Lobbying powerhouse Squire Patton Boggs has announced it is merging with California-based Carroll, Burdick & McDonough.  According to the press release, “The combination will create the world’s premier product quality, brand protection and compliance practice, joining together Squire Patton Boggs’ leading global platform of over 1,500 lawyers spanning 45 offices in 21 countries in the Americas, Asia Pacific, Europe and the Middle East, with Carroll Burdick, a complex litigation and products risk management powerhouse with over 50 lawyers on three continents.” Carroll Burdick has offices in Böblingen, Germany, Hong Kong and Los Angeles.

Politico reports that on the public policy front, cars are key to the merger between the two firms. In a statement issued by Squire Patton Boggs Global Chairman Mark Ruehlmann, he said, “The combination will allow us to enhance substantially our presence in the automotive industry at a time when automobiles are approaching an industry-defining and transformative moment — the widespread deployment of ‘smart cars. Global regulatory scrutiny of the automotive industry will surely grow more intense.”

In last year’s Quarter 4 lobbying disclosures Squire Patton Boggs ranked 5^th in terms of lobbying revenue, bringing in $5.44M. Recently the firm’s Joseph LeBaron, the former ambassador, registered to lobby the State Department to use the Sunrise Estate Development for housing embassy personnel in Abuja, Nigeria.

The Democratic National Committee (DNC) has removed its restrictions that banned political donations from lobbyists and PACS, which were introduced in 2008 under then presidential candidate Barack Obama. The lifting of the restrictions follows last summer’s announcement that the DNC was lifting a ban on lobbyist contributions to convention-related expenses. The Washington Post reports, “The DNC’s recent change in guidelines will ensure that we continue to have the resources and infrastructure in place to best support whoever emerges as our eventual nominee,” according to Mark Paustenbach, deputy communications director for the DNC. “Electing a Democrat to the White House is vital to building on the progress we’ve made over the last seven years, which has resulted in a record 71 straight months of private-sector job growth and nearly 14 million new jobs.” Of the old rules the only remaining portion is that “lobbyists and PAC representatives will still not be able to attend events that feature Obama, Vice President Biden or their spouses,” according to Paustenbach.

This change in policy at the DNC could have a profound effect on the 2016 election as Sec. Hillary Clinton has a significant fundraising advantage among lobbyists and PACs compared to her Democratic primary rival, Sen. Bernie Sanders. The International Business Times reports that, “From 2000 to 2008 she [Clinton] raised more than $30 million from those classified as lawyers and lobbyists, data compiled by the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics show. That group’s data show in that same time period, Sanders accepted more than $310,000 from those classified as lawyers and lobbyists.”

The 2016 presidential campaigns have thus far painted a similar picture. According to the International Business Times Sec. Clinton’s campaign has raised “roughly $725,000 from lobbyists for this year’s contests. Sen. Sanders has received $4,228 worth of contributions from lobbyists during his presidential bid.”

Following the announcement from the DNC, Sen. Sanders campaign spokesman Michael Briggs said in a statement, “This is an unfortunate step backward. We support the restrictions that President Obama put in place and we hope Secretary Clinton will join us in supporting the president.”

The practice of lobbying has grown and developed over the years with different firms providing many services beyond the traditional “shoe leather lobbying”. Recently, as client’s needs have evolved, firms have begun to incorporate public relations services.  According to The Hill, “Offering PR services, many in the industry say, has become a necessity in an era when controlling the media message is just as important to clients as cultivating relationships.” Incorporating PR capabilities into traditional lobbying practices can turn a firm into a one-stop-shop for their clients, helping them by reducing the need to hire separate firms for grassroots, federal or state lobbying and strategic communications.

In fact, the connection between lobbying and PR is so strong that The New York State Joint Commission on Public Ethic issued Advisory Opinion 16-01 which redefines lobbying to include PR professionals who work with political figures.PR Week reports that “On January 26, the Joint Commission voted 10-3 to treat political consultants’ contact with members of the press as lobbying. All PR consultants and their clients must now disclose communication they have with the media and government officials in the state, if the communication intends to influence.”

On Monday, the all GOP S-3 Group became latest firm to make this transition by merging with Bryant Row Public Affairs to form S-3 Public Affairs. The Hill reports, “Stationed in a row house in Eastern Market, S-3 Public Affairs plans to integrate lobbying services with coalition management, digital advocacy campaigns, crisis communications and brand development.”

Similarly, in September 2015, the Democratic leaning lobbying powerhouse Elmendorf | Ryan merged with the PR firm Home Front Communications to create a new 70-person organization named Subject Matter.  Discussing the merger Steve Elmendorf, one of the firm’s founders said, “I think lobbying is changing. People realize that decision makers get their information in so many different ways than they used to, and there are more channels of information. You need to do more than just [direct] lobbying.”

Lobby Blog will continue to monitor and report on the latest changes and trends in the lobbying community.

The Big 5-0

According to new analysis from The Hill, a group of 50 elite companies and trade associations spent $714 million on lobbying in 2015, more than a quarter of all the money spent on lobbying the federal government. In 2015 to make the top 50 lobbying spenders, a company or trade association must have spent at least $7.77 million on lobbying, a little less than a 1% decrease from the $7.83 million threshold for the top 50 in 2014.  The Hill reports, “while $714 million is an eye-popping figure, it is a 5 percent drop from 2014, when the top 50’s spending totaled roughly $749 million, according to data compiled by the Center for Responsive Politics.”

The 2015 legislative calendar saw a few large battles including over the Export-Import Bank and the Trade Promotion Authority. According to The Hill, “Several groups heavily involved in both those issues, including the Business Roundtable and the National Association of Manufacturers, increased their lobbying expenditures by at least 30 percent.” The National Association of Manufacturers began steadily ramping up its lobbying spending since 2013, spending $7.6 million, $12.4 million in 2014 and $16.9 million in 2015.

In 2015 five new companies or trade associations break into the top 50 list. The new additions included Qualcomm (No. 48), Amazon (No. 35), UPS (No.45), Oracle (No. 40) and the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (No. 50).

Other highlights from The Hill’s report include Boeing surpassing Google and Comcast “as the top corporate spender on lobbying as it fought to save the Export-Import Bank. The aerospace giant spent $21.9 million on lobbying last year, a 30 percent increase over the $16.8 million it spent in 2014.” Additionally, “Amazon and the Grocery Manufacturers Association posted the biggest percentage increases in lobbying spending last year, with increases of 91 percent and 83 percent, respectively.”

See the full list here.