[Invest&Law] Ballad Partners Emerging in Trump’s Second Term
Published 08 Jan.2025 16:12(KST)
Mid-sized Law Firm in Florida
Rushed to by Governments and Companies Worldwide
As Donald Trump, the President-elect of the United States, who succeeded in his re-election, prepares for his second inauguration on January 20, there is a lobbying firm attracting attention from not only the U.S. but also global companies as a ‘pro-Trump’ lobbying agency. It is Ballard Partners, operated by lobbyist Brian Ballard, known as Trump’s ‘30-year confidant.’
Brian Ballard started this lobbying firm in 1998 in Tallahassee, Florida. Currently, the firm employs 55 experts, including lobbyists, lawyers, and policy researchers (as of the end of last December according to their website). They have offices in 16 cities worldwide, including major U.S. cities such as Washington DC, Boston, LA, Miami, as well as Tel Aviv in Israel, Riyadh in Saudi Arabia, and Istanbul in T?rkiye.
Why is Ballard Partners gaining attention? Analysts say it is due to the close relationship between CEO Ballard and President-elect Trump. Ballard is regarded as “the most powerful lobbyist in the Trump administration” (Politico). Shortly after Trump’s inauguration in 2017, Ballard established a branch office in Washington DC and expanded the company. Ballard Partners reportedly earned tens of millions of dollars in federal lobbying fees during Trump’s first term. In this election, the firm played a pivotal role in raising campaign funds for the Trump camp. Ballard himself contributed $250,000 (approximately 350 million KRW) of his own money to the Trump campaign.
As Trump’s re-election became likely in this election, governments and companies worldwide began signing contracts with Ballard Partners one after another. The Japanese government had already signed a contract with Ballard Partners early last year, paying a monthly retainer fee of $25,000 (approximately 33 million KRW). In addition, clients include Amazon, Boeing, United Healthcare, and Nippon Steel, which are expected to be subjects of investigations by the U.S. government and Congress. Foreign governments such as Qatar and T?rkiye are also reportedly competing to engage Ballard Partners.
Susie Wiles, nominated as White House Chief of Staff, and Pam Bondi, former Florida Attorney General nominated as Attorney General, both worked at Ballard Partners. Wiles played a key role behind the scenes in the Trump campaign and made significant contributions to Trump’s re-election. It is known that the three have a close relationship, with Ballard introducing Wiles to Trump several months before Trump announced his 2016 presidential campaign. The Korean Embassy in the U.S. also signed a contract on November 26 last year with Mercury Public Affairs, a lobbying firm where Wiles had worked since 2022.
Lobbying activities targeting the U.S. Congress and government regarding legislation and policies are legal in the United States. This is based on the First Amendment, which guarantees the people’s “right to petition.” According to OpenSecrets, a nonprofit organization providing information on U.S. lobbying funds, the scale of lobbying in the U.S. in 2023 was $4.27 billion (approximately 5.7098 trillion KRW).
Governments and companies worldwide spend large sums to hire lobbying firms and lobbyists for consultation. Korean companies are also increasing their spending on lobbying activities in the U.S. Samsung Group spent $3.54 million (approximately 480 million KRW) on U.S. government relations funds in the first half of last year, a 9.9% increase compared to $3.22 million in the first half of 2023. Samsung employed 58 lobbyists in the U.S. The scale of Samsung’s lobbying in the U.S. is the largest in the semiconductor industry, except for Intel ($3.62 million).
Hong Yoonji, Reporter for Legal Times
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