New York City’s Top 50 Lobbyists: 11-50
The firms that earned the most lobbying your government in 2019.
Which NYC lobbying firms have the most pull in City Hall? Leonid Andronov/Shutterstock
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11. MirRam Group
Catherine Torres, Partner
Compensation: $3,031,919.35
Other key employees: Roberto Ramirez, Luis Miranda, Eduardo Castell, John Emrick
Key industries: Higher education, health care, nonprofits
Notable clients: TWU Local 100, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, Montefiore Medicine Academic Health System Inc., Hispanic Federation
12. Fried Frank
Zachary Bernstein, David Karnovsky, Melanie Meyers & Carol Rosenthal, Real Estate Partners
Compensation: $2,739,667.11
Key industries: Real estate
Notable clients: Tishman Speyer, Vornado Realty, Two Trees Management, Related Companies, Rudin Management Co.
13. The Wright Group NY
Antonio Quesada & Larisa Wick, Government Relations Specialists
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Compensation: $2,644,933
Other key employees: John Wright, Emily Contillo, Patricia Pulvirenti, Naya Stevens
Key industries: Health and human services, legal representation, art and cultural institutions, education access, juvenile justice, immigration rights, criminal justice reform, affordable housing
Notable clients: Cultural Institutions Group, Legal Services NYC, Children’s Defense Fund, The Trust For Public Land, Universal Hip Hop Museum, SAGE
What has been your firm’s biggest achievement in the past year? This firm was founded with the goal of stabilizing organizations that provide services to the most vulnerable and in-need New Yorkers. This past year brought us COVID-19, which in turn brought the issues we focus on every year to the surface: health care access, food insecurity – and more broadly, race and class disparities. Because of our singular focus on the nonprofit community, we are able to connect our clients with both government entities and other members of the community to ensure that they are able to survive this and other crises and continue to serve as vital resources to the city.
14. Kramer Levin
Paul Selver & Gary Tarnoff, Partners and Co-Chairs, Land Use
Compensation: $2,290,087
Other key employees: Michael Sillerman, Elise Wagner, Valerie Campbell, James Power
Key industry: Real estate
Notable clients: Vornado Realty, The Walt Disney Company, H.E.L.P. USA, Long Island University, The Shubert Organization
15. Yoswein New York
Joni Yoswein, Founder, President and CEO
Other key employees: Jamie Van Bramer, Jeffrey Denman, Christopher Carroll
Key industries: Real estate, health care, nonprofits, economic development, technology
Notable clients: Wegmans, Lyft, Industry City, Amazon, Brooklyn Public Library, NYC Outward Bound Schools, Brooklyn Defender Services, Maimonides Medical Center, JetBlue, New York Building Congress, Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, Two Trees Management, Chess in the Schools, New York City Hospitality Alliance
What has been your firm’s biggest achievement in the past year? While we are proud of the work we do for all of our clients, perhaps no project was more exciting for us – or for New York City residents – than helping to open the first Wegmans Food Market at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Wegmans’ commitment to local hiring and community engagement was unparalleled, and we are honored to be continuing to work with them as they step up in a major way to respond to the COVID-19 crisis.
16. The Parkside Group
Harry Giannoulis, President
Compensation: $2,211,377
Other key employees: Paul Thomas, Evan Stavisky
Key industries: Affordable housing, education, energy, labor, nonprofits, tech
Notable clients: 32BJ SEIU, Microsoft Corporation, Entergy, Fresh Direct, CAMBA
17. Mercury Public Affairs
Jan Feuerstadt & Jonathan Greenspun, Partner; Managing Director
Other key employees: Michael McKeon, Charlie King, Fernando Ferrer, Jeff Klein, Patrick Halpin, Jake Dilemani, Ted Anastasiou, Greg Lavine, John Tomlin, Amaris Cockfield
Key industries: Real estate, transportation, technology, sustainability, energy, infrastructure, education, waste management, health care, nonprofits
Notable clients: WeWork, New York Residential Agent Continuum, Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies
What has been your firm’s biggest achievement in the past year? In these modern times, Mercury takes a holistic approach with most clients, offering a full suite of services to complement our strong government relations advocacy, inclusive of digital, communications, crisis, and grassroots and grasstops. This unique approach has positioned our clients for success.
