SKDK

SKDK is a U.S. public affairs and political consulting firm formed through the combination of Squier Knapp Dunn Communications and Knickerbocker Consulting. The two businesses began working together in 2004 and formally consolidated in 2010 under the name SKDKnickerbocker; the firm later became known as SKDK. Its practice combines political campaign consulting, public affairs, crisis communications, media relations, corporate communications, branding, digital strategy, speechwriting, message development, and media training. The firm is particularly associated with Democratic Party candidates, officeholders, progressive advocacy organizations, and issue campaigns. Its reported political clients have included Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Michael Bloomberg, Mark Kelly, Ned Lamont, Wes Moore, Laura Kelly, Debbie Dingell, Joe Donnelly, Gary Peters, Michael Bennet, Josh Gottheimer, Seth Moulton, Joseph Morelle, Sara Jacobs, and Christine Quinn. Beyond electoral politics, SKDK has represented organizations involved in reproductive rights, women's rights, marriage equality, and other public-policy debates, including Planned Parenthood, the Center for Reproductive Rights, Sandra Fluke, and the Time's Up Legal Defense Fund. SKDK's profile has been shaped by senior personnel with experience in national politics and government communications. Anita Dunn, a former White House communications director under President Barack Obama, has been associated with the firm, as has media commentator and political strategist Hilary Rosen. The firm's history also includes founding partner Micah Lasher, who went on to pursue a political career in New York. These connections have contributed to SKDK's reputation as a firm able to combine campaign strategy, media access, rapid-response communications, and institutional public affairs. Several engagements illustrate the firm's issue-advocacy work. In 2011, SKDK was hired by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo to lead public communications supporting marriage-equality legislation in New York. In 2014, SKDK helped lead the Human Rights Campaign's communications operation around two U.S. Supreme Court decisions concerning marriage rights. That same year, partner Jill Zuckman led a pro-bono communications campaign connected with the release of American political prisoner Alan Gross by the Cuban government, an event that accompanied a broader improvement in U.S.-Cuba relations. In 2018, the firm represented Christine Blasey Ford during the Senate confirmation hearings for Brett Kavanaugh, and Hilary Rosen co-founded the Time's Up Legal Defense Fund. SKDK expanded beyond its traditional political and nonprofit base through acquisitions. In 2015, it was acquired by The Stagwell Group, associated with Mark Penn, in a transaction reported at approximately $75 million. In 2020, SKDK acquired Sloane & Co. from MDC Partners. Sloane & Co. continued as an independent unit focused on mergers and acquisitions communications, shareholder activism, governance, regulatory matters, investor relations, restructuring, and media campaigns. In 2023, SKDK acquired Jasper Advisors, another independent unit focused on business and sports clients. These moves broadened the firm's commercial, financial, and corporate-reputation capabilities. The firm has also handled politically sensitive corporate work. In 2023, TikTok hired SKDK for communications support while the company faced legal and political challenges in Washington, D.C., including the possibility of federal restrictions or a ban. In 2025, public filings reportedly showed SKDK registering under the Foreign Agents Registration Act in connection with work representing Israel. Later filings described a subcontracting arrangement involving Havas and a program intended to communicate Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs messaging, train spokespeople, engage media, and evaluate social-media influencer activity. SKDK subsequently said the engagement ended early after the work had run its course. The matter added a foreign-influence and transparency dimension to the firm's public profile. SKDK has offices in Washington, D.C., New York City, Los Angeles, and Albany, New York. Its positioning rests on the integration of political intelligence, high-level media relations, public-affairs strategy, crisis response, and advocacy communications. Because many of its assignments involve political campaigns, courts, legislation, social movements, or contested corporate issues, the firm periodically attracts scrutiny concerning access, representation, lobbying boundaries, and the disclosure of foreign-agent work.

