Bottom Line — Activision Blizzard lobbies up amid antitrust fight

ANTITRUST

Activision Blizzard hired Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck to lobby on issues related to labor and employment policy. The video game company, which is seeking to win regulatory approval to be purchased by Microsoft, is running ads in the nation’s capital noting that its workers’ union backs the merger. The firm enlisted Brownstein’s Nadeam Elshami, who served as chief of staff to former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.).

TECHNOLOGY

CrowdStrike hired Van Scoyoc Associates to lobby on cybersecurity issues across the U.S. government, which has suffered major data breaches in recent years. The company enlisted Albert Kammler, former GOP professional staffer on the House Homeland Security Committee’s cybersecurity subcommittee.

AUTOMOTIVE

SES AI, a lithium-metal battery manufacturer backed by automotive giants, hired Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld to lobby on implementation of the Inflation Reduction Act. Chris Treanor, former policy analyst on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, will work on the account.

Car rental giant Avis Budget Group hired Capitol Tax Partners to lobby on legislative and regulatory issues related to federal income tax. Jon Talisman, former assistant secretary for tax policy at the Treasury Department under former President Clinton, will work on the account.

FINANCIAL SERVICES

Stock trading firm Robinhood hired Ballard Partners to lobby on regulation of broker-dealers, securities trading and capital markets. Brian Ballard, who was vice chairman of former President Trump’s inaugural committee, will work on the account.

Cross River Bank hired The Madison Group to lobby on issues related to financial services, fintech and the Paycheck Protection Program. Gladys Barcena, a former staffer on the House Appropriations Committee, will work on the account.

Bottom Line is a weekly column documenting lobbying contracts filed with Congress.