This Year’s Top Lobbyists

Breaux and Gephardt. Gerard and Maloney. Berman and Podesta. According to First Street, these were among the most powerful lobbyists in Washington this year.

Using the amount their firms were paid, the number and diversity of clients and the number of Fortune 100 clients they represented, First Street compiled lists of the top lobbyists in town, divided among former members of Congress, former staffers and professional lobbyists.

The former lawmakers are:

•    Sen. John Breaux – Breaux Lott Leadership Group & Patton Boggs
•    Rep. Thomas Downey – Downey McGrath Group
•    Rep. Victor Fazio – Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld
•    Rep. Richard Gephardt – Gephardt Group Government Affairs
•    Sen. Tim Hutchinson – Dickstein Shapiro
•    Rep. Robert Livingston – The Livingston Group
•    Sen. Trent Lott – Breaux Lott Leadership Group & Patton Boggs
•    Rep. James McCrery, III – Capitol Counsel
•    Rep. Bill Paxon – Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld 
•    Rep. Vin Weber – Clark & Weinstock

The former staffers are:

•    Randall Gerard – Podesta Group
•    Christopher Hatcher – Williams and Jensen
•    Kate Hull – Fierce, Isakowitz & Blalock
•    Drew Maloney – Ogilvy Government Relations
•    Jeffrey McMillen – Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld
•    Michael Merola – Winning Strategies Washington
•    Daniel Meyer – The Duberstein Group
•    Jonathan Talisman – Capitol Tax Partners
•    Alex Vogel – Mehlman Vogel Castagnetti
•    Letitia White – Innovative Federal Strategies

And the top professional lobbyists are:
•    Wayne Berman – Ogilvy Government Relations
•    Jack MacAuley Burkman – J M Burkman & Associates
•    Jack Steven Hart – Williams and Jensen
•    Lindsay Hooper – Capitol Tax Partners
•    Mark McInytre – Russ Reid Company
•    Tony Podesta – Podesta Group
•    John Raffaelli – Capitol Counsel
•    Barney Skladany – Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld
•    Michael Smith – Cornerstone Government Affairs
•    Stu Van Scoyoc – Van Scoyoc Associates & Capitol Decisions

These lobbyists all average over 50 clients, who paid an average of $144,737 for their services, according to First Street. This was the inaugural edition of the ranking, dubbed the First Street 30. First Street — an arm of CQ Press formed this year — analyzes government and lobbying data and issues weekly reports about policy.

The full list of individuals named in The First Street 30 for 2011 can be found here:

http://firststreetresearch.cqpress.com/first-street-30/

Letitia White — Innovative Federal Strategies, LLC

• Number of Clients: 47
• Total Amount Clients Paid Firm: $1,940,000
• Average Amount Each Client Paid Firm: $41,277
• Number of Fortune 100 Clients: 3
• Notable Clients: Hewlett-Packard; General Atomics; Trimble Navigation

White spent more than two decades as an aide to Rep. Jerry Lewis, R-Calif., a long-time fixture on the Committee on Appropriations’ Defense Subcommittee. She has parlayed that experience into a position as a partner with Innovative Federal Strategies, where she specializes in defense-related lobbying work. Clients include defense giants General Dynamics, Northrop Grumman, and General Atomics. Others at the firm include Jean G. Denton, Amanda King, and John Little. Overall, her firm took in nearly $2 million during the first three quarters of 2011. White also has done extensive lobbying work for communities in Lewis’ district, including the city of San Bernardino.