SKDK originated in the 2004 combination of Squier Knapp Dunn Communications and Knickerbocker Consulting. Micah Lasher was among the founding partners and attracted attention because he helped establish an influential political consulting firm before completing college. The businesses formalized their merger in 2010 and adopted the name SKDKnickerbocker, later shortened to SKDK. From its early years, SKDK built a practice around Democratic political candidates, elected officials, nonprofit advocates, and issue campaigns. Its reported clients included Barack Obama and Joe Biden, as well as Michael Bloomberg, Mark Kelly, Ned Lamont, Wes Moore, Laura Kelly, Debbie Dingell, Joe Donnelly, Gary Peters, Michael Bennet, Josh Gottheimer, Seth Moulton, Joseph Morelle, Sara Jacobs, and Christine Quinn. The firm also worked with Planned Parenthood, the Center for Reproductive Rights, Sandra Fluke, and the Time's Up Legal Defense Fund. Its services included campaign communications, public affairs, crisis management, media relations, branding, digital communications, speechwriting, and message development. The firm's public-policy work became especially visible in debates over marriage equality and civil rights. In 2011, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo retained SKDK for a campaign to build public support for legalizing same-sex marriage. In 2014, SKDK helped coordinate communications for the Human Rights Campaign around two Supreme Court decisions affirming marriage rights for same-sex couples. Partner Jill Zuckman also led a pro-bono communications campaign related to the 2014 release of American prisoner Alan Gross by Cuba, a development associated with an improvement in U.S.-Cuba relations. In 2018, partner Hilary Rosen co-founded the Time's Up Legal Defense Fund, while SKDK represented Christine Blasey Ford during the Kavanaugh confirmation hearings. SKDK's personnel and client relationships have generated both influence and criticism. Anita Dunn, who had served as a White House communications director during the Obama administration, became one of the firm's notable associated figures. In 2014, political reporting and conservative commentary questioned whether the firm's former government and White House relationships created a perception of privileged access, although the reference material states that SKDK did not meet the legal definition of a federal lobbyist and was not registered to lobby the federal government. The firm was also embroiled in controversy over a reported $35 million no-bid voter-turnout contract in California. In October 2015, The Stagwell Group acquired SKDK in a deal reported at approximately $75 million. The acquisition placed the firm within a broader communications and marketing platform associated with Mark Penn. SKDK subsequently expanded its corporate and financial communications capabilities. In February 2020, it acquired Sloane & Co. from MDC Partners. Sloane & Co. operated as an independent SKDK unit specializing in mergers and acquisitions support, shareholder activism, governance, regulatory issues, investor relations, restructuring, and media campaigns. In May 2023, SKDK acquired Jasper Advisors, which also operated independently and focused on business and sports clients. The firm's later work included corporate and regulatory communications. In March 2023, Politico reported that TikTok had hired SKDK while the platform faced legal challenges, congressional scrutiny, and the possibility of a federal ban in the United States. In early 2025, SKDK registered as a foreign agent for Israel. FARA filings reported later that year described a subcontracting arrangement with French public-relations company Havas involving communications for Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, spokesperson training, media liaison, and testing a bot-based social-media program and influencer activity. The engagement was reported as worth $600,000 and scheduled from April 2025 to March 2026, although SKDK subsequently said the work ended early because it had run its course. This episode brought renewed attention to transparency, foreign-agent registration, digital influence, and the firm's expansion beyond domestic Democratic politics. SKDK maintains offices in Washington, D.C., New York City, Los Angeles, and Albany, New York. It remains positioned as a full-service public affairs and strategic communications firm, combining political expertise with crisis, corporate, advocacy, digital, financial, and reputation-management services.

• 2023

  Acquisition of Jasper Advisors

  [1]SKDKen.wikipedia.org

  SKDK acquired Jasper Advisors, focused on business and sports clients.

• 2020

  Acquisition of Sloane & Co.

  [1]SKDKen.wikipedia.org

  SKDK acquired Sloane & Co. from MDC Partners and added a specialized corporate-financial communications unit.

• 2015

  Acquisition by The Stagwell Group

  [1]SKDKen.wikipedia.org

  The Stagwell Group acquired SKDK.

• 2011

  New York marriage-equality campaign

  [1]SKDKen.wikipedia.org

  SKDK led public communications for Governor Andrew Cuomo's campaign supporting marriage equality in New York.

• 2010

  Merger formalized as SKDKnickerbocker

  [1]SKDKen.wikipedia.org

  The two predecessor firms formalized their merger and adopted the SKDKnickerbocker name.

• 2004

  Combination of founding firms

  [1]SKDKen.wikipedia.org

  Squier Knapp Dunn Communications and Knickerbocker Consulting formed the business that became SKDK.

A politically connected, full-service public affairs and strategic communications firm specializing in campaigns, progressive advocacy, crisis response, and reputation management, with expanded corporate, financial, sports, and international capabilities.

• Public affairs

  Public affairs and issue advocacy

  SKDK advises advocacy organizations, public officials, and issue campaigns on policy messaging, coalition communications, media engagement, and public campaigns. Its documented work has included marriage equality, reproductive rights, civil rights, and other contested social-policy issues.

• Political consulting

  Political campaign communications

  The firm provides campaign strategy, message development, branding, digital and social-media advice, rapid response, speechwriting, and media relations for candidates and political organizations. Its reported client list includes national, state, and local Democratic candidates.

• Strategic communications

  Crisis and reputation communications

  SKDK offers crisis communications, media training, spokesperson preparation, narrative development, and reputation management for organizations and public figures facing legal, political, regulatory, or reputational pressure.

• Corporate communications · 2020

  Sloane & Co. corporate-financial communications

  Following its 2020 acquisition, Sloane & Co. operated as an independent SKDK unit serving clients on mergers and acquisitions, shareholder activism, governance, regulatory issues, investor relations, restructuring, and related media campaigns.

• Business and sports communications · 2023

  Jasper Advisors

  Acquired in 2023, Jasper Advisors operates as an independent unit focused on communications and advisory work for business and sports clients.

• 2025

  Foreign-agent registration and Israel messaging work

  FARA-related reporting described SKDK's work for Israel, including a subcontracting arrangement involving Havas and a proposed bot-based messaging and influencer program. The episode raised questions about foreign-agent disclosure and digital influence; SKDK later said the engagement ended early.

  Source

• 2014

  Perceived White House access controversy

  Political reporting and conservative commentary questioned whether SKDK attracted clients through perceived access associated with former White House relationships. Reference material states that the firm was not registered as a federal lobbyist and did not meet the legal definition of lobbying.

  Source

• California no-bid voter-turnout contract controversy

  SKDK was reported to have been embroiled in controversy over a $35 million no-bid contract for voter-turnout work in California. The available reference does not provide sufficient detail to establish the contract's full chronology or resolution.

  Source

Read more

• 2018Christine Blasey Ford Senate communications

  United States

  SKDK represented Christine Blasey Ford during the Senate confirmation hearings for Brett Kavanaugh.

  Outcome. The hearings proceeded amid extensive national media coverage and political controversy.

  Source
• 2014Human Rights Campaign Supreme Court communications war room

  United States

  SKDK helped lead communications around two Supreme Court decisions affirming marriage rights for same-sex couples.

  Outcome. The Supreme Court issued landmark decisions affirming marriage rights for same-sex couples.

  Source
• 2014Alan Gross release communications

  United States · Cuba

  Jill Zuckman led a pro-bono public-relations campaign connected with the release of American political prisoner Alan Gross.

  Outcome. Alan Gross was released, in a development associated with improved U.S.-Cuba relations.

  Source
• 2011New York marriage-equality campaign

  New York · United States

  SKDK led public communications for Andrew Cuomo's effort to build support for legalizing same-sex marriage in New York.

  Outcome. New York legalized same-sex marriage.

  Source

• 2023

  Acquire Jasper AdvisorsM&A

  Background

  SKDK sought additional capabilities and relationships in business and sports communications.

  Action taken

  SKDK acquired Jasper Advisors.

  Aftermath

  Jasper Advisors operated as an independent SKDK unit.

  Source

• 2020

  Acquire Sloane & Co.M&A

  Background

  SKDK aimed to expand its corporate, financial, governance, and investor communications capabilities.

  Action taken

  SKDK acquired Sloane & Co. from MDC Partners.

  Aftermath

  Sloane & Co. continued as an independent unit within SKDK.

  Source

• 2015

  Join The Stagwell GroupM&A

  Background

  SKDK sought ownership within a broader communications and marketing platform.

  Action taken

  The Stagwell Group acquired SKDK.

  Aftermath

  SKDK became part of the Stagwell group of businesses.

  Reported transaction value. $75 million (2015)

  Source

1. 1SKDKen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Politico report on TikTok hiring SKDKpolitico.com