A Democratic takeover of at least one chamber of Congress following next month's midterm elections could be a boon to law firms angling for roles in a potential surge of congressional investigations.

Several lawyers and lobbyists in Washington said they're communicating with current and potential clients in anticipation of a spate of new probes on Capitol Hill if Democrats tip the balance. Reuters has reported that Democrats are widely expected to win control of the House, though the Senate is too close to call.

Anyone ignoring inquiries from Democratic lawmakers risks the chance they could have subpoena power in the next Congress, said Brian Pomper, who co-leads Akin Gump's lobbying and public policy practice. "They should really be preparing now," Pomper said.

After two years in the minority during Republican President Donald Trump's first term, newly-empowered Democrats could scrutinize a range of targets, from administration figures to corporate donors and participants in business deals brokered by the Trump family. Unlike the White House, private companies cannot claim that their activities are protected by executive privilege.

Democrats are "telegraphing that they’re going to go towards companies for information" because the administration will not cooperate, said Susanne Sachsman Grooms, the leader of Cooley's congressional investigations practice.

Grooms said she is planning to meet with a small group of clients at private dinners in New York and San Francisco after the election to discuss the results and their implications.

US law firm Brownstein Hyatt launched a website to track investigative activity, said Will Moschella, who co-chairs the firm's government relations department, and posted hundreds of letters Democratic lawmakers in the US House and Senate have sent since last year that could augur future probes.

Lawyers at several firms said they expanded their congressional investigations practices over the past year, while others are still hiring.

In March, Akin Gump hired Marcus Childress, a former senior adviser to US Representative Jamie Raskin, the ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee and a Democrat. Last month, Cooley brought Jessica Donlon, who has served as general counsel to Republican US Representatives Brett Guthrie and James Comer.

Aaron Cutler, who leads Hogan Lovells Cadwalader's government relations practice, said he has been given a mandate to hire more people.

"We've been busy all year," Cutler said. "We're expecting to be busier next year." Several firms reported record-setting US lobbying revenues once again in the third quarter, as lobbyists also look ahead to the post-election landscape.

Florida-founded lobbying firm Ballard Partners said it brought in $35.01 million in its best-ever quarter, 39.6% more than the same time period last year. The firm, which previously employed former US Attorney General Pam Bondi, has seen massive revenue growth since President Donald Trump took office last year.

Law firms Brownstein Hyatt, Akin Gump and Squire Patton Boggs reported federal lobbying revenues of $22.5 million, $18.85 million and $7.9 million, respectively, while lobbying firms BGR Group and Cornerstone Government Affairs reported $22.5 million and $15.6 million. Representatives from those five firms said these are new quarterly records.

Akin Gump said lobbying on trade and tariff issues was a major driver, while Brownstein Hyatt cited a range of areas including healthcare and tax. Lobbyists are required to report quarterly revenue under the federal Lobbying Disclosure Act.

Not every firm saw an increase. Hogan Lovells Cadwalader said its federal lobbying revenue in the third quarter dropped to $2.97 million from $3.7 million in the prior quarter. K&L Gates reported a quarterly decline from $5.5 million to $4.8 million.

Aaron Cutler, the leader of Hogan Lovells Cadwalader's government relations practice, said in a statement the firm has "continued to see an increase in non-LDA work," including congressional investigations and its work for foreign clients like Venezuela.

Karishma Shah Page, who co-leads K&L Gates' public policy and law practice, said in an email that there was heavy preparation underway ahead of the election, and that she expects both the end of the year and the next congressional session to be busy. She noted that the third quarter tends to be slower prior to a midterm election, and that Congress spent limited time in session in July and September.

Federal lobbying spending has continually increased since 2016, surpassing $5 billion last year, according to nonprofit research group OpenSecrets. As of July 23, companies, trade groups and other entities have spent $2.74 billion this year, per OpenSecrets.

Cooley will raise salaries for its US associates in January, aligning with the associate compensation scale that rival firm Milbank rolled out earlier this year.

Associates at Palo Alto-founded Cooley will have base salaries ranging from $235,000 to $455,000, depending on seniority, according to an internal Cooley memo published by the website Above the Law. The firm will also hand out “special” bonuses for the year to eligible associates, the memo said, without specifying the amounts.

Large US firms have largely stayed quiet since Milbank announced salary increases in June, though McDermott, Will & Schulte was among a handful of firms that matched the new scale. Milbank, which in recent years has been a first mover among large firms on associate compensation, also rolled out so-called special bonuses of up to $25,000 in July.

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