Lobbying

Bottom Line: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame signs first lobbying firm

by Taylor Giorno - 09/25/24 6:00 AM ET

Tourism

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum signed its first federal lobbying firm, K&L Gates. The firm will lobby for the Cleveland-based rock music museum on issues related to music tourism and visitor infrastructure development. Mark Ruge, once chief of staff to former Rep. Bob Davis (R-Mich.), will work on the account.

Trade

Stanley Black & Decker hired Miller Strategies to lobby on a litany of trade issues, including imports, exports, tariffs, duties and manufacturing in the U.S. One of the lobbyists on the account is Jeff Miller, the well-connected Republican lobbyist who has bundled tens of thousands of dollars for former President Trump’s reelection campaign during the 2024 election.

Intellectual Property

Getty Images hired NVG to lobby on copyright and competition issues related to generative artificial intelligence. One of the lobbyists on the account is Josh Hurvitz, who served as legislative director for a member of the House Judiciary and Energy and Commerce committees, former Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.).

The Inventors Defense Alliance, a new advocacy group that launched last week, hired Thorsen French Advocacy to lobby on issues related to patent litigation.

The 501(c)4 nonprofit aims to promote access to capital, strengthen intellectual property rights and “fight for inventors’ rights,” according to its website. The group’s board includes intellectual property experts such as Paul Michel, former chief judge of U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, and Russell Slifer, former deputy director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

The lobbyists on the account are two veterans of the House Judiciary Committee, which has a subcommittee dedicated to intellectual property policy: James French, former counsel, and Ben Staub, former professional staff.

Agriculture

The National Oilseed Processors Association hired Invariant to lobby on issues related to biofuels and the “importance of the domestic oilseed processing industry to the U.S. economy and American agriculture.” One of the lobbyists on the account is Ken Barbic, former assistant secretary for congressional relations at the U.S. Department of Agriculture.