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The top lobbying practices are based on revenues reported to Congress under the Lobbying Disclosure Act. In many cases, the firms provided the totals to CQ Roll Call; CQ Roll Call also tabulated totals using reports on file as of press time with the secretary of the Senate and by using data from the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics.
| Rank | Lobby Shop | Revenue | Percent Change | 2011 Revenue | 2011 Rank | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Patton Boggs | 46 | -5 | 48.4 | 1 | Big rainmakers include former Sens. John B. Breaux and Trent Lott |
| 2 | Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld | 31.2 | -17.9 | 38 | 2 | The firm's Smitty Davis called it a 'year in which there was much slower activity throughout Washington.' |
| 3 | Podesta Group | 27.5 | 1.5 | 27.1 | 3 | Top spending clients included Accretive Health and US Airways |
| 4 | Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck | 22.5 | 1.8 | 22.1 | 5 | Firm has 'strong momentum going into 2013,' said managing partner Al Mottur. |
| 4 | Van Scoyoc Associates | 22.3 | -11 .9 | 25.3 | 4 | Filed terminations for Autism Speaks and the Sacramento County Airport System in the 4th quarter of 2012 |
| 6 | Williams & Jensen | 18 | 0 | 18 | 10 | Big clients included Bloomberg LP and United Airlines |
| 7 | Holland & Knight | 17.7 | -6.8 | 19 | 8 | Firm officials say they do more non-LDA work with the executive branch |
| 8 | K&L Gates | 17.1 | -8.6 | 18.7 | 9 | Bottom line boost from clients Pitney Bowes and Boeing Employees' Credit Union |
| 9 | Cassidy & Associates | 15.5 | -23.3 | 20.2 | 6 | Former top firm continues LDA revenue slide |
| 10 | Ogilvy Government Relations | 13.9 | -30.2 | 19.9 | 7 | Lost top rainmakers and major client Chevron in 2012 |
| 11 | BGR Group | 13.7 | -11.6 | 15.5 | 11 | New client Chevron a big spender at the firm |
| 12 | Alston + Bird | 13.7 | 0 | 13.7 | 13 | Lobby team led by former Sens. Bob Dole and Blanche Lincoln and ex-Reps. Billy Tauzin and Earl Pomeroy |
| 13 | Peck, Madigan, Jones & Stewart | 13 | 10.2 | 11.8 | 18 | Biggest and notable clients included U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Deutsche Bank Securities and Facebook |
| 14 | Mehlman Vogel Castagnetti | 12.9 | 3.2 | 12.5 | 16 | Personal Care Products Council, Wal-Mart among client list |
| 15 | Hogan Lovells | 12.5 | -18.8 | 15.4 | 12 | Nissan North America a big driver of business for the firm |
| 16 | Capitol Counsel | 12.1 | 11 | 10.9 | 22 | Represented Amgen and American Bankers Association |
| 17 | Washington Council Ernst & Young | 11.5 | -5 | 12.1 | 17 | Terminated with clients Amgen, Advanced Medical Technology Association |
| 17 | McBee Strategic Consulting | 11.5 | -10.9 | 12.9 | 15 | Boeing, Google among client roster |
| 19 | Cornerstone Government Affairs | 11.3 | -13 .1 | 13 | 14 | Clients in 2012 included Chobani Yogurt, Johnson & Johnson and Visa |
| 20 | Covington & Burling | 10.9 | -2.7 | 11.2 | 20 | Filed termination with Caterpillar after it paid $120,000 for fourth quarter |
| 21 | Fierce Isakowitz & Blalock | 10.5 | -2.8 | 10.8 | 23 | All-GOP shop is the biggest firm that is not bipartisan |
| 22 | Duberstein Group | 10.3 | 4 | 9.9 | n/a | Most clients pay flat $100,000-per-quarter lobby tab |
| 22 | Capitol Tax Partners | 10.3 | -6.4 | 11 | 21 | Lobbyists include tax experts Lindsay Hooper, Jon Talisman and Joe Mikrut |
| 24 | Alpine Group | 9.7 | -8.5 | 10.6 | n/a | Client list includes BP America, Recording Industry Association of America and Wal-Mart |
| 25 | Venable | 9.6 | -1 | 9.7 | n/a | Former Rep. Bart Stupak lobbies for such clients as the Entertainment Software Association and Endo Pharmaceuticals |