versus $165,000* in Q4 2019)

BIGGEST CONTRACTS (FOURTH QUARTER ONLY)

1. Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld: Gila River Indian Community ($890,000)
2. Covington & Burling LLP: Qualcomm Incorporated ($840,000)
3. Cove Strategies: Volkov Law Group on behalf of Parker Petit ($750,000)
4. Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher: Victims Of Terrorism - Sudan And East Africa ($720,000)
5. Roberti Global: Nord Stream 2 Ag ($700,000)
6. Tributary LLP: HR Policy Association ($700,000)
7. Covington & Burling: Sk Innovation Co., Ltd. ($650,000)
8. Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck: Athene Holding ($610,000)
9. The Washington Tax & Public Policy Group: Beam Suntory Inc. ($600,000)
10. Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld: Air Evac Lifeteam ($540,000)

Good afternoon and welcome to PI. Send tips: coprysko@politico.com. And follow me on Twitter: @caitlinoprysko.

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WHAT THE NUMBERS MEAN: The coronavirus pandemic — and the flurry of legislative and regulatory activity stemming from it — paved the way for record revenues for a number of Washington’s biggest lobbying firms last year. Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld barely edged out Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck for the title of No. 1 firm in town, but both firms brought in close to $50 million in revenue last year, jumps of 16 percent and 21 percent respectively over 2019 revenues. Many firms on K Street are expecting the boom to continue.

— “Narrow margins in both the House and the Senate mean deals will need to be cut, and clients will need advisers who have put in the time in developing relationships on both sides of the aisle,” Ivan Zapien, head of Hogan Lovells’ government relations and public affairs practice, said in a statement.

— Marc Lampkin, managing partner at Brownstein, echoed that sentiment in an interview, arguing that last year’s numbers reinforced the firm’s investment in “a decidedly bipartisan team” and expressing confidence that the firm was built to withstand “swings in government control” like Washington is experiencing now.

— But several more partisan firms also saw their revenues skyrocket last year as Democrats and Republicans traded off leading negotiations for coronavirus relief. Ballard Partners, whose owner Brian Ballard has close ties with former President Donald Trump and which skews Republican, climbed into the top five biggest firms last year, with revenues growing by nearly 30 percent. Invariant, the firm founded by Heather Podesta, saw a similar rate of growth, a trend likely to continue with unified Democratic control of Washington.

— After failing to reach a deal on a coronavirus package in the third quarter of last year, the year-end omnibus and coronavirus relief package bolstered what is typically a sleepier quarter, especially in an election year. Monument Advocacy had its best quarter ever, CEO and founder Stewart Verdery said in a statement. “A lot of the activity in the fourth quarter was driven by the Covid relief and omnibus appropriations packages,” said Brian Pomper, co-head of the public law and policy practice at Akin Gump, pointing to the firm’s success at getting targeted relief for entertainment venues.

— The pandemic fueled a record year for health lobbying, POLITICO’s Tucker Doherty reports, with several Covid vaccine makers like Moderna and Novavax increasing lobbying spending by as much as 600 percent. And lawmakers’ “surprise” billing fix at the end of the year “spurred substantial lobbying. America’s Health Insurance Plans, the major trade association for insurers, spent $10.5 million, the largest annual total for the group since 2001. On the other side of that issue, the American Society of Anesthesiologists spent $1.46 million, a 33 percent boost.”

BROWNSTEIN SIGNS SOUTH KOREA: The South Korean Embassy in Washington has hired a bipartisan crew from Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck that includes former House Foreign Affairs Chair Ed Royce (R-Calif.) and former Sen. Mark Begich (D-Alaska) as Korean President Moon Jae-in looks to pivot toward the Biden administration. The team also includes Ari Zimmerman, Al Mottur, Douglas MaGuire and Marc Lampkin. The Korean government will pay the firm $30,000 a month through the end of June and the firm will in turn “provide government relations services and strategic counsel on matters” before the federal government, according to a contract filed this week with the Justice Department.

— The new representation for Korea, which retains a number of other firms in D.C., comes amid questions about what the U.S.-South Korea relationship will look like post-Trump. Moon has long wanted to improve relations with North Korea, and named a new top diplomat last week. Biden has made clear that he has no plans to cozy up to the North’s Kim Jong Un like his predecessor, and newly confirmed Secretary of State Tony Blinken pledged in his confirmation hearing this week to reassess the “entire” U.S. approach there.

