Kirkland & Ellis and Simpson Thacher & Bartlett, two prominent law firms, each paid Ballard Partners $300,000 in the second quarter of 2025 for lobbying services, according to posts found on X and recent reports. This follows their earlier payments of $100,000 each to Ballard Partners in the first quarter of 2025 for “advice related to employment practices,” as disclosed in Lobbying Disclosure Act filings. These engagements were part of deals with the Trump administration to settle Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) investigations into their diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, avoiding potential executive action.
Ballard Partners, a lobbying firm with close ties to President Donald Trump, saw its federal lobbying revenue soar to $14.4 million in Q1 2025, more than tripling its $4.4 million from Q1 2024. The firm’s success is attributed to its connections to Trump’s administration, including former lobbyists like Susie Wiles (White House Chief of Staff) and Pam Bondi (Attorney General), as well as founder Brian Ballard’s role as a top Trump fundraiser. Ballard Partners has taken on numerous high-profile clients since Trump’s election, including Kirkland & Ellis, Simpson Thacher, Harvard University, and major corporations like Chevron and Netflix.
The $300,000 payments from Kirkland and Simpson reflect a broader trend of increased lobbying activity as firms and organizations seek influence in Trump’s second term, marked by policy shifts and heightened scrutiny of corporate practices. If you’d like further details on Ballard Partners’ client portfolio or the specifics of the law firms’ agreements with the Trump administration, let me know!