Bottom Line

• ENERGY. A top oil and gas trade group is getting some help from a former Democratic lawmaker. The American Petroleum Institute has signed up McGuireWoods Consulting — with former Rep. L.F. Payne (D-Va.) the lone lobbyist on the account — to lobby on “offshore oil and gas exploration,” liquefied natural gas exports and the renewable fuel standard, according to lobbying disclosure records.

 • ENVIRONMENT. One K Street firm is diving deep for a client. The Florida Aquarium in Tampa has hired Grau & Associates to lobby on “coral research, conservation, propagation, and policy.” Aaron Grau, once a Senate subcommittee professional staff member, will be representing the aquarium.

{mosads}• FINANCIAL SERVICES. Wall Street giant Morgan Stanley has added to its lobbying team. Crossroads Strategies has contracted with the global financial firm to lobby on Dodd-Frank implementation, derivatives and tax reform, among other issues. John Green, former deputy chief of staff for ex-Sen. Trent Lott (R-Miss.) and Stewart Hall, once legislative director for Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.), are among the lobbyists working on the account. Capitol Tax Partners and Dentons also lobby for Morgan Stanley.   

• IMMIGRATION. Immigration reform is piping new business to K Street. Marcel Partners, a Columbia, Mo.-based telecommunication engineering company, has hired Turner Pollard Strategies to lobby on “all issues relating to immigration, specifically the issuance of H2B visas, and all issues relating to the use of telecommunications equipment in border security.” John Pollard, once an aide to former Rep. Ike Skelton (D-Mo.) and the House Armed Services Committee, will be one of the lobbyists working for the company. 

 • TAX. Holland & Knight has contracted with the Mortgage Bankers Association to lobby on “tax deductions for mortgage interest; reform of mortgage government-sponsored enterprises; refinancing legislation.” Paul Bock, once chief of staff to ex-Sen. Herb Kohl (D-Wis.) and Kathryn Lehman, former chief of staff to the House Republican Conference, will be some of the lobbyists helping the trade group.