Ballard Partners Approaches $8.5 Million in Q2

With earnings of almost $8.5 million, Ballard Partners was ranked second in Florida Politics magazine’s lobbying firm rankings for the second quarter.

The company was founded by Brian Ballard raised more than $4.94 million in legislative lobbying and earned $3.54 million in executive branch lobbying — the most of any firm on this side of the barricade.

The $8.5 million follows $9 million in the first quarter. Three months later, Ballard Partners remains the only lobbying firm to ever top $9 million in quarterly revenue.

Q2 Tally Team Led by Managing Partner Abby Vail: Michael Abrams; former Florida CFO Jeff Atwater; Brady Benford; Karolina Bracy; Christina Brodeur; Bradley Burleson; Robert Burleson; Jennifer Busby; former DeSantis deputy chief of staff Courtney Coppola; Ana Cruz; former mayor of Jax Lenny Curry; former MP Jose Diaz; former Secretary of Economic Opportunity Danish Eagle; Jordan Elsbury; Matthew 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.

The international company’s second-quarter revenue of $8.5 million represented an increase of more than 10% compared to the $7.6 million reported in the same quarter last year.

Ballard Partners also continued to represent several clients who exceeded the $50,000 limit in scope reporting. The firm boasts eight contracts in the $50,000 or more range — seven in the Legislature and one in management. The firm’s largest client in the second quarter was Extremity Care, which paid a total of $250,000, evenly split between Ballard reports. Advanced Rx Pharmacy came in second with a total of $98,000.

Several Fortune 500 companies are also listed among the company’s more than 300 Florida clients, including Amazon, one of a half-dozen companies in the world with a market capitalization of more than $1 trillion. County and city governments are also revenue drivers, as are some of Florida’s largest state universities—Ballard Partners represents the University of Florida, the University of Central Florida, Florida Atlantic University and Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, which together have more than 160,000 students.

Florida Politics estimates lobbying compensation based on the average number of ranges per client that firms list in their compensation reports. Contracts are reported in increments of $10,000 to $50,000. Firms are also required to record overall ranges of earnings. But firm-level ranges top out at $1 million, a hurdle that most of the firms in the top 10 — including Ballard Partners — easily clear.

Based on Ballard Partners’ per-client ranges, the firm’s total earnings could top $11.21 million in the second quarter — $6.28 million in the Legislature and $4.93 million in the Executive Branch. If the firm maintains the pace in the second half of 2024, its earnings would approach $36 million, well above the $31 million it raised in 2023.

Lobbyists and lobbying firms in Florida face fines on August 14 Deadline to submit salary reports for the period from April 1 to June 30. Salary reports for the third quarter must be submitted to the state by November 14.

Post views: 0