As the novel coronavirus spread and the economy tanked this spring, Uber Technologies Inc. turned to federal lobbyists for help.

At the start of the year, the ride-hailing giant already had a fleet of outside advocates in Washington, D.C., including Mayer Brown and Invariant. But on March 18, the same day the Dow Jones dropped 6% and erased nearly all Trump-era gains, Uber started a new lobbying relationship with Forbes Tate Partners.