Bottom Line

• BUSINESS. Arnold & Porter added three new lobbying clients to its growing government affairs business: Salt Lake Community College, internet registry operator VeriSign and electric vehicle charging network ChargePoint. Since aggressive hires, including a team from Squire Patton Boggs, the firm has added significant growth to its lobbying revenue. In the first three quarters of this year, the firm earned more than $4.5 million in advocacy fees — an increase of more than $1 million over the entire year of 2015. 

• MENTAL HEALTH. The American Psychological Association added a fifth outside lobby shop to its roster: the Potomac Group. Disclosure forms only say the firm will be working on “mental health legislation” and features longtime lobbyist Wayne Smith, a former chief of staff to former Sen. John Breaux (D-La.), the CEO of the firm. The organization, which boasts more than 100,000 members, also has West Front Strategies, Cavarocchi Ruscio Dennis Associates, Madison Associates and lobbyist Sheila Forsyth working on its behalf.

{mosads}• CRIMINAL JUSTICE. Human rights group Just Detention International hired the Brimley Group to work on criminal justice issues, including stopping rapes in prison. The organization, formerly known as Stop Prisoner Rape, is the only organization that puts a sole focus on stopping sexual violence during detention. The new firm constitutes the only lobbyists for Just Detention International; it formerly employed the Raben Group but terminated the relationship in 2012. Two former aides to former Rep. Frank Wolf (R-Va.) are on the account, in addition to a staffer to then-Rep. Rob Portman (R-Ohio). Liliana Coronado, the fourth lobbyist on the account, served as counsel to the House Judiciary Committee and spent more than 15 years in the Office of the Federal Public Defender.

• ENERGY. ClearPath Action, run by a Republican pushing for conservative clean energy policies, hired its first lobbying firm. Alpine Group’s Les Spivey will be working the account. Prior to joining the firm, he worked as a professional staff member to the Senate Appropriations Committee under Chairman Thad Cochran (R-Miss.).