The April 21, 2009 edition of The Hill gave Venable prominent coverage in its reporting of lobbying firms’ Lobbying Disclosure Act (LDA) filings for the first quarter of 2009. The filings, in which firms must disclose any client they bill more than $5,000 in lobbying fees per quarter, were due on April 20.
While some firms saw significant jumps in revenue over the previous quarter and the first quarter of 2008, several did not. Venable’s lobbying revenues jumped more than 34 percent over the same period during the previous year to $2.8 million.
“I don’t know if the president intended to help our business,” said Mike Ferrell, chair of Venable’s Legislative and Government Affairs practice group.
According to Ferrell, President Obama’s push for a move involved, activist government has led companies to be “excited, interested and concerned on what the change means for them from a practical and financial standpoint.”
Ferrell noted that plans for renewed financial regulations, anticipated tax reform and changes in the way the Department of Homeland Security will be funded have led to Venable’s growth in clients and revenues.
“We are going to see a continued surge of activity as more flesh is put on the bone for the administration’s economic plans,” he said.
Venable was not alone in seeing an increased income. According to the story, the Podesta Group, Holland & Knight, Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, and K&L Gates all posted double-digit gains.