Health Care Overhaul's Top Lobbying Firms
The 2009 health care overhaul debate was a boon for Washington lobby firms, according to a Center for Public Integrity analysis of lobbying disclosure records. Below are the top 12 firms, based on the number of clients they represented on health overhaul in 2009. However, the total dollar amounts listed for contracts may include lobbying on multiple issues beyond health care overhaul. The disclosure documents analyzed by the Center included "health reform" or similar wording but lobbyists are not required to delineate how much money in a given contract is devoted to a specific issue.
| Lobbying firm | About | Clients represented | Contracts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patton Boggs LLP | Founded in 1962, the law firm's current chairman, Thomas Hale Boggs, Jr., is the son of former House Majority Leader Thomas Hale Boggs, Sr. | 53 | Washington's biggest lobby firm, Patton Boggs represented Wal-Mart Stores Inc., Florida's Pinellas County and Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. | $7,675,000 |
| Alston & Bird LLP | A 900-lawyer firm, its partners have included golfer Bobby Jones, former Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole, and Neal Batson, who was appointed examiner for bankrupt Enron Corp. | 40 | The Washington-based firm represented Aetna Inc., Verizon Communications Inc., and Safeway Inc. | $4,610,000 |
| Foley Hoag LLP | Founded in 1943, the firm has nearly 225 lawyers; antitrust, corporate, and intellectual property work have been recognized as strengths. | 32 | Represented mainly pharmaceutical companies including Pfizer Inc., Eli Lilly & Co., Merck & Co., and Amgen Inc. | $4,064,500 |
| Podesta Group Inc. | Chairman Tony Podesta was one of two lobbyists on GQ's 2009 list of the 50 most influential people in Washington. His brother, John Podesta, was President Bill Clinton's chief of staff, and created the think tank Center for American Progress. | 28 | Represented a diverse group of medical and other interests, including DaVita Inc., Novartis AG and Nestle USA. | $5,160,000 |
| Capitol Tax Partners LLP | A consulting firm, Capitol Tax focuses on tax policy and regulatory issues and says it offers clients “an intimate, first-hand knowledge of the tax-writing committees and the Treasury.” | 28 | Represented Time Warner Inc., Kraft Foods Inc. and Delta Air Lines Inc. | $3,640,000 |
| Holland & Knight LLP | The 1,150-member law firm has offices in a dozen U.S. cities, China, Israel, Mexico, UAE and Venezuela. | 28 | Represented mostly health care interests, including the Association of Critical Care Transport, Health First Inc., and the Florida Hospital Association. | $2,840,000 |
| Dutko Worldwide LLC | A lobbying and public affairs firm, Dutko has offices in 10 U.S. and European cities. The company was acquired last November by London-based Huntsworth Plc, which also focuses on health care issues. | 25 | Represented mostly health care interests, including insurer UnitedHealth Group, drugmaker association PhRMA and medical device firm Medtronic Inc. | $3,740,000 |
| Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP | With 700 lawyers in a dozen U.S. offices, the firm's clients are concentrated among health care providers, pharmaceutical firms, asset managers, and transportation industries. | 25 | Represented National Psoriasis Foundation, National Association of County and City Health Officials and American Association of Bioanalytics. | $1,950,000 |
| Mehlman Vogel Castagnetti Inc. | The government affairs firm was founded by Bruce Mehlman, former general counsel to the House Republican Conference; Alex Vogel, former chief counsel to Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist; and David Castagnetti, a senior strategist in John Kerry's presidential campaign. | 24 | Represented Mayo Clinic, Merck & Co Inc. and Hewlett-Packard Co. | $3,490,000 |
| Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal LLP | A century-old law firm, it has more than 700 lawyers in offices throughout the United States and Europe. | 23 | Represented mostly health care clients, including California Association of Physician Groups, Lance Armstrong Foundation and Dynavox Inc. | $2,620,000 |
| Bryan Cave LLP | The firm has more than 1,000 lawyers in offices worldwide. | 23 | Represented Blue Shield of California Life and Health Insurance Co., Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration, AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP and American Academy of Family Physicians. | $2,240,000 |
| Van Scoyoc Associates | Founded in 1990, the Washington-based government affairs firm began as a specialist in tax and appropriations issues and has since expanded to more than 20 areas ranging from agriculture to water policy. | 23 | Represented health care interests and colleges, including University of Alabama System and University of Connecticut. | $1,630,000 |
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