18. Patrick B. Jenkins & Associates
Patrick Jenkins & Dwayne Andrews, President; Senior Vice President
Compensation: $1,654,500
Other key employees: Bharati Kemraj, Ryan Day
Key industries: Education, nonprofits
Notable clients: Bank Street College of Education, Eagle Academy Foundation, Coalition of Community Charter Schools, Uber, New York State Trial Lawyers Association, HNTB
What has been your firm’s biggest achievement in the past year? Patrick B. Jenkins & Associates prides itself on maintaining a constructive dialogue between its clients and the city’s decision-makers and stakeholders – in good times and in bad. Our biggest achievement, by far, is keeping those important lines of communication open for our clients during these unprecedented times.
19. TBA
Tonio Burgos, CEO
Other key employee: Seth Kaye
Key industries: Health care, labor, nonprofits, transportation
Notable clients: American Airlines, Greater New York Hospital Association, Montefiore Medical Center, Pfizer, RWDSU
20. Herrick, Feinstein LLP
Mitchell Korbey & Jennifer Dickson, Partner; Chief Planning and Development Specialist
Other key employees: Raymond Levin, Patrick O’Sullivan Jr., Ellen Hay, Robert Huberman, Veronica Chuah
Key industries: Real estate, land use, zoning
Notable clients: Property Markets Group, BFC Partners, RAL Companies, Two Trees Management, Read Property Group
What has been your firm’s biggest achievement in the past year? Herrick is currently representing Property Markets Group regarding New York City’s rezoning study for the Gowanus Canal area.
21. Brown & Weinraub
Sabrina Shulman & Patrick Lespinasse, Senior Consultant; Senior Adviser
Other key employees: Carolyn Kerr, Ron Greenberg, Alex Betke, Mike Cassidy, Emily Whalen
Key industries: Health care, energy, infrastructure development, financial services, advanced technology
Notable clients: Applied DNA Science, Parsons Construction Group, Orsted Wind Power North America, TIAA, Harley-Davidson, Compassion & Choices, Healthcare Association of New York State
What has been your firm’s biggest achievement in the past year? We continued to grow our team and depth of knowledge with the addition of Kemp Hannon, James Curran, Jon Federman and Patrick Lespinasse.
22. Stroock
Ross Moskowitz, Partner
Compensation: $1,266,578.50
Key industry: Real estate
Notable client: FWRA LLC
23. TLM Associates
Thomas McMahon & James McMahon, Founder and President; Partner
Compensation: $1,239,342
Other key employees: Pablo Zangerle, Sharada Polavarapu
Key industries: Affordable housing, economic development, energy
Notable clients: Bank of America, Community Preservation Corp., Enterprise Community Partners, Greenpoint Manufacturing Design Center
What has been your firm’s biggest achievement in the past year? We have worked with clients and government partners to continue historic city and state investments in affordable housing.
24. Tusk Strategies
Marla Tusk, General Counsel
Compensation: $1,103,806.45
Other key employees: Bradley Tusk, Chris Coffey
Key industries: Advocacy, labor, nonprofits, tech
Notable clients: Arc of Justice, Bird Rides, Charter Communications, Community Housing Improvement Program, New Yorkers for Clean Livable & Safe Streets, Police Benevolent Association
25. Park Strategies
Dave Poleto, Managing Director and Partner
Other key employees: Joe Rossi, Greg Serio, Lisa Marrello, Chris D’Amato
Key industries: Nightlife, hospitality, tourism, travel, transportation, health care, construction, real estate, insurance, financial services, information technology, energy
Notable clients: Brookfield Financial Properties, Mount Sinai Health System, Catholic Health Services of Long Island, Voyce Global, Exxon Mobil, State Farm
What has been your firm’s biggest achievement in the past year? We have substantially increased our depth and reach in numerous focus areas via the addition of eight experienced and respected consulting and advocacy professionals from Jackson Lewis’ government relations group.
26. Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner
CB Mobley, Counsel
Compensation: $1,034,988.54
Other key employees: James Colgate, Judith Gallent, Philip Karmel
Key industry: Real estate
Notable clients: Hudson HK LLC
27. Eric Palatnik PC
Eric Palatnik, Founder
Key industries: New York City real estate, land use, discretionary entitlement actions
Notable clients: BP Products North America Inc., Rybak Development, Jasper Venture Group
What has been your firm’s biggest achievement in the past year? A great example of our work is the Parkway Hospital rezoning in Forest Hills, Queens, that was approved in April 2019. The property was an abandoned hospital that had closed during the downturn in 2009 and was an eyesore to the neighborhood. Although everyone was anxious to see the property put to productive use, just what should go there was not clear. We assembled a team of the industry's top professionals and developed a plan to develop both market-rate housing and affordable senior housing. A key component of the project’s success, beyond being a great way to revitalize the site, was that we engaged all of the partners in the community, including the neighboring public school, the community board, elected officials, and others early and often. We made the stakeholders the project’s loudest champions. It’s that model of community-developer partnership that is central to our success.
