City & State NY Profiles New York’s Top 10 Lobbyists

In its inaugural state lobbying supplement, City & State NY “highlights the top 10 firms of 2013 according to JCOPE’s tabulation, and asks the principals of each firm to explain their strengths.”

The article is based on the data provided in JCOPE’s recent annual report, which lists the top ten firms in the state based on their reported compensation and reimbursed expenses:

It’s worth noting that JCOPE’s ranking includes not only firms that lobby in Albany, but firms that lobby in New York City as well.

I thought the most interesting aspect of the article were the final question posed to each firm:

“What has been the biggest change in the lobbying industry in New York over the past five years?”

Responses included “increased disclosure” for lobbyists; the professionalization of the lobbying industry; the never-ending news cycle; social media and technology. The theme across all of the responses is that lobbying in Albany continues to get more and more complex.