We all know those lawyers who seemingly turn up in every media report involving a legal issue. The “free” publicity these expert legal sources receive not only helps them build their public profiles but also enables them to grow their firms by staying top of mind and signing up new clients.
Television dramas such as “Law & Order,” “Bull” and “Suits” make it appear as though lawyers are constantly handling cases that end up on the evening news. But, in the real world, many of the cases you see in news reports got there because someone was thinking like a reporter.
Lawyers and law firms should look no further than today’s headlines for examples of what to and what not to do when it comes to effective public relations.
Recent breaking news about the potential union of Dallas’ Winstead and Atlanta-based Troutman Sanders is another example of how the media can quickly become a factor in private law firm mergers.
Leaders from Winstead and Troutman declined to confirm last week’s story from The Texas Lawbook about their reported plans for a national megafirm. If they combine, the new firm would include nearly 850 attorneys and annual revenues of more than $700 million.
This morning, we all woke up to two news stories that illustrate it’s never a bad time to remind our clients of the basic rules for dealing with the media.
President Donald Trump’s complaints about anonymous media sources and unauthorized White House news leaks are symptoms of a lack of planning that offers an important lesson in crisis communications for law firms.
Even though the President’s considerable abilities in front of television cameras helped him win the election, many of his current headaches stem directly from not making sure his administration was media savvy from top to bottom.