28. National Strategies
Al Gordon, CEO
Compensation: $925,329
Key industries: Tech, education, health care, energy, public safety, transportation, financial services
Notable clients: Crown Castle Fiber, McAfee Public Sector
29. RG Group
Fran Reiter, Partner
Other key employees: Catherine Giuliani, Alan Rosenberg, Gregory Mitchell
Key industries: Technology, consulting, energy, real estate
Notable clients: KPMG, Oracle America, Broadcom, Red Hat, Splunk, Transit Wireless
What has been your firm’s biggest achievement in the past year? RG Group specializes in procurement lobbying and strategic advisement. We pride ourselves on being the go-to firm for technology companies seeking to do business, or enhance their business, in New York’s public sector. Our success is based on our ability to understand our clients’ products and services, identify appropriate government customers, arrange introductions to those customers and help them navigate New York’s complex procurement processes.
30. Jackson Lewis PC
Editor’s note: Key members of Jackson Lewis’ team from last year have joined other firms, including Jonathan Bing, who joined Greenberg Traurig.
Compensation: $867,501
Key industries: Health care, housing, nonprofits, tech, transportation
Notable clients: The Broadway League, NYU Langone Hospitals, Via Transportation, The Hebrew Home for the Aged at Riverdale
31. Akerman
Steven Polivy, Chairman, Economic Development and Incentives Practice, New York
Compensation: $807,822
Key industry: Real estate
Notable clients: Home Depot, Macy’s, Maimonides Medical Center
32. Fontas Advisors
George Fontas, Founder and CEO
Compensation: $727,616
Other key employees: Scott Crowley and John Sabini
Key industries: Tech, real estate
Notable clients: Dell, Google, LeFrak, Savanna, New York Road Runners
What has been your firm’s biggest achievement in the past year? Fontas Advisors is a boutique consulting firm built to provide an incredibly high quality of service across a curated group of clients across New York City, state and New Jersey. While we are largely known for our work in New York City, in 2019 – only our second year in operation – we launched our Albany practice, representing a diverse array of real estate, tech, transportation, and nonprofit clients. Recently, we welcomed former state Sen. John Sabini and Scott Crowley, former deputy director of the City Council finance division, to our team to expand our capabilities.
33. DalyGonzalez
Teresa Gonzalez & Samara Daly, Principals
Compensation: $680,000
Key industries: Arts and culture, real estate, tech, environment
Notable clients: Hudson Companies, The Durst Organization, Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art, AECOM, Jamaica Bay-Rockaway Parks Conservancy
What has been your firm’s biggest achievement in the past year? We have been able to raise significant capital funding from the city and state, and have successfully navigated complex land use and rezoning issues, both on behalf of our clients.
34. Bender Cantone Consulting
Bruce Bender & Scott Cantone, Co-founders and Principals
Compensation: $670,300
Key industries: Real estate, transportation, gig economy, cultural institutions, nonprofits, startups
Notable clients: Independent Drivers Guild, Brooklyn Museum, Children’s Museum of Manhattan, Trinity Place Holdings, Madison Realty Capital
What has been your firm’s biggest achievement in the past year? On behalf of IDG, Bender Cantone Consulting successfully advocated for the Legislature’s passage and governor’s approval of state legislation that expanded the authority of the Black Car Fund to provide health benefits, such as telemedicine, mental health wellness and eye care to 80,000 for-hire vehicle drivers who are affiliated with Uber, Lyft and Via. On behalf of Trinity Place Holdings and Madison Realty Capital, Bender Cantone successfully negotiated public-private partnerships with the city of New York for the location and construction of new public schools.
35. Slater & Beckerman
Editor’s note: The law firm Slater & Beckerman merged into Hirschen Singer & Epstein in March 2020.
Compensation: $630,441.50
Key employees: Stefanie Marazzi, Stuart Beckerman
Key industries: Zoning and land use
Notable clients: 3 East 89 Holding LLC
36. Gotham Government Relations & Communications
Bradley Gerstman & David Schwartz, Founding Partners
Compensation: $627,000
Key industries: Advocacy, real estate, retail
Notable clients: Red Apple Group, The Plumbing Foundation City of New York
37. 99 Solutions
Jacqui Williams, Principal
Key industries: Real estate, telecommunications, cannabis
Notable clients: Real Estate Board of New York, Tishman Speyer, Power House/Gemini Arts Initiative, Crown Castle, Acreage Holdings
What has been your firm’s biggest achievement in the past year? There are several notable accomplishments that are part of the 99 Solutions portfolio, however working with others to bring the first Wegmans Food Market to New York City is one of my firm’s greatest accomplishments. It was the culmination of a longtime project that prioritized economic parity by providing opportunities for new careers and giving workers the tools they need to be successful and competitive in this business climate.
