Leonine Public Affairs
Leonine Public Affairs is a privately held public affairs firm providing strategic consulting, lobbying, and 50-state legislative tracking (via its FOCUS platform) to corporations, national trade associations, nonprofits, and municipalities, operating from offices in Vermont, Virginia, and Minnesota.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1987
- HeadquartersBoston, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Leonine Public Affairs does
Leonine Public Affairs is a privately held public affairs firm founded in 1987 in Vermont by Steve Kimbell and Bob Sherman, two former cabinet members of Governor Madeleine Kunin. The firm provides strategic consulting, lobbying, research, analysis, and communications services to clients navigating public policy at federal, state, and local levels. It is now led by a multi-partner team including Leif Johnson (President), Nick Sherman, Dylan Zwicky, and Alexandra MacLean, and operates from offices in Montpelier VT, Arlington VA, and St. Louis Park MN. Primary client segments include large national corporations, national trade associations, nonprofit organizations, and municipal or government entities, with named engagements spanning renewable energy (Avangrid Renewables), equipment dealers (Northeast Equipment Dealers Association), and rapidly evolving industries such as internet and wireless.
The firm's core differentiated product is FOCUS, a 50-state government affairs consulting and legislative tracking service launched in 2000 that monitors state legislative and regulatory developments for corporations and national trade associations. FOCUS operates a subsidiary called The Advocacy Group (TAG), which provides advocacy services to clients in the United States and internationally. Beyond FOCUS, the firm delivers five professional service lines: Government Affairs (federal/state/local lobbying), Coalition and Association Management, Business and Municipal Relations, Public Relations (including crisis management and media training), and Issue Campaigns (grassroots organizing, digital communications, and message development). The firm generates revenue through a combination of professional services fees and recurring FOCUS subscriptions, with pricing not publicly disclosed.
The company has undergone two founder-driven rebrandings (Kimbell and Sherman → KSE → Leonine Public Affairs in 2016) and an orderly leadership transition between 2011 and 2014. It transitioned to a fully remote operating model in 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The firm has no disclosed external funding, no parent company, and operates as an independent partnership with approximately 35 staff as of historical disclosures, classified in the 11–50 employee range.
Leonine Public Affairs firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Leonine Public Affairs
- Legal name
- Leonine Public Affairs
- Website
- https://leoninepublicaffairs.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1987
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Leonine Public Affairs is a privately held public affairs firm providing strategic consulting, lobbying, and 50-state legislative tracking (via its FOCUS platform) to corporations, national trade associations, nonprofits, and municipalities, operating from offices in Vermont, Virginia, and Minnesota.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Leonine Public Affairs industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Public Affairs Consulting
- NAICS
- Public Relations Agencies (54182), Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services (5418)
- SIC
- Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Public Affairs, Government Relations & Lobbying (BPAFADAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Media Relations & Press Office Services (MPAAADAI), Policy, Regulatory & Public Affairs Research (BPAHALAF)
Keywords
Where Leonine Public Affairs is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Boston
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Leonine Public Affairs business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Strategic Consulting Services: Provides strategic consulting, lobbying, research, analysis, and communications services tailored to meet specific client needs in navigating public policy.
- FOCUS Subscription Service: 50-state government affairs consulting and legislative tracking service operated as a subscription-based offering for corporations and national trade associations.
- Public Relations Services: Campaign management, message development, digital and creative communications, media management, social media campaigns, and grassroots organizing services.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
Leonine Public Affairs product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Leonine Public Affairs is a public affairs firm providing strategic consulting, lobbying, research, analysis, and communications services at federal, state, and local levels. Its core product is FOCUS, a 50-state government affairs consulting and legislative tracking service operated as a subscription for corporations and national trade associations. The firm also delivers government affairs, coalition and association management, business and municipal relations, public relations, and issue campaign services.
Product overview
Leonine Public Affairs is a public affairs firm offering a suite of policy consulting and communications services. The core product is FOCUS, a 50-state government affairs consulting and legislative tracking service. The company provides Government Affairs (lobbying), Coalition and Association Management, Business and Municipal Relations, Public Relations (including media training, crisis management, social media), and Issue Campaigns (grassroots organizing, message development, digital communications). The firm operates from offices in Arlington VA, Montpelier VT, and St. Louis Park MN.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- FOCUS: 50-state government affairs consulting and legislative tracking service
- The Advocacy Group (TAG)
Products and services
- FOCUS A 50-state government affairs consulting and legislative tracking service that monitors state legislation and provides research and analysis for corporations and national trade associations.
- Government Affairs Strategic consulting, lobbying, and advocacy services at federal, state, and local levels for clients navigating public policy environments.
- Coalition and Association Management Management and consulting services for corporations and national trade associations, including coalition building and association administration.
- Business and Municipal Relations Services to help clients navigate relationships with businesses and municipal governments.
- Public Relations Strategic communications, media relations, crisis management, social media strategy, and media training services.
- Issue Campaigns
Quantifiable outcome
- Successfully led marriage equality campaign in Vermont 16 years before national recognition, resulting in landmark civil-union law (2000) and first legislature-approved gay marriage law (2009)
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Leonine Public Affairs
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Leonine Public Affairs technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Leonine Public Affairs partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators4 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights3 records
Leonine Public Affairs competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld: Akin Gump is a global law firm with one of the largest federal lobbying and public policy practices. It competes with Leonine for large corporate advocacy engagements but operates at significantly greater scale and with a broader legal service offering.
- Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck: Brownstein is a national law and lobbying firm with a deep government relations practice spanning federal and state levels. As a much larger full-service incumbent, it competes for the same enterprise and association retainers but offers a broader legal and regulatory portfolio.
Direct peers
- BGR Group: BGR Group is a Washington-based government affairs and public relations firm with federal and state-level lobbying practices. Like Leonine, it serves corporations, associations, and nonprofits with integrated advocacy, communications, and coalition-building services.
- FiscalNote: FiscalNote is a technology-driven legislative and regulatory tracking platform that competes head-to-head with FOCUS. While FiscalNote is venture-backed and broader in scope (including policy analytics and lobbying tools), it is the most direct technology competitor in the 50-state tracking category.
- MultiState: MultiState operates a 50-state government affairs research and lobbying service nearly identical to Leonine's FOCUS. Both serve corporations and trade associations with multi-state legislative tracking and on-the-ground lobbying support, making them the closest direct peer in the market.
- Crossroads Strategies: Crossroads Strategies is a government relations and public affairs firm offering federal and state-level lobbying, strategic communications, and coalition management — directly comparable to Leonine's core service lines.
- Cornerstone Government Affairs: Cornerstone is a bipartisan federal lobbying and government affairs firm of comparable mid-market scale. It offers strategic consulting and advocacy services similar to Leonine's Government Affairs practice, with a similar client base of corporations and trade associations.
- Forbes Tate Partners: Forbes Tate Partners is a strategic advisory and government affairs firm providing federal lobbying, public affairs, and communications services. Its integrated lobbying-plus-PR model closely mirrors Leonine's full-stack service offering.
- Mehlman Consulting: Mehlman Consulting is a mid-sized federal lobbying and government affairs firm with a strong focus on healthcare and regulated industries. It competes for the same corporate and association clients that Leonine serves through its Government Affairs practice.
Emerging players
- StateScape: StateScape is a legislative tracking and advocacy technology provider that overlaps with FOCUS's core tracking functionality. It is a more technology-focused, emerging competitor in the same niche of state legislative intelligence.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Leonine Public Affairs social profiles
Digital presenceLeonine Public Affairs financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Leonine Public Affairs leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles17 records
Leonine Public Affairs subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
Leonine Public Affairs funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Leonine Public Affairs M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Leonine Public Affairs
What does Leonine Public Affairs do?
Leonine Public Affairs is a public affairs firm providing strategic consulting, lobbying, research, analysis, and communications services at federal, state, and local levels. Its core product is FOCUS, a 50-state government affairs consulting and legislative tracking service operated as a subscription for corporations and national trade associations. The firm also delivers government affairs, coalition and association management, business and municipal relations, public relations, and issue campaign services.
Is Leonine Public Affairs a public or private company?
Leonine Public Affairs is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was Leonine Public Affairs founded?
Leonine Public Affairs was founded in 1987. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Leonine Public Affairs based?
Leonine Public Affairs is headquartered in Boston, United States, in the North America region.
How does Leonine Public Affairs make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Strategic Consulting Services are the primary driver. The others are FOCUS Subscription Service and public Relations Services.
Who are Leonine Public Affairs's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld and Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck. Direct peers are BGR Group, FiscalNote, MultiState, Crossroads Strategies, Cornerstone Government Affairs, Forbes Tate Partners and Mehlman Consulting. StateScape is listed as an emerging player.
Does Leonine Public Affairs have an API?
No public API is recorded for Leonine Public Affairs.
What industry is Leonine Public Affairs in?
Leonine Public Affairs's product category is Public Affairs Consulting. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAFADAB, Public Affairs, Government Relations & Lobbying, with a secondary code of MPAAADAI, Media Relations & Press Office Services. Its NAICS code is 54182 and its SIC code is 8742.