The change in presidential administrations brought with it big changes to K Street, which saw its highest client turnover in years.
Since January, federal lobbyists have signed 1,948 new clients — a 15 percent increase over the 1,685 new contracts signed during the the same time period last year. This year's new contracts also represent an 18 percent increase over the first months of Donald Trump's presidency and the highest number of new registrations since 2010.
But this year also marks a 31 percent increase in contract terminations, with many of the same firms that gained dozens of new clients also losing pre-existing relationships. K&L Gates has signed 26 new clients since January, but also lost contracts with 16 existing clients. Ballard Partners, which has been reinventing itself as a bipartisan firm after years of strong connections to the Trump administration, has brought on 19 new clients and lost 10.
Some firms (like Strategic Marketing Innovations, which gained 24 clients and lost only two), weathered the transition very well. But not all firms have been so lucky. Several, including Ice Miller Strategies and the unrelated Miller Strategies have each disclosed no new contracts while losing 20 clients apiece.
