LegiStorm

As Jenner & Block ramps up its lobbying presence, the law firm has added a GOP power player to its arsenal.

John Sobel had served as chief of staff to Rep. Paul Cook (R-Calif.) since the congressman took office in 2013. Cook will leave Congress before the end of the term to join the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors.

Sobel has come on board as a senior government-relations specialist. The firm's federal lobbying work grew from a single contract in 2019 to its current work for six organizations, which include T-Mobile and NCTA - The Internet & Television Association.

Earlier this year, the law firm poached eight Kilpatrick Townsend professionals for its Native American law practice. Several of those new hires have since registered as Jenner & Block lobbyists.

Congressman-turned-lobbyist Mike McIntyre (D-N.C.) has a new job.

McIntyre has already started lobbying for Ward and Smith, which he joined after parting ways with law firm Poyner Spruill last month. McIntyre's new title is senior adviser for government relations and economic development.

Ward and Smith has so far disclosed that McIntyre is lobbying on behalf of a handful of local government agencies.

It took him nearly two years in office, but Rep. Joe Morelle (D-N.Y.) has finally added a registered lobbyist to his staff roster.

Owen Reilly joined Morelle's office this month as an legislative assistant.

He spent the last four years at the American Continental Group, most recently as an associate partner. His lobbying clients ranged from 7-Eleven to the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency. Before his time at ACG, Reilly worked for Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.).

Trump-connected Avenue Strategies has registered as a foreign agent on behalf of one of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's closest advisers.

Avenue is working for Mücahit Arslan, a Turkish member of parliament, according to a pair of recent Justice Department filings. The filings list his legal name, Ali Arslan.

Arslan is reportedly a close adviser to Erdogan, who has recently underscored the need for good relations between the U.S. and Turkey. Erdogan told Qatari newspaper The Peninsula in an interview published Thursday that the two countries need "to maintain relations on the basis of bilateral interests, despite differences of opinion" and admitted that "in recent years, [Turkey has] had some difficulties with the American administration."

Avenue is not charging Arslan for the work, which "may include communications with members of Congress and congressional staff, executive branch officials, the media, and with other individuals and organizations that could reference relations with the Republic of Turkey."

"I am willing to do [the work] as your friend for no compensation," firm partner Barry Bennett wrote to Arslan. Bennett is a former senior adviser to Donald Trump's 2016 campaign. He co-founded the firm with former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski, who left following criticism over his failure to register as a lobbyist.

A major producer of COVID-19 tests has added a Republican counsel to its government-affairs arsenal.

Jen Barblan recently joined Abbott Laboratories, where she is senior director for federal government affairs. The health-care and medical-device giant drops big bucks to influence the government, disclosing nearly $4 million on federal lobbying in the last year.

Barblan spent the last five years with the House Energy and Commerce Committee's Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee, most recently as GOP chief counsel. She's also worked for the Oversight and Government Reform Committee and the House Judiciary Committee.