Bob Lawrence & Assocs., which registered May 14 as lobbyist for the embassy of energy-rich Azerbaijan, now says it will annul the Justice Dept. filing for PR support and research in the economic and financial sectors.
The U.S. State Dept. considers Azerbaijan “one of the most important spots in the world for oil exploration and development.”
The country is beset by a poor human rights record, “especially with respect to freedom of assembly, freedom of expression, the administration of justice, and the respect of property rights,” according to a State Dept. report.
BL&A, according to the filing, had an oral agreement with no set fees, and report to the country’s U.S. ambassador Elin Suleymanov.
Lloyd (Bob) Lawrence opened his Alexandria, Va.-based firm in 1986. He began his career as R&D manager at the Air Force, rising to head its energy conversion research unit.
Lawrence left for the Energy Research Development Administration, precursor to the Dept. of Energy, and then joined the Gas Research Institute.
Patton Boggs is Azerbaijan’s key Washington rep. It received $385K from Azerbaijan last year for work on improving ties with the U.S.