2023 GOLDEN ROTUNDA AWARDS
LEGAL OF THE
YEAR
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ach leg of GrayRobinson could stand on its own. Take away the lobbying practice, and it becomes an elite law firm. If you remove the legal side from the equation, it’s a powerhouse lobby shop. Put them both together, and you get decades of demonstrated success from the courtroom to the Capitol and everywhere in between. “We help people succeed at the intersection of law and politics,” GrayRobinson President and CEO Dean Cannon said. “There are some great lobbying firms out there that can’t really do legal matters. And there are some great law firms out there that aren’t really as adept at lobbying. We’ve managed to achieve optimized peak performance at both — and all of the credit belongs to our team members.” On the lobbying side, GrayRobinson is coming off another stellar Legislative Session. In the appropriations realm, the firm secured more than $1 billion for clients earlier this year. There is a “great mix” of clients, Cannon said, spanning private enterprises to nonprofits to school districts, municipalities and more. One such client is the Orlando Economic Partnership (OEP), which has benefited both from lawyers and legislative advisors at the firm since the OEP’s inception. The OEP is focused on facilitating prosperity in Central Florida. Earlier this year, the lobbying team assisted OEP in doing just that by securing important kickstart funding for the BRIDG microchip advanced manufacturing and research facility, anticipated to create thousands of high-paying jobs. On the policy side, GrayRobinson helped law enforcement secure funding to procure and install DNA equipment and had success advocating on behalf of schools for tech initiative resources. The firm also has a strong presence in Washington, D.C., and helped the city of Tallahassee secure $20 million in federal funding for its StarMetro transportation fleet. Angela Drzewiecki, a consultant at the firm who handles a range of matters, 92
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INFLUENCE Fall 2023
GrayRobinson including municipality representation, explained that there’s a common thread between many clients despite their varying sizes and scopes. “Local governments all face similar challenges,” Drzewiecki said. When asked how she’s able to drum up statewide appeal for local issues, she pointed to a repeatable framework. “Whether it’s policy or appropriations, we first develop a strategic plan, then we personalize the issue and build consensus,” Drzewiecki said. The municipality practice is one of many practice groups at the firm. Cannon, a former House Speaker, attributes the broad spectrum of work in part to his team, which boasts the same varied quality of the client base. “We have someone in the firm who can work on pretty much anything anyone needs,” Cannon said. He’s joined in his status at the firm as a former House Speaker by Larry Cretul and Tom Feeney, who also served in Congress. The roster also boasts former state Senators and public servants who previously held high-ranking roles in state government. “There’s almost no issue that we haven’t seen before and we know how to help clients tackle a problem even if it’s new,” Cannon said. “The reality is we pretty much work across all silos and all policy areas.” Oftentimes there is overlap between the legal and lobbying sides of the firm, and “the ability to cross both channels” is something clients really appreciate, Cannon said. He explained that sometimes clients may seek legal advice on a statute or regulation that’s creating a lot of difficulty or friction in the industry. And sometimes, the legal team might offer advice that transcends the usual recommended courses of action. “We’ve gone to clients and said, ‘We can always try to change the statute,’” Cannon explained. Whether it’s a new issue or an unin-
tended consequence of an older law, actually attempting to improve or modify the law is “not something a traditional law firm might recommend.” Lawyer and shareholder George Levesque also spoke of the direct benefit the law-lobbying marriage has on policymakers. When GrayRobinson talks to members of the Legislature about the possible unintended consequences of statutory language, for example, it comes with a little more “gravitas” because those members know that the lawyers at the firm may have had firsthand experience litigating over the same language. “It’s been helpful to have that legal background,” Levesque said, adding that it’s even more useful in the waning days of Session when things move quickly. With respect to strategy, Cannon noted that more firms are appearing in Tallahassee but that GrayRobinson — a 50-plus-year-old brand — holds its weight in recruiting and talent acquisition. Outside of that focus, Cannon said the firm stays busy year-round and tries to get the legwork done before the 60day Session, something he described as a “time-limited event.” That means finding bill sponsors early, for example, and doing whatever possible to help lawmakers make policy and, in turn, ease the way for client priorities. GrayRobinson has grown over the past year and has topped its revenue performance for three consecutive years. Obviously, Cannon wants that trend to continue. With a looming election, he’s anticipating another high-revenue performance because imminent ballots make for a more productive atmosphere in Tallahassee. During even-numbered Sessions, “almost everyone in government wants to get something effective done and take something home that they’re proud of,” Cannon said. “I think there’s a general positive motivation among everybody going into it.” More priorities and action should translate to continued work. Cannon has also observed that the
PHOTO: The Workmans
LOBBYING FIRM