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The Hill's Top Lobbyists 2020
Written on 12/10/2020
By The Hill staff - 12/10/20
Welcome to The Hill’s annual list of top lobbyists.
2020 was a chaotic year for K Street, with the coronavirus pandemic and lobbying battles for COVID-19 relief legislation consuming much of the year. The presidential and congressional elections also kept lobbyists busy while they tried to find ways to network under the new normal of virtual work.
In a busy and...
The Hill's Top Lobbyists 2019
Written on 12/12/2019
By The Hill staff - 12/12/19
Welcome to The Hill’s annual Top Lobbyists list.
2019 was a frenetic year for K Street, with a number of high-profile fights on legislative and regulatory issues, even as Washington was riveted by impeachment drama and a contentious 2020 presidential election took shape.
In a busy and testing year for the influence world, these are the people who wielded their clout...
Top Lobbyists 2018
Written on 12/13/2018
By The Hill staff - 12/13/18
Welcome to The Hill’s Top Lobbyists 2018.
Here you’ll find the most distinguished and accomplished professionals from the influence world who are on the front lines of the nation’s most consequential political and policy battles.
The lobbying world faces new pressures and is under greater scrutiny than ever. But the select few on the list have demonstrated their...
Top Lobbyists 2017: Hired Guns
Written on 11/02/2017
By The Hill staff - 11/02/17
Josh Ackil and Matt Tanielian, Franklin Square Group
Companies large and small rely on this tech-centric lobbying firm, which this year delved into big issues like broadband access and intellectual property enforcement.
Andy Barbour, Smith-Free Group
As a financial services pro, it’s no surprise that Barbour’s client list includes Bank of America and the...
Top Lobbyists 2016: Hired Guns
Written on 10/26/2016
By The Hill staff - 10/26/16
Every day, thousands of law firms, associations and advocacy groups seek to exert influence over policymaking away from the glare of presidential and congressional politics.
In such a crowded field, a select few have shown an ability to get things done — and it’s those movers and shakers who are among The Hill’s Top Lobbyists.
From the “hired guns”...
Health care boosted K Street last year
Written on 04/04/2016
By PAUL DEMKO and ERIN MERSHO
Health care groups spent more than $500 million last year on lobbying Washington — more than any other industry and the highest total since the year after Obamacare passed, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.
Those impressive 2015 totals may not be matched again this year, lobbyists at top firms said. That's...
Top Lobbyists 2015: Hired Guns
Written on 10/29/2015
By The Hill staff - 10/29/15
There are well over 10,000 lobbyists in Washington, not to mention countless labor and business leaders, public relations specialists and advocates of all stripes vying to influence Congress and the federal government.
But when it comes to shaping federal policy, some have set themselves apart. These are the lobbyists who’ve mastered the art of...
The Hill: Lobbyists mobilize for ObamaCare ruling
Written on 06/24/2015
By Megan R. Wilson - 06/24/15
Lobbyists in Washington are scrambling to prepare their clients for the chaos that would likely result from a Supreme Court striking down federal insurance subsidies under ObamaCare.
With a ruling expected as early as Thursday in the case of King v. Burwell, anxiety is running high in parts of the business community about the...
Kennedy’s power lives on through former staff members
Written on 11/17/2014
By Matt Viser | Globe Staff November 16, 2014
Drew Angerer for The Boston Globe Tracy Spicer pointed out mementos from her time working for Senator Edward Kennedy in her Washington office. Spicer now works at Avenue Solutions, a lobbying firm where she is a founding partner. WASHINGTON — William J. Lynn III is the embodiment of a Washington power broker, with a hand in hundreds of billions of...
Top Lobbyists 2014: Hired Guns
Written on 10/23/2014
By The Hill Staff - 10/22/14
Call them the influencers.
From corner offices all over town, the members of The Hill's Top Lobbyists list are the advocates, lobbyists and professional agitators who shape the policy decisions made in the nation's capital.