MEET D.C.’S NEW PUBLIC/PRIVATE POWER SIBLINGS: The Wall Street Journal’s Julie Bykowicz and Brody Mullins have a great look at the Ricchetti brothers coming off of Jeff Ricchetti’s best lobbying quarter in more than a decade and Steve Ricchetti’s ascension to one of Biden’s top advisers in the White House. “The presidential changeover hasn’t only ushered in a new government but also reshuffled Washington’s hierarchy of senior administration officials and well-connected lobbyists. The Ricchetti brothers will be trying to shape policy over the next four years from both ends of the axis.”

— “Jeff Ricchetti’s lobbying firm reported on Monday that it made $610,000 in lobbying fees in the final three months of last year, nearly four times as much as it earned in the fourth quarter of the previous year, and its largest quarterly bonanza in more than a decade, according to lobbying-disclosure filings. Not since the heyday of John and Tony Podesta, who served in the Obama White House and dominated K Street, respectively, have siblings wielded so much public and private power in Washington.”

TRUMP’S LEGACY: “Russ Vought, who led Donald Trump's Office of Management and Budget, plans to announce two pro-Trump organizations Tuesday, aiming to provide the ideological ammunition to sustain Trump's political movement after his departure from the White House,” Axios’ Hans Nichols and Lachlan Markay report. “The Center for American Restoration and an advocacy arm, America Restoration Action, will try to keep cultural issues that animated Trump’s presidency on the public agenda , according to people familiar with the matter.”

ANNALS OF FUNDRAISING: “Republican officials are increasingly concerned about their ability to raise money for the 2022 midterm congressional elections as corporations distance themselves from GOP lawmakers who challenged the results of the presidential election,” CNBC’s Brian Schwartz writes “Some GOP officials are privately expressing alarm about how they’re going to make up for drops in big money donations in House races,” leading the party mulling a number of ways “to rejuvenate their fundraising prospects, including making a strong push with corporate executives themselves.”

— Our Olivia Beavers reported yesterday that at least one fundraising consultancy, “which represents six anti-certification members including Arizona GOP Reps. Andy Biggs, Debbie Lesko and David Schweikert — is offering access to these GOP lawmakers, their clients, at no cost. … Another email acknowledged the PAC ban, while trying to push donors to contribute to PACs of members of Congress who did not participate in the election objection vote.”

— Katie Meyer is now head of government affairs at Novocure. She was previously a health adviser to House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy.

— Former NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine is joining Acorn Growth Companies, POLITICO’s Jacqueline Feldscher reports.

— Cooley has added Obrea Poindexter and Sean Ruff as partners in its financial services regulatory practice group. They most recently co-chaired Morrison & Foerster's fintech group.

— Iris Wilbur Glick is joining McCarthy Strategic Solutions as a principal. She was previously at Greater Louisville Inc. and the metro Chamber of Commerce

— The Blockchain Association is staffing up for the new administration, adding Dan Spuller as director of industry affairs and Lindsey Kelleher and Sarah Milby as policy managers. Spuller was previously at the Chamber of Digital Commerce.

— Career Education Colleges and Universities has added two former Trump administration officials: John Huston will be director of government relations. He was previously senior adviser to the assistant secretary of postsecondary education at the Department of Education. Rachel Tripp is communications director. She was previously deputy communications director at the Office of Personnel Management.

— Husch Blackwell Strategies has hired Jessica Pabst as a principal in its Missouri government practice. She was most recently director of health programs for Home State Health.

— Amy Wimpey Knight is now the head of the Children’s Hospital Association and Marcy Doderer has been elected chair of CHA’s Board of Trustees.

— DuPont has named Shane Warren its global government affairs leader, overseeing all of the company’s federal and state government relations, as well as those in Europe and Asia. He previously led their international government affairs work.

— Joyce Rogers was named Pfizer’s vice president of U.S. policy and public affairs, Morning Pulse reports. Rogers was previously chief government affairs officer at Advocate Aurora Health.

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None.

