Florida Lobbying Firm Enters Washington Market With Fast Rise

The Southern Group, long a top Florida lobbying firm, saw an opportunity late last year with President Donald Trump’s election and a rush of the state’s insiders to fill his administration.

The outfit launched a Washington outpost in January and christened it TSG Advocates DC. It’s signed dozens of clients, including American Airlines Group Inc., Volkswagen, and Axon Enterprise Inc., a public safety and technology company.

TSG’s federal lobbying revenue surged nearly 450% between the first quarter of the year and the third quarter, when it reported $1.8 million on its lobbying disclosures. That’s just the beginning, according ...