PR News' Legal PR Awards were designed to acknowledge the progress that marketing and communications professionals have made in the legal and crisis management arena, from creating an innovative
annual report that conveys a firm's essence in a comprehensive way, to a media launch event that replicated an airplane fuselage in a conference room - complete with airline food and "flight
attendants."
The winners of the PR News' Legal PR Awards have shown that they have what it takes to rise above the crowd. One showed the role public relations can play in helping an organization win a
favorable outcome in a lawsuit brought by a big tobacco firm. Another trained a spotlight on its pro bono efforts to add definition to its corporate identity. All displayed outstanding PR savvy and
creativity in a challenging field. Kudos to all.
Annual Report
Campaign: Latham & Watkins 2005 Annual Review
Company: Latham & Watkins
Building one of the world's largest law firms is all good, right? Well, not so good when you need to give a succinct view of all the firm's practice and culture, including its commitment to
diversity initiatives and pro bono work, as well as its teamwork and, of course, major accomplishments.
Latham & Watkins decided the best way to go was to pull all this information together for its Annual Review in 2006. While most law firms divide their annual reports by the practice's many
offices, Latham & Watkins wanted to emphasize that its many offices work closely together. It also wanted to have the report done by the end of the first quarter of 2006, reflecting its work in
2005 in a way that would still be immediately relevant to its audience early in the year.
A committee guided the project through its stages, meeting weekly to discuss content and design. The writing team worked closely with the Practice Chairs for various departments of the firm to
select the best examples of client work, seeking high-profile cases that reflected the company's cross-border and cross-practice breadth. To keep the focus on teamwork, no individual attorneys' names
would be mentioned in connection with each case.
A section called "Inside Latham" gave a brief overview of the firm and its culture, and other sections highlighted its pro bono work, diversity and the awards and rankings it had achieved during
2005.
Clients and even competitors have praised the Annual Review, and the firm is already creating a 2006 Annual Review, highlighting its achievements of this year.
Best Litigation Communications
Campaign: DFW Airport Gives Wings to Wright Amendment
Company: Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport
Agency: Burson-Marsteller
Following 9/11, many airlines and airports around the country were literally fighting for their lives. In Texas, a proliferation of small, regional airports, such as Dallas Love Field, were
knocking at the door of Dallas/Fort Worth International, seeking to repeal the Wright Amendment, a piece of legislation that had been enacted to protect the DFW hub.
Arguing for its own growth potential, Southwest Airlines (which calls Dallas Love Field home) began making a push in 2004 to repeal the Wright Amendment, which it felt was blocking the progress of
other, smaller airports. This push coincided with a $2.7 billion capital development program at DFW; American Airlines and DFW also argued that if the Amendment were lifted, both air and noise
pollution would increase in the city of Dallas.
A coalition of supporters aligned under the name "Keep DFW Strong" hosted a Web site, http://www.keepdfwstrong.com, providing the facts of the
Wright Amendment and its economic and environmental impact and messages from local and federal elected officials. Lobbyists sought to educate officials on the possible effects of lifting the
Amendment. Third and most important, a media relations campaign targeted local and national outlets as well as government and trade publications, balancing outreach efforts by Southwest Airlines and
Dallas Love Field.
In 2006, Dallas and Fort Worth reached an agreement on the Wright Amendment that set an end date for the Amendment eight years out, while compromising on other key elements that were hampering
Southwest's performance and facilitate connections through Love Field. Both airports now have years to plan for the lifting of the amendment, and DFW views the compromise as a job well done.
Best PR-Legal Counsel Team
Campaign: Public Health David vs. Goliath
Company: American Legacy Foundation
When the American Legacy Foundation launched its "truth" series of ads, it probably knew it was