The Affordable and Workforce Housing Development PAC (PAC)
American Patriot Primary PAC (Super PAC)
Andy Beshear Brotherhood of Approval (PAC)
Ben Aybar (PAC)
Election Twitter (PAC)
MAGA Patriot Party National Committee (PAC)
Make KOTOR Canon Committee (PAC)
Schlatt for New York Govenor (PAC)

Black Diamond Strategies LLC: Aristotle International Inc.
C. Baker Consulting, Incorporated: Am General, LLC
Federal Hall Policy Advisors, LLC: Capital Market Strategies (On Behalf Of Memx Members Exchange)
Foresight Law + Policy Pllc: Northwest Evaluation Association
K&L Gates, LLP: Vanguard Charitable
Merchant Mcintyre & Associates, LLC: Catalina Island Medical Center
Merchant Mcintyre & Associates, LLC: City Of Bluefield, West Virginia
Merchant Mcintyre & Associates, LLC: City Of Manassas Park, Virginia
Merchant Mcintyre & Associates, LLC: City Of Napa, Ca
Merchant Mcintyre & Associates, LLC: Hutchinson Regional Health System
Merchant Mcintyre & Associates, LLC: Kansas City Kansas Community College
Merchant Mcintyre & Associates, LLC: Parkview Medical Center
Merchant Mcintyre & Associates, LLC: The Loretto Hospital
Merchant Mcintyre & Associates, LLC: Weeks Medical Center
O'Keeffe Shahmoradi Strategies, LLC: Fluor Corporation
S-3 Group: Textron Inc.
Sirona Strategies LLC: Experity Health
The Majority Group, LLC: Solvay America, Inc.
Timothy R. Rupli & Associates, Inc.: Infin, A Financial Services Alliance
Van Scoyoc Associates: Center For Science In The Public Interest
William Goldsmith: Asga Fisheries Policy Alliance, Inc.
Winning Strategies Washington: Inspira Health Network
Zero Emission Transportation Association: Zero Emission Transportation Association

Capitol Associates, Inc.: American College Health Association
Continental Consulting Group Corporation: Thales Avs France Sas
Jst Strategies LLC (Formerly Jochum Shore & Trossevin Pc): International Foodservice Distributors Association
K&L Gates, LLP: Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.
K&L Gates, LLP: Dominion Energy Services, Inc.
Mckinley Strategies, LLC: Ohio Children'S Hospital Association
Merchant Mcintyre & Associates, LLC: Averett University
Merchant Mcintyre & Associates, LLC: City Of Longwood, Fl
Merchant Mcintyre & Associates, LLC: Covenant Living (Formerly Known As Covenant Retirement Communities)
Merchant Mcintyre & Associates, LLC: Drury University
Merchant Mcintyre & Associates, LLC: Fort Healthcare
Merchant Mcintyre & Associates, LLC: Gila Regional Medical Center
Merchant Mcintyre & Associates, LLC: Kilgore College
Merchant Mcintyre & Associates, LLC: Los Rios Community College District
Merchant Mcintyre & Associates, LLC: Okeechobee County, Fl
Merchant Mcintyre & Associates, LLC: Pensacola State College
Merchant Mcintyre & Associates, LLC: Pratt Regional Medical Center
Merchant Mcintyre & Associates, LLC: Sky Lakes Medical Center
Merchant Mcintyre & Associates, LLC: Warner Pacific University
Runyan Public Affairs, LLC: Coalition For Paper Options
Winning Strategies Washington: Consortium Management Group Inc
Winning Strategies Washington: Summer Infant (USA), Inc.
Winning Strategies Washington: The Guardian Services Group, Ltd
Winn Strategies, LLC: Twinlogic Strategies On Behalf Of The American Coalition For Public Radio

A message from the American Beverage Association:

America's beverage companies have a long history of working to strengthen the communities where we work and live. As American companies making American products in America’s hometowns, we’ll always be there for our neighbors in times of need. This past year, that’s included delivering water and PPE, manufacturing hand-sanitizer, and working with the food and retail industries to keep America’s shelves stocked. The core strength of our industry has always been our spirit of innovation and our new look reflects our inherent drive toward that innovation. We continue to put competition aside and work together on real solutions with lasting impact. Whether that’s reducing plastic waste in the environment or delivering more beverage choices to help families reduce sugar in their diet, we’re committed to addressing issues of importance to the communities, families and customers we serve. Learn more at AmericanBeverage.org

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