Lobbying

Bottom Line: Live Nation adds another top lobbyist

by Karl Evers-Hillstrom - 04/18/23 6:00 AM ET

Greg Nash
A K St. banner is seen in downtown Washington, D.C., on Monday, January 30, 2023.

Competition

Live Nation Entertainment hired Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck to lobby on event ticket sales legislation. Former Sen. Mark Pryor (D-Ark.) will work on the account. The entertainment giant, which owns Ticketmaster, is facing intense scrutiny from lawmakers in both parties over its market dominance. President Joe Biden has called for legislation to prohibit ticketing companies from charging excessive fees.

Adobe hired Bloom Strategic Counsel to lobby on its proposed acquisition of design platform Figma. The Justice Department is reportedly planning to sue to block the merger. Seth Bloom, former longtime general counsel on the Senate Judiciary Committee’s antitrust subcommittee, will lobby on Adobe’s behalf.

DISH Network hired Origin Advocacy to lobby on video marketplace competition and spectrum issues. Sean McLean, former White House liaison at the Trump Commerce Department and legislative director to Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), will work on the account.

Tax

FanDuel hired Mayer Brown to lobby on tax issues and a bipartisan bill to repeal an excise tax on sports bets. Warren Payne, former Republican policy director on the House Ways and Means Committee, will work on the account.

The Employee-owned S Corporations of America hired Arnold & Porter to lobby on issues stemming from the OECD’s proposed 15 percent global minimum tax. Former Rep. Ron Kind (D-Wis.), a senior member of the Ways and Means Committee, will work on the account.

Financial Services

TransUnion hired Capitol Counsel to lobby on credit and consumer reporting issues. TransUnion is seeking to block a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau lawsuit accusing the credit reporting giant of tricking users into signing up for recurring payments that can’t be canceled easily. Warren Tryon, former Republican staff director on the House Financial Services Committee, will work on the account.

The Crypto Council for Innovation hired Rich Feuer Anderson to lobby on legislation and regulation relating to digital assets. The House Financial Services Committee recently unveiled a draft bill to regulate so-called stablecoins. Jared Sawyer, former deputy assistant Treasury secretary for financial institutions policy, will work on the account.

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