Kelly Sheridan, among the best-compensated lobbyists in Rhode Island, says "It's a great business for that Kennedy line: 'Victory has a thousand fathers and defeat is an orphan.' "

He has never run for public office or worked for a legislator, a distinction that makes him a minority among his peers on Smith Hill. The lawyer with the boyish face and thick-rimmed glasses is far more likely to be found in the marble hallways of the State House discussing detailed health-care legislation than telling a joke.

But he’s no newcomer to Rhode Island politics.

At 54, Sheridan has been a lobbyist here for more than a quarter century, breaking onto the scene under the tutelage of former Gov. Dennis J. Roberts for the Providence law firm known today as Roberts, Carroll, Feldstein & Peirce. He is married to Constance A. Howes, president and CEO of Women & Infants Hospital.

Sheridan says he’s learned that successful lobbying is not about making friends with the right people.

“Advocacy premised on relationships or donations will not be successful,” says the Barrington native. “I’m more of a dry, technical, on-the-merits advocate. Either that appeals to clients or it does not.”

For Sheridan, it does. He is among the best-compensated lobbyists in Rhode Island.

His clients include Wal-Mart (which pays his firm $2,500 each month); UnitedHealthcare ($4,065 a month); national drug maker Merck & Co. ($1,000 a month); the nation’s largest pharmacy benefit manager, Medco Health Solutions ($1,800 a month); and the national insurer AIG ($2,250 a month).

Sheridan defines his job as more than simply outlining why his clients support or oppose a particular bill.

“The bottom line is, despite what people think or hear, in order to be successful in this business, you’ve got to link the position that you’re advocating for or against to the public interest to have any persuasive powers over the legislators,” he says. “If you can’t appeal to the public interest, you’re not going to be successful.”

He says he’s tracking roughly 400 to 500 bills this session. He spends less time at the State House than some of his peers — generally leaving between 7 and 8 p.m. on nights legislators are in session — but he’s a regular at the legislators’ fundraisers.

By law, his corporate clients cannot give money directly to legislators. But Sheridan is an active donor, according to state records.

In March alone, he contributed to Providence Mayor David N. Cicilline ($150), Finance Committee Chairman Steven Alves ($250), Senate Majority Leader M. Teresa Paiva Weed ($500), and House Majority Leader Gordon D. Fox ($500).

And while his methods have been successful, based on his client list and lengthy career, he says that his clients don’t always get what they want.

“Sometimes bills pass, sometimes they don’t. Clients are frequently disappointed in outcomes,” he says. “It’s a great business for that Kennedy line: ‘Victory has a thousand fathers and defeat is an orphan.’ ”