While some fit the mold of a traditional lobbyist, others have made public relations, grassroots advocacy and even data-crunching the tools of...
How healthcare's Washington lobbying machine gets the job done
Written on 10/14/2014
By Paul Demko, Modern Healthcare October 4, 2014
In November 2011, Gilead Sciences officials made what looked like a risky bet when they purchased Pharmasset for $11.2 billion. The 82-employee target company had lost nearly $100 million the previous year. Its experimental hepatitis C drug, though promising in late-stage clinical trials, still hadn't been approved by the Food and Drug...
Senate documents and interviews undercut ‘bombshell’ lawsuit against Obamacare
Written on 07/29/2014
The most serious current legal challenge to the Affordable Care Act turns on the argument that the law did not actually make subsidies available to those obtaining coverage on the federal exchange. This argument is based on the language in the ACA that says subsidies go to those using the “exchange established by the state,” which, it is said, cannot apply to the exchange established by...
The Policymaker – Tracy Spicer, Founding Partner, Avenue Solutions
Written on 06/02/2014
The art of negotiation is pretty critical to my line of work. The art of compromise is a critical component to getting things accomplished. We’re operating in a divisive environment; it’s a Bi-Partisan Congress and not everybody sees things through the same lens. The art of negotiation comes into play with everything we do each and every day.
Women take power as lobbyists
Written on 04/29/2014
Women are busting through K Street’s glass ceiling, seizing positions of power in an industry once almost the exclusive preserve of men.
Whether they’re managing the lobbying operations of Fortune 200 companies, running their own shops or building up a roster of big-name clients at mega-firms, women are steadily moving into roles once considered part of Washington’s “old boys...
Top Lobbyists 2013
Written on 10/30/2013
Among the thousands of advocates in the nation’s capital, only a select few have risen to the top of their profession to earn a slot on The Hill’s Top Lobbyists list.
Some of the Top Lobbyists are hired guns who have proven to clients that they can shape the agenda on Capitol Hill.
K Street Files: Former Obama Health Care Guru Heads to K Street
Written on 04/08/2013
Who says Obama insiders don’t go to K Street?
The lobbying boutique Avenue Solutions has scored a major new hire from the administration: Yvette Fontenot, who played a key role in the health care overhaul.
Ex-Obama administration healthcare official joins lobby firm
Written on 04/08/2013
“Yvette’s extensive health care experience working to create and implement transformative public policy is a perfect complement to Avenue Solutions’ strategic policy and political expertise,” said Tracy Spicer, founding partner for Avenue Solutions, in a statement. “We’re so thrilled to have Yvette joining our team.”
The Hill's 2012 Top Lobbyists
Written on 10/31/2011
2012 hasn’t been the best year for K Street, but it’s too soon to call it a bust.
A divided government and the demands of campaigning have kept Congress in low gear, depressing revenue at lobby shops and leaving trade associations and grassroots groups in planning mode.
Top Lobbyists: Hired Guns
Written on 10/05/2011
Josh Ackil and Matt Tanielian, Franklin Square Group. With clients including Apple, Google and Intel, the two Democrats are among the elite lobbyists for Silicon Valley in Washington.
"Best in the Business," Top Lobbyists
Written on 05/15/2009
The last election gave democrats the White house and firmer control of Congress. That power
shift has been reflected on K Street, where democratic lobbyists, not long ago relegated
to almost an afterthought, are once again in vogue. What follows is The hill’s annual effort
to name a few of the best lobbyists for hire in town. Given the state of play, this year’s list is
dominated by democrats,...
Top Lobbyists: Hired Guns
Written on 05/14/2009
The last election gave Democrats the White House and firmer control of Congress. That power shift has been reflected on K Street, where Democratic lobbyists, not long ago relegated to almost an afterthought, are once again in vogue. What follows is The Hill’s annual effort to name a few of the best lobbyists for hire in town.
Given the state of play, this year’s list is dominated by...
