Global Counsel Limited is a prominent international public policy consultancy established in 2010, specializing in advising clients on economic, political, and regulatory trends. The firm operates across key global centers including London, Brussels, Singapore, Washington DC, Doha, and Berlin, reflecting its broad geographic footprint and international client base. Global Counsel’s mission is to provide insightful, evidence-based advice that helps corporates, investors, public bodies, and civil society organizations anticipate, adapt to, and shape policy and regulatory changes. The firm emphasizes a principled approach to public policy consultancy, prioritizing robust analysis over mere access, and fostering relationships based on common interests rather than special privileges.
Global Counsel targets a wide array of EU policy areas including trade, competition, taxation, energy, infrastructure, digital single market, transport, foreign policy, science, healthcare, financial services, cultural and consumer protection. Its expertise spans sectors such as financial services, energy, technology, media, telecommunications, and sustainability, among others. The consultancy is known for its strong belief in the importance of good public policy in a rapidly changing world and has built a team of policy advisers with diverse experience across the public and private sectors.
Since its registration with the EU Transparency Register in June 2014, Global Counsel has engaged actively in lobbying activities within the EU institutions. The firm has maintained a transparent profile, disclosing its lobbying expenditures, key lobbyists, and meetings with EU officials. Over the years, it has spent hundreds of thousands of euros on lobbying efforts, with a reported lobbying cost of €350,000 in 2020 alone. The firm employs a team of lobbyists accredited to the European Parliament, with a full-time equivalent of approximately 3.75 lobbyists, and has held numerous high-level meetings with the European Commission and other EU bodies.
Global Counsel also maintains a network of affiliated organizations and subsidiaries, including Global Counsel Belgium Sprl in Brussels and Global Counsel MENA, a subsidiary focusing on the Middle East and North Africa region. The firm has been involved in various policy discussions and advisory roles, including some scrutiny regarding undisclosed lobbying activities related to Qatar freeports, which were investigated by the UK Office of the Registrar of Consultant Lobbyists.
Overall, Global Counsel Limited stands out as a well-established, globally oriented lobbying consultancy with a comprehensive approach to navigating the complex interface between business, politics, and policymaking at the EU level and beyond.
