Albany lobbyist ventures south of border

 {mosgooglecenter}

Patricia Lynch Associates Inc., the state's second-largest lobbying firm, is expanding well beyond its New York base.

Patricia Lynch, who founded the company in 2001, visited Panama City, Panama, last week. She said she plans to open an office there in September.

"We are New York. That's our Rolodex," Lynch said.

"But it's increasingly a global world," she continued. "This will help us better-serve our customers."

The Albany-based lobbying firm already has offices in Buffalo, run by former Assemblyman Paul Tokasz, a partner in the firm, and White Plains. Lynch said she hopes to soon add a Central New York office as well.

She added that going international was the next logical step for her growing firm. Clients last year included Cablevision Systems Corp. (NYSE: CVC), Madison Square Garden LP, The Walt Disney Co.  (NYSE: DIS) and Albany Law School.

In 2007, the firm earned $6.7 million in lobbyist compensation from its 152 clients, according to the state Commission on Public Integrity, which regulates the lobbying industry.

The firm has more clients than any other lobbying firm in the state. Lynch's billing total is second only to lobbying kingpin Wilson Elser Moskowitz Edelman & Dicker LLP(4), which billed $9.6 million of work.

The Wilson Elser firm has offices in Albany and 19 other U.S. cities. It has clients in Latin America, Europe and Asia.