WASHINGTON, DC: Weber- McGinn (WM) increased its already sizeable clout in the nation’s capital last week with the purchase of heavy-hitter government relations firm Barbour Griffith & Rogers (BG&R).
WASHINGTON, DC: Weber- McGinn (WM) increased its already sizeable
clout in the nation’s capital last week with the purchase of
heavy-hitter government relations firm Barbour Griffith & Rogers
(BG&R).
The deal was long in the making, as preliminary discussions had taken
place even before Fortune magazine significantly added to BG&R’s value
by ranking it second in ’DC clout’ (behind powerhouse law firm Verner,
Lipfert, Bernhard, McPherson & Hand).
WM president Dan McGinn said the deal adheres to his agency’s strategy
of ’not looking for an acquisition quick hit or a big-name agency, but
instead for quality partners.’
BG&R, known for its right-wing bent, will ’continue to be a 100%
exclusively Republican firm,’ McGinn said. Though financial terms of the
deal were not reported, McGinn emphasized that BG&R will maintain its
name and current management.
BG&R’s principals are all experienced in GOP politics. Partners Lanny
Griffith and Ed Rogers served in the Bush administration, while founding
partner Haley Barbour served as chairman of the Republican National
Committee from 1993 to 1997. Barbour is expected to remain as chairman
of Policy Impact Communications, a firm that was not part of the
deal.
Among the industries that have turned to BG&R in the past for DC oomph
are Big Tobacco and Big Technology. The Center for Responsive Politics
reported that in 1998, BG&R raked in dollars 880,000 from Philip Morris,
dollars 440,000 from RJR Nabisco and dollars 240,000 from British
American Tobacco, with Microsoft chipping in another dollars
600,000.
McGinn said that future acquisitions in a number of practice areas -
hi-tech seems a possible fit - will likely occur by the end of next
year.
He also intimated that a Democratic lobbying firm could well be on the
agency’s shopping list.
McGinn’s original firm, Ryan McGinn, was acquired by Weber PR in 1998.
