The Southern Group takes No. 1 in Q4 of 2024 with more than $9M earned

The Southern Group bested its previous quarterly record in lobbying pay, netting more than $9 million in the fourth quarter and taking the top spot in Florida Politics’ lobby firm rankings.

According to newly filed Q4 compensation reports, the firm led by founder Paul Bradshaw earned an estimated $9.11 million during the October-through-December reporting period.

Florida Politics estimates lobbying pay based on the middle number of the per-client ranges firms listed on their compensation reports. Contracts are reported in $10,000 increments up to $50,000. Firms are also required to register overall earnings ranges. However, firm-level ranges top out at $1 million, a hurdle most Top 10 earning firms quickly cleared.

The Southern Group’s Q4 haul included $5.42 million in legislative lobbying pay and an additional $3.69 million in earnings lobbying the Governor, Cabinet and state agencies. The combined total is a $340,000 increase over Q3 2024 and continues the firm’s long-running quarter-over-quarter growth streak. Since 2022, the firm’s revenues have grown from roughly $6 million a quarter to now $9 million-plus.

Additionally, The Southern Group was the only major lobbying firm to report a revenue increase over the first quarter, as explained in this chart:

With a client list approaching 400, TSG’s team represents more clients than any other lobbying firm in the state, and many names on their compensation reports are well known national and international corporations, such as Airbnb, Walt Disney Parks & Resorts, Siemens Corporation, Royal Caribbean and FedEx.

Ballard Partners wasn’t far behind TSG, earning an estimated $8.83 million and securing the No. 2 spot in Florida Politics’ rankings.

The firm, founded by Brian Ballard, collected $5.20 million in legislative lobbying pay and reeled in $3.62 million lobbying the executive branch for an overall total of $8.83 million in Q4.

Ballard Partners was the No. 1 firm in in Q1 and Q3 last year, while TSG took last quarter and in Q2, putting the firms in a dead heat for the No. 1 spot in the annual rankings.

The final tally for 2024 shows The Southern Group as the overall No. 1 with $35.46 million to Ballard’s $35.32 million — a gap of just $138,000. TSG also took the top spot in the Legislature by about $500,000 although Ballard Partners snagged the title in executive lobbying revenues, earning $14.61 million to The Southern Group’s $14.61 million.

Florida lobbyists and lobbying firms faced a mid-February deadline to file compensation reports for the period covering Oct. 1 through Dec. 31. Compensation reports for the first quarter are due to the state on May 15.

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