McGuireWoods' government lobbying subsidiary, McGuireWoods Consulting, has absorbed lobbyist consulting firm Advantage Consulting Team to form a Tallahassee office.

Sean Stafford and Rhett O'Doski, who founded Advantage Consulting in 2008, will be co-directors of the firm's Tallahassee office. They, along with fellow lobbyist Ryder Rudd, will serve as senior vice presidents in the firm's state government relations practice.

McGuireWoods Consulting bills itself as a full-service public affairs firm offering government relations, strategic communications, and infrastructure and economic development services. Most of the revenue from the consulting business comes from state-level lobbying, such as legislative advocacy in state capitol buildings.

The firm has no plans to add attorneys to the Tallahassee lobbying subsidiary. McGuireWoods said last year that it hoped to expand its consulting business to places where the McGuireWoods law firm has offices. McGuireWoods' law firm has an office in Florida, although not in Tallahassee. The firm has 30 attorneys in its Jacksonville office, which it opened in 1994.

The new Tallahassee office comes as current McGuireWoods Consulting president and CEO, L.F. Payne, a former congressman from Virginia, prepares to hand the reins to incoming CEO and former South Carolina Gov. Jim Hodges. The consulting firm's current chairman, Frank Atkinson, is being replaced by Mark Bowles. The consulting firm has clients who are based in Florida and others who have business in Florida.

“Having a presence in Tallahassee will be a significant resource for the law firm and its clients,” said Eric Bilik, managing partner of McGuireWoods' Jacksonville office. “Our legal services often require a government relations component and possessing the ability to have those services in-house will be a valuable differentiator when marketing our capabilities to clients.”

(l-r) Sean Stafford, Rhett O'Doski, and Ryder Rudd

Stafford said he and his team have provided political, legislative and strategic advice to national corporations, such as United Health Care, the Nature Conservancy, General Electric and State Farm. Stafford said he has worked across party lines in building coalitions in Tallahassee and navigated complex issues in state government.

“We've been involved in some heavy issues involving health care access and affordability and are strong advocates of the agriculture community in the state,” Stafford said. “We've prided ourselves in working with the majority party and the minority party over the years in accomplishing our clients' goals.”

Stafford has been appointed by Republican and Democratic elected officials to operations that include the Governor's Trade Mission to the UK Task Force and the Florida Chief Financial Officer's “Safeguarding our Seniors” Task Force.

O'Doski has a background in both the public and private sectors and has served as senior consultant to former Florida Insurance Commissioner and current U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson. He also has been a legislative specialist to former state Chief Financial Officer Tom Gallagher, and chief of staff to former state Sen. Charles Williams. He also lobbied Florida's Legislature for the Department of Insurance under two gubernatorial administrations, where he was responsible for the development, coordination, and passage of the department's legislative agenda and budget priorities. In addition to his expertise in insurance-related issues, O'Doski has experience in the health care, energy, technology and financial service industries.

Rudd has state government and regulatory experience that includes serving in the executive office of the governor, the Department of Management Services, the Department of Environmental Protection and the Public Service Commission. He has experience in issues related to energy policy, utilities, telecommunications, environmental protection, natural resources, land use, real estate, insurance, purchasing and procurement, state agency vendor contracts and the state retirement system, according to the firm.