Lobbying Firm
A company that employs lobbyists to represent clients before Congress and federal agencies, filing as a "registrant" under the LDA.
Understanding Lobbying Firm
A lobbying firm (also called a contract lobbying firm or registered lobbying organization) is a business entity that employs lobbyists to provide government affairs services to paying clients. Under the LDA, lobbying firms file as "registrants" and must report the income received from each client for lobbying services. Lobbying firms range from small boutique practices specializing in a single issue area to large, multi-practice operations that cover dozens of policy areas and employ hundreds of lobbyists. The largest lobbying firms by revenue include Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, and BGR Group.
Many major law firms also maintain government affairs practices that qualify as lobbying firms. Lobbying firms provide a range of services including strategic advice, direct lobbying contacts with officials, coalition building, grassroots campaign management, and policy analysis. Clients hire lobbying firms for their relationships, expertise, and access to decision-makers. The LDA requires lobbying firms to disclose each client, the issues lobbied on behalf of each client, the government entities contacted, and the income received.
In LobbySpend's data, lobbying firms are categorized as "registrant" type organizations, distinguishing them from "client" organizations that hire external firms and "both" organizations that maintain in-house lobbying teams while also hiring outside firms.
Related Glossary Terms
Lobbyist
An individual who is employed or retained by a client to make lobbying contacts on behalf of that client and who spends at least 20% of their time on lobbying activities for that client.
K Street
A major thoroughfare in Washington, D.C. that has become synonymous with the American lobbying industry due to the concentration of lobbying firms and trade associations located there.
In-House Lobbyist
A lobbyist employed directly by an organization (corporation, trade association, or nonprofit) rather than by an external lobbying firm.
Lobbying
The act of attempting to influence government decisions, policies, or legislation by contacting elected officials, their staff, or executive branch officials.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does lobbying firm mean?
A company that employs lobbyists to represent clients before Congress and federal agencies, filing as a "registrant" under the LDA.
Why is lobbying firm important in lobbying?
A lobbying firm (also called a contract lobbying firm or registered lobbying organization) is a business entity that employs lobbyists to provide government affairs services to paying clients. Under the LDA, lobbying firms file as "registrants" and must report the income received from each client fo...
this entity is one of the U.S. federal lobbying disclosure concepts that recurs across this site. The definition above is the technical answer; the paragraphs below add the practical context for how the concept connects to the the Senate Lobbying Disclosure Office LD-2 filings data behind every per-entity page on the site.
In the the Senate Lobbying Disclosure Office LD-2 filings data, this concept shapes one or more of the fields that drive the per-entity grades and rankings on this site. The methodology page describes which fields feed into which output; this glossary entry documents the underlying term.
Source: U.S. Senate Lobbying Disclosure Act database, 2026.