Butler Associates: New York Public Affairs PR Profile

Originally published May 2020. Updated October 14, 2026.

What is Butler Associates?

Butler Associates is a Manhattan strategic communications firm founded in 1996 by Thomas P. Butler. O'Dwyer's describes it as one of New York's top agencies for legal, business, financial, professional services, public affairs, environmental and crisis management results. It is independent and founder-led, and has won multiple PRSA New York awards.

Who founded and leads Butler Associates?

Thomas P. Butler founded Butler Associates and is its president, according to O'Dwyer's, which lists him as president and founder of Butler Associates, LLC. A 2023 firm release says Crain's New York Business again named him among its Leaders in the Public Relations and Marketing Industries. The firm describes its team as former journalists, government press secretaries, corporate communications directors and political campaign managers, and O'Dwyer's reported that a veteran Consolidated Edison media relations director joined the firm.

What does Butler Associates do?

Butler Associates provides media relations and strategic communications, and its O'Dwyer's entry describes campaigns ranging from shareholder proxy contests and mergers and acquisitions to messaging for high-profile litigation, crisis, public affairs and public safety. The firm says it spotlights client issues in leading news publications and works to prevent and defuse bad news. EPR's public affairs, crisis PR and corporate communications sections cover those disciplines.

Which clients has Butler Associates worked with?

Butler Associates' O'Dwyer's listing names the Building Trade Employers Association of New York, the Clean Energy Jobs Coalition New York, the Knights of Saint Patrick of New York City, the New York City Fire Pension Fund and New York State Pipe Trades. A case-study listing names the Uniformed Firefighters Association, the New York Junior Tennis League, Hunts Point Cooperative Market, Siebert Cisneros Shank, Patriot Bank, ProtectSeniors.Org and Windham Mountain Resort. EPR's earlier profile reported results for Patriot Bank and ProtectSeniors.Org, including story counts, which were the firm's own claims and were not independently verified.

What recognition has Butler Associates received?

Butler Associates won PRSA New York's Best Reputation Brand Management Campaign in 2021, Best Legal Marketing Communications Campaign in 2018 and 2020, and Best of the Best in 2019, according to its O'Dwyer's statement. A 2023 firm release says it is among New York's top 20 communications firms in financial and investor communications and in the legal and professional services sector, and that Thomas Butler was again named a Crain's New York Business leader in PR and marketing. These honors come from the firm's own statements and were not confirmed with the awarding bodies.

How does Butler Associates compare with other New York PR firms?

Butler Associates is a boutique public affairs and legal communications specialist, so EPR's best PR firms in New York list and the PR agency profiles directory are the best comparison points. Regional peers with EPR profiles include Co-Communications, Rubenstein Public Relations and RF|Binder. EPR's financial services and real estate sections cover two of its practice areas.

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Related: PR agency profiles, New York PR firms, Public affairs, Crisis PR, Financial services PR