Last year we expanded into the newly developed cannabis industry. Under these circumstances, the firm had to evaluate the numerous challenges and barriers that come with the issue of legalization. For over a decade, we have provided advice, guidance and education to a variety of clients both public and private, businesses, nonprofit organizations and the community. Along with embracing this new industry, a major test in this effort was to embrace the pace at which information can change. The firm welcomes the challenges related to this issue and remains committed to ensure that communities of color are treated fairly and equitably, communities that we serve every day.
This terrible COVID-19 pandemic has forced the political landscape to mutate into more of a global ethos. Overnight, the disease has forced us to think beyond zip codes and county lines and to focus on how we all withstand and recover from this. It’s no longer political, it’s personal, and we must ALL contribute to our survival, public and private, Red and Blue, black and white. As for my work, I’ve been baptized into the IT waters and the world of social media; I’m sure I am not alone! Now, Zoom, Skype, Webex and others are my new office mates, but I kind of miss my human ones.
38. Nicholas & Lence Communications
Cristyne Nicholas & George Lence, CEO; President
Other key employees: Laura Rothrock, Joshua Knoller
Key industries: Travel, tourism, transportation, business improvement district formation and expansion, buildings, infrastructure, nonprofits
Notable clients: Statue Cruises, NYC Ferry operated by Hornblower, Clean Energy Fuels,Halletts Point Alliance, Gray Line New York, Flatiron/23rd Street Partnership Business Improvement District, Lincoln Square Business Improvement District, New York Coalition of Code Consultants, Staten Island Chamber of Commerce, Times Square Advertising Coalition
What has been your firm’s biggest achievement in the past year? Nicholas & Lence Communications has been instrumental in helping Hornblower Cruises and Events, the company’s first client in 2007, enter into the New York market. Over 13 years later, the company is proud to work with Hornblower entities including Statue Cruises, the only authorized and official provider of tickets and tours from New York and New Jersey to the Statue of Liberty National Monument and Ellis Island, as well as NYC Ferry, the first citywide ferry service that launched in 2017. NYC Ferry provides an affordable way to travel between waterfront communities throughout New York City and spanning over 60 nautical miles of waterways over six routes, helping Hornblower to become the dominant ferry, cruise and event operator in New York and the nation.
39. The Ickes and Enright Group
Harold Ickes, Principal
Compensation: $568,749
Other key employee: Kevin McCabe
Key industries: Culturals, health care, finance, tech
Notable clients: American Beverage Association, Election Systems & Software, Northwell Health, JPMorgan Chase, MasterCard
40. Statewide Public Affairs
Jim Quent, Partner
Other key employees: Christopher Duryea, Wayne Lair, Kevin Banes, Roy Lasky
Key industries: Nonprofits, restaurant and hospitality, beverage construction, transportation
Notable clients: The Coca-Cola Co., National Restaurant Association, Dunkin’ Brands, Construction Safety Advisory Committee of New York, New York City Special Riggers Association, Allison Transmission, Coalition for the Homeless, Metropolitan College of New York, Special Olympics
What has been your firm’s biggest achievement in the past year? The COVID-19 crisis has created unprecedented challenges for our clients, yet has brought out their best to support fellow New Yorkers in need. Any achievement pales in comparison to successfully engaging our clients’ resources to assist the city and state in mitigating the impact of this public health crisis. We are proud to have had a part in expanding the long-term availability of affordable housing as well as securing funding for eviction prevention, and mobile soup kitchens and food pantries to help New Yorkers most in need. We have engaged the site safety managers and special riggers associations to assist the council and Department of Buildings in implementing the Construction Safety Act, which will ensure all workers are properly trained, reducing accidents and fatalities on and around the thousands of job sites in New York City. Our firm is proud to be assisting our clients in providing incredible support for first responders and health care workers in the form of personnel, personal protective equipment, food and coffee, and financial support. As our name suggests, Statewide Public Affairs is able to assist our clients in successful decision-making based on providing real-time information and political perspective as city and state governments address this crisis, and we are most proud of these achievements.
41. Capitol Consulting
Jeff Leb, Managing Partner
Other key employees: Gabriel Davidson, Julia Brown
Key industries: Health care, education, real estate, social services
Notable clients: EmblemHealth, Success Academy Charter Schools, The Jewish Board, The Blue Card
What has been your firm’s biggest achievement in the past year? Our biggest achievement has been to secure over $23 million for our clients in capital and expense funding from the city and state.
