(Reuters) – Lobbyists in Washington, D.C., reported another blockbuster year of earnings on Friday, with law firm Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck setting a new record for lobbying revenue in 2022.

Some lobbyists had been uncertain that revenues would keep pace after a burst of activity triggered by pandemic-era relief legislation, but quarterly lobbying numbers reported under the Lobbying Disclosure Act and shared with Reuters on Friday indicate that work only increased during the past year.

Brownstein — whose lobbying clients include Apollo Global Management, Johnson & Johnson and the biometric security firm Clear Secure Inc — said it earned $61.62 million from federal lobbying last year, including $15.62 million in revenue in the fourth quarter.

That’s a 9% increase over its 2021 lobbying revenues of $56.48 million, which appeared to set an industry record.

Nadeam Elshami, who co-chairs Brownstein’s lobbying arm, in a statement credited its “bipartisan team” for driving another record year.

“We will continue to build upon our successes as we help our clients navigate a divided Congress,” Elshami said.

Competitor law firm Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld reported $14.05 million in federal lobbying earnings during the last quarter of 2022, bringing its total for the year to $53.14 million. The firm said it was its strongest quarter ever.

Akin Gump, which counts ZTE, Qualcomm and Anheuser-Busch among its lobbying clients, fell just short of its 2021 total lobbying revenue of $53.38 million.

Brian Pomper, co-leader of the firm’s lobbying practice, said that despite “predictions of partisan doom and gloom” on Capitol Hill due to divided political control of Congress, he expects “significant activity” on issues like the debt limit, cryptocurrency and China this year.

Another U.S. law firm with a lobbying arm, Holland & Knight, reported an estimated $43.36 million in lobbying earnings last year, up almost $10 million from 2021. It estimated it earned $11.11 million last quarter.

Rich Gold, head of Holland & Knight’s lobbying practice, said he does not expect the same amount of growth in 2023. “I think the trick for successful firms will be to hold onto these new clients they have brought in and done good work for over the last two, three years,” Gold said.

Law firm K&L Gates reported 2022 total lobbying revenue of $21.4 million, up from its previous best of $21.2 million in 2021. Covington & Burling reported earning over $13.85 million in 2022, and Squire Patton Boggs said it earned roughly $25.26 million, compared to $24.38 million in 2021.

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