The Rotunda The Rotunda at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. (Photo: Diego M. Radzinschi/ALM)

While plenty of industries are reeling due to COVID-19, federal disclosures for the first quarter of 2020 confirm that Capitol Hill lobbying isn't one of them.

With the exception of Squire Patton Boggs, Big Law lobbying practices that cracked the top 10 by revenue last quarter each saw an uptick from the same period last year. For the two revenue leaders, the year-over-year gains were substantial: 31% for Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, which pulled in $12.6 million, and 25% for Brownstein, Hyatt, Farber & Schreck, with $11.5 million.

"There was some conventional wisdom coming out from last fall that suggested during a presidential election year, everything would seize up," said Brownstein partner Marc Lampkin, who leads the firm's Washington, D.C., office. "Then COVID-19 comes along and deepens the attention and focus on policy makers. It certainly created an opportunity for lobbying firms and practitioners."

Brownstein, which has been gaining ground against Akin in the lobbying race, was the revenue leader in the second quarter last year and again in the fourth quarter, though Akin led 2019 revenues overall for the seventh year in a row. The two firms have occupied the top of the rankings since 2015, when Brownstein supplanted Squire Patton Boggs at No. 2.

Squire Patton Boggs had the fourth-highest lobbying revenue in the first quarter of 2020, behind Akin, Brownstein and BGR Group. The firm, whose decade-long lobbying dominance ended in 2014, brought in $6.67 million in Q1 2020 compared to $6.47 million for the same period in 2019.

Holland & Knight, another mainstay, saw 11.5% growth year over year, bringing in $6.4 million in Q1, while the only other Big Law firm in the top 10, K&L Gates, reported $4.7 million in federal lobbying revenue last quarter, a modest rise from the same period in 2019.

A review of new registrations shows how much the pandemic changed the lobbying game last quarter, especially in March and April. New Brownstein clients, for example, included the National Retail Federation, several health care companies, the U.S. Travel Insurance Association, Wynn Resorts and Sun Country Airlines.

"In addition to our longstanding clients, more than 20 new clients hired us this quarter with a sense of urgency as they try to understand how the government's stimulus programs work," Lampkin said in a statement.

Akin's new registrations included American Cruise Lines, the National Association of Theatre Owners as well as the Southeastern Conference (SEC), reflecting the demand from entities in leisure, sports and entertainment for lobbying support.

And they have company. The hotel industry is decimated. Retail giants are closing flagship stores and succumbing to bankruptcy. Restaurants are closed and many will not open again.  Manufacturing and travel both need government assistance, along with most of the country's small businesses.

Federal programs such the Paycheck Protection Program, the Main Street Lending Program and the CARES Act are all seeking to help American businesses. But virtually all of the programs were put together and implemented quickly, without the usual deliberation and input from industry groups, which are also trying to sort through and influence the shifting regulatory landscape ahead.

Infographic design by Chelsey Fredlund

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