42. The Carey Group LLC
Regina DeMilia, Senior Vice President
Compensation: $540,000
Other key employees: Michael Carey, Stephen Hayes
Key industry: Real estate
Notable clients: Triangle Equities, The Rabsky Group
43. Sheldon Lobel PC
Richard Lobel, Managing Partner
Other key employees: Sheldon Lobel, Fayanne Betan, Rebecca Davoudian, Amanda Iannotti, Frank Noriega, David Rosenberg
Key industries: Land use, zoning law
Notable clients: Spitzer Engineering, L+M Development Partners, CAMBA Housing Ventures
What has been your firm’s biggest achievement in the past year? In the past year, the firm has filed or received grants for numerous applications with city zoning agencies, including more than 20 rezonings with the City Planning Commission. Our clients have been granted rezonings throughout the city, which have included upzonings of residential and commercial bulk, changes in use from manufacturing to mixed-use commercial and residential use, and increases in the number of permitted commercial uses. We are proud to represent a broad range of clients, including both local and multinational development firms, affordable housing developers, business owners, schools, medical institutions and single-family homeowners.
44. Beaudoin & Company
Heather Beaudoin, Principal
Compensation: $450,750
Key industries: Labor, law
Notable clients: Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York, New York State Trial Lawyers Association, Joint Council No 16 International Brotherhood of Teamsters
45. HR&A Advisors
Jamie Dang & John Alschuler, Chief Operating Officer; Chairman of the Board
Compensation: $424,000
Key industry: Real estate
Notable client: Alexandria Real Estate Equities Inc.
46. Global Strategy Group
Jon Silvan, Founding Partner and CEO
Compensation: $399,100
Other key employees: Justin Lapatine
Key industries: Environment, nonprofits, real estate, tech
Notable clients: Fund for the City of New York, RXR
47. External Group
Steven Figueiredo, President
Compensation: $397,096
Key industries: Construction, real estate, zoning, retail, hospitality, government relations, policy, legislation
Notable clients: Associated Brick Mason Contractors of Greater New York, Soho Broome Condos
What has been your firm’s biggest achievement in the past year? An achievement has been establishing a reputation for personalized, results-driven solutions, a natural product of my knowledge and understanding of the regulatory procedures requiring completion to manage successful projects.
48. George Arzt Communications
George Arzt, President
Other key employees: Brian Krapf, Bob Liff, Maya Gelfand
Key industries: Real estate development, politics, education, health care
Notable clients: Extell Development Co., Gilbane Building Co., New York Blood Center, Kings County Democratic Committee
What has been your firm’s biggest achievement in the past year? George Arzt Communications has helped change the New York skyline by helping builders navigate governmental agencies to build such iconic skyscrapers as Extell’s 157 W. Fifth St. along with 138 Willoughby in Brooklyn, and Jonathan Kalikow’s 430 E. 58th St. The firm also secured critical funding for the New York Blood Center to assist gay and queer men of color onto the economic ladder and into HIV-prevention programs, along with aid for children in foster care through its client Forestdale, one of the city’s preeminent family service nonprofits.
49. The Advance Group
Scott Levenson & Sebastian Levenson, Founder and President; Client Relations
Key industries: Labor, nonprofits, real estate, bars, restaurants
Notable clients: CWA Local 1180, OPEIU Local 153, Community Voices Heard, Metal Trades Department, AFL-CIO, Local 2507
What has been your firm’s biggest achievement in the past year? We were victorious in reaching a settlement in CWA Local 1180's pay discrimination case against the city after years of fighting. We also helped bring fundamental change to how the city analyzes pay discrimination with new legislation requiring a report on wages for city workers. We hope to see the results of the first analysis later this year and will continue the fight against pay discrimination.
50. State & Broadway
Jacqueline Williams & Lawrence Scherer, Founding Partners
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Other key employees: Richard Winsten, Patrick Kennedy
Key industries: Labor unions, film, gaming, transportation, financial services, public policy
Notable clients: New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health, Broadway Stages, Local 372 New York City Board of Education Employees
What has been your firm’s biggest achievement in the past year? The firm’s biggest achievements in the past year include: the passage of legislation to incentivize diversity in the hiring of episodic television writers and directors; to provide farmworkers with overtime and collective bargaining rights; equal pay for substantially similar work for both public and private sector employees; the extension and funding of the COBRA subsidy for the New York entertainment industry; and the two-year extension of the film tax credit at $420 million per year.
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