What Murchison Consulting does

Murchison Consulting is a political lobbying and government affairs consulting firm headquartered in Long Beach, California, established by Mike Murchison, who brings over 30 years of experience in municipal and political consulting. The firm serves a client base of more than 100 organizations, primarily across Long Beach and Southern California, with strategic expansion into multiple Western U.S. states since 2021. Notable clients include major corporations such as Verizon and Relativity Space, alongside hospitality and real estate developers such as the Hard Rock Hotel project, which the firm represented for nine years prior to construction start in 2026.

The firm's service portfolio spans traditional political consulting, municipal lobbying, and government affairs representation, complemented by newer practice verticals in music festival promotions and outdoor advertising developed since 2021. The core deliverable is representation before municipal and governmental bodies, with project-based fee structures typical of boutique lobbying engagements. The firm has secured multi-year municipal contracts including a 5-year engagement with the City of Fresno (February 2024) and a City of Albuquerque contract (May 2025), indicating a deliberate shift toward longer-duration government relationships.

The business model combines traditional lobbying retainers with an expanding mix of revenue streams. The Rental Property Platform membership represents a productized, recurring-revenue offering that diversifies beyond project fees. Geographic footprint now spans California, Utah, Idaho, Arizona, New Mexico, and Nevada, supported by festival and outdoor advertising work. The firm operates with a lean principal-led structure, with limited disclosed headcount and no technology platform dependency. There is no evidence of AI, software, or proprietary data assets in the practice.

Name

Murchison Consulting

Legal name

Murchison Consulting

Website

https://murchisonconsulting.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Murchison Consulting is a Long Beach, California-based political lobbying and government affairs firm founded by Mike Murchison, serving 100+ clients across the Western U.S. with municipal representation, multi-year government contracts, and expanding music festival and rental property platform services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Government Affairs Consulting

NAICS

Management Consulting Services (54161), Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services (541611), Offices of Real Estate Agents and Brokers (531210)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Real Estate Agents & Managers (For Others) (6531)

akta.pro primary industry

Corporate Strategy Advisory (BPAHADAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Corporate Development & Strategic Partnerships Advisory (JVs, Alliances, Carve-outs) (BPAHAOAG), Tenant Representation & Corporate Services Brokerage (BPAJABAJ)

Keywords

• Government affairs consulting
• Political lobbying services
• Entitlement acquisition services
• Municipal lease negotiations
• Special events permitting

Headquarters

HQ city

Long Beach

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Political Lobbying & Government Affairs Consulting: Professional consulting services providing strategic advocacy, entitlement acquisition, lease negotiations, and government relations support for developers, hospitality operators, event promoters, and property owners. Revenue generated through project-based fees and ongoing retainer arrangements with clients requiring sustained government engagement.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Murchison Consulting is a Long Beach, California-based political lobbying and government affairs firm founded by Mike Murchison. The firm secures entitlements, regulatory approvals, municipal leases, and special-event permits for real estate developers, hotel owners, music festival promoters, transportation companies, and other commercial clients before the City of Long Beach and surrounding jurisdictions.

Product overview

Murchison Consulting is a political lobbying and government affairs consulting firm offering a portfolio of services including government affairs advocacy, entitlements processing for real estate and development projects, lease negotiations with municipal agencies, and special events permitting. The firm operates primarily in Southern California and serves clients across diverse industries including real estate development, hospitality, music festivals, technology, transportation, and property management. The Rental Property Platform membership represents a distinct recurring service offering for property owners and investors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Government Affairs & Entitlements Consulting Secures zoning entitlements, regulatory approvals, and legislative outcomes for real estate developers, hotel owners, and commercial clients before Long Beach city council and municipal agencies.
• Municipal Lease Negotiations Negotiates long-term ground leases and facility leases with the City of Long Beach on behalf of developers, hospitality operators, and transportation/logistics tenants.
• Special Events Permitting & Advocacy Secures special-event permits, licenses, and municipal sign-offs for music festivals, large public gatherings, and concert promoters operating in Long Beach and surrounding jurisdictions.
• Political Lobbying & Municipal Advocacy Direct lobbying before city council, planning commissions, port authorities, and other municipal bodies on behalf of transportation, industrial, and telecommunications clients.

Quantifiable outcome

• Unanimous 9-0 City Council vote for emergency rental assistance program (April 2020)
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Meals on Wheels of Long BeachminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Murchison Consulting founders partnered with Meals on Wheels of Long Beach as part of the Long Beach Challenge grassroots fundraising campaign launched in May 2020 to benefit children, families, and homebound seniors during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Long Beach Education FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Murchison Consulting partnered with Long Beach Education Foundation as part of the Long Beach Challenge pandemic response initiative, raising $87,000 in two months to support community relief efforts.
• Long Beach Grand Prix / Indy GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013Mike and Tracy Murchison have partnered with Long Beach Grand Prix for over 15 years coordinating the Grand Prix School Education Series, visiting eight Long Beach elementary schools annually with show cars and professional drivers to teach driver safety and inspire students.
• Kardent DesignminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPartnered with Kardent Design to update oil standards for abandoned wells in Long Beach. City Council approved new standards on June 1, 2021, enabling responsible development and cost reductions for landowners.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• CBRE Group: Global commercial real estate services firm whose tenant representation, government incentives, and location advisory practices overlap with Murchison's lease negotiation and municipal coordination work for hospitality and corporate clients.
• Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld: Global law firm with a major public law and policy practice that engages in state and local lobbying, including significant California activity. Comparable as a broad incumbent with deep political relationships that overlaps with Murchison's higher-stakes entitlement and government affairs engagements.
• Holland & Knight: Large national law firm with a well-known government advocacy practice operating across multiple states including California. Comparable to Murchison as a broader platform whose government affairs team competes for real estate, hospitality, and infrastructure entitlement mandates.
• Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck: National law and lobbying firm with a large California government relations practice, representing clients before state, local, and federal decision-makers. Comparable to Murchison for its California-anchored lobbying work serving real estate, energy, and entertainment clients.
• Manatt, Phelps & Phillips: Full-service professional services firm founded in Los Angeles with a substantial government and regulatory affairs practice advising on policy, lobbying, and entitlement matters. Comparable as a broader professional services platform whose government affairs group competes with Murchison on California political and regulatory work.

Direct peers

• California Strategies: One of California's largest independent state and local government advocacy firms, with offices in Sacramento, Los Angeles, San Diego, and elsewhere. Comparable to Murchison as a relationship-driven California lobbying and government affairs practice serving developers, entertainment, and corporate clients on entitlements and legislative matters.
• Southwest Strategies: San Diego-headquartered public affairs and lobbying firm working on entitlement, government relations, and community engagement projects across Southern California. Directly comparable to Murchison in business model, regional focus, and client base (developers, municipalities, special events).
• Englander Knabe & Allen: Los Angeles-based government affairs and public affairs firm providing strategic advocacy and political counsel to corporate and municipal clients. Closely comparable to Murchison as a Southern California-anchored boutique focused on local government access and stakeholder engagement.
• Capitol Advocacy: California-based government affairs and lobbying firm representing clients before the state legislature, regulatory agencies, and local governments. Directly comparable as a California-centric political consulting practice that secures entitlements, permits, and approvals on behalf of private-sector clients.

Emerging players

• The Marquez Group: Los Angeles-based government affairs and strategic communications firm representing clients in entertainment, real estate, and infrastructure before local government. Comparable to Murchison as a relationship-led SoCal boutique focused on entitlements and municipal advocacy.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/murchison-consulting

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Murchison Consulting