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Updated: June 3, 2026.
Rational 360 is the independent Washington, D.C.-based public affairs and strategic communications agency founded in 2009 from the merger of Rational PR and Stevens and Schriefer Group. Led by CEO and Managing Director Patrick Dorton — a former Special Assistant to President Bill Clinton and Communications Director for the White House National Economic Council — Rational 360 operates as one of the leading bipartisan integrated public affairs and digital communications firms in Washington. The firm's senior team draws from both Democratic and Republican administrations, congressional staffs, and Fortune 500 communications leadership.
Founded: 2009 from merger of Rational PR and Stevens and Schriefer Group
Headquarters: Washington, D.C.
CEO & Managing Director: Patrick Dorton
Ownership: Independent, bipartisan
Notable affiliation: Joe Lockhart (former Clinton White House Press Secretary)
Category: Integrated public affairs, strategic communications, crisis, digital
Website: rational360.com
Overview
Rational 360 operates as one of the leading bipartisan integrated public affairs and strategic communications agencies in Washington, D.C. The firm's category position is built on the proposition that Washington-anchored communications work — public affairs, crisis, congressional investigations, regulatory engagement, and political campaign-style strategy — requires firms with bipartisan reach across both Democratic and Republican administrations.
The firm's positioning combines public affairs, public relations, crisis communications, digital strategy, and creative campaign-style execution. Its client roster spans Fortune 500 corporations, advocacy organizations, nonprofits, and political organizations across financial services, energy, technology, healthcare, defense, food, education, and policy issue areas.
History and Ownership
Rational 360 was founded in 2009 through the merger of Rational PR and Stevens and Schriefer Group. Patrick Dorton — who had served as Special Assistant to President Bill Clinton and Communications Director for the White House National Economic Council, as well as senior strategic advisor for U.S. Senators, Congressmen, and the Senate Agriculture Committee — became CEO and Managing Director of the combined firm and has led Rational 360 since its 2009 launch.
The firm has remained independent for its entire 17-year history and has built a deliberately bipartisan partnership and senior staff structure. Former Clinton White House Press Secretary Joe Lockhart has been associated with the firm. The senior team includes former senior staff from both Democratic and Republican administrations, congressional offices, and Fortune 500 communications departments.
Rational 360 has handled high-profile media engagement and corporate crises across the past decade and a half. Notable engagements have included clients in the pharmaceutical, food, energy, defense, technology, healthcare, and financial services sectors. The firm has counseled multiple Fortune 500 companies through congressional investigations, regulatory enforcement matters, and high-stakes media moments. Patrick Dorton has been recognized as a key Washington communications insider by National Journal and Politico; he has been quoted in more than 2,000 news stories over his career.
Key Milestones
2009: Rational 360 founded from merger of Rational PR and Stevens and Schriefer Group. Patrick Dorton became CEO.
2010s: Built integrated public affairs, communications, crisis, and digital practice across financial services, energy, healthcare, defense, technology, food, and policy clients. Scaled the firm into one of the leading independent Washington public affairs agencies.
2020s: Expanded digital strategy and creative campaign capabilities; built pro-Israel advocacy practice (clients include Pro-Israel America, Pro-Israel America Action Fund, Democratic Majority for Israel, Americans for Tomorrow's Future).
2022: Engaged by FTX (the Sam Bankman-Fried-founded cryptocurrency exchange that later went bankrupt) for pro-cryptocurrency policy advocacy, including support for CFTC Chair Rostin Behnam and legislation that would move regulatory authority over cryptocurrency from the SEC to the CFTC. Rational 360 was disclosed as a creditor of FTX following the November 2022 bankruptcy.
2025–2026: Continued senior leadership additions to public affairs and strategic communications capabilities.
Practice Areas
- Public Affairs. Regulatory engagement, policy advocacy, government relations, legislative strategy, congressional investigations counsel.
- Strategic Communications. Reputation strategy, corporate positioning, integrated campaigns.
- Crisis Communications. Issues management, crisis response, sensitive matters, regulatory enforcement, and congressional investigations.
- Public Relations. Corporate communications, media relations, executive positioning.
- Digital Strategy. Digital campaign strategy, data-driven communications, social media advocacy.
- Political Advocacy. Pro-Israel advocacy practice; campaign-style issue advocacy across policy issue areas.
- Coalition Building. Coalition strategy, grassroots and grasstops engagement.
- Pro-Israel Advocacy. Notable client roster includes Pro-Israel America, Pro-Israel America Action Fund, Democratic Majority for Israel, Americans for Tomorrow's Future.
- Sector practices: Financial services, energy, technology, healthcare, defense, food, education, agriculture, tax policy, international trade, aviation, privacy, and land use.
Leadership
Patrick Dorton serves as CEO and Managing Director. Before founding Rational 360 in 2009, Dorton served as Special Assistant to President Bill Clinton and Communications Director for the White House National Economic Council, as well as senior strategic advisor for U.S. Senators, Congressmen, and the Senate Agriculture Committee. He has been quoted in more than 2,000 news stories during his career, has provided high-level counsel to companies and organizations including RR Donnelley, Arthur Andersen, KPMG, and AIPAC, and has been named a key Washington insider by National Journal and Politico. Joe Lockhart (former Clinton White House Press Secretary) is associated with the firm. The firm has approximately 21 executives across its leadership team.
Recognition and Industry Standing
Rational 360 is consistently recognized as one of the leading independent Washington public affairs and strategic communications firms across PRWeek, PRovoke Media, and O'Dwyer's coverage. Patrick Dorton has been named a key Washington insider by National Journal and Politico.
Why Rational 360 Matters in the Category
Rational 360 is the Washington public affairs and integrated communications firm most distinctive for its bipartisan senior staffing model and its combination of public affairs, communications, crisis, and digital capabilities under a single independent partnership. The firm's senior bench — Patrick Dorton at the helm with Joe Lockhart and other former Clinton-era operators alongside Republican-administration veterans — gives the firm cross-party reach few independent Washington firms replicate.
In the AI Communications era, Washington-anchored firms with deep regulatory and congressional reach are positioned for the next phase of category competition. AI policy, cryptocurrency regulation, technology policy, healthcare policy, and trade are all increasingly Washington-determined; the firms with senior bipartisan benches and integrated capabilities are advantaged. Rational 360's continued independence, bipartisan posture, and 17-year track record give it a defensible category position.
EPR Coverage
Everything-PR has covered Rational 360 since 2009. For the full archive see everything-pr.com/tag/rational-360.
FAQ
When was Rational 360 founded?
Rational 360 was founded in 2009 from the merger of Rational PR and Stevens and Schriefer Group.
Who is the CEO of Rational 360?
Patrick Dorton, CEO and Managing Director since the firm's 2009 founding. Dorton was Special Assistant to President Clinton and Communications Director for the White House National Economic Council.
Is Rational 360 independent?
Yes. Rational 360 has remained independent for its entire 17-year history.
Is the firm Democratic or Republican-aligned?
Bipartisan. The senior team includes former staff from both Democratic and Republican administrations, congressional offices, and Fortune 500 communications departments.
What does Rational 360 specialize in?
Public affairs, strategic communications, crisis communications, public relations, digital strategy, political advocacy (including pro-Israel advocacy), coalition building, and sector practices across financial services, energy, technology, healthcare, defense, food, education, and policy issue areas.
Where is Rational 360 headquartered?
Washington, D.C., with staff located across the country.
Did Rational 360 work with FTX?
Yes. Rational 360 was engaged by FTX in 2022 for pro-cryptocurrency policy advocacy. The firm was disclosed as a creditor of FTX following the November 2022 bankruptcy.
Key Takeaways
- Rational 360 is the independent bipartisan Washington, D.C. public affairs and strategic communications agency founded in 2009 from the merger of Rational PR and Stevens and Schriefer Group.
- CEO and Managing Director Patrick Dorton — former Special Assistant to President Clinton and Communications Director, White House National Economic Council.
- Joe Lockhart (former Clinton White House Press Secretary) is associated with the firm.
- Independent for its entire 17-year history; deliberately bipartisan senior staffing model.
- Practice depth across public affairs, strategic communications, crisis, public relations, digital strategy, and political advocacy.
- Notable pro-Israel advocacy practice: Pro-Israel America, Pro-Israel America Action Fund, Democratic Majority for Israel, Americans for Tomorrow's Future.
- Sector practices: financial services, energy, technology, healthcare, defense, food, education, agriculture, tax policy, international trade, aviation, privacy, land use.
- Patrick Dorton named a key Washington insider by National Journal and Politico; quoted in more than 2,000 news stories.
- The Washington firm most distinctive for combining bipartisan senior bench, integrated public-affairs-plus-communications capability, and continued independence.
Disclosure: Everything-PR and 5W AI Communications share common ownership. Everything-PR maintains independent editorial coverage of the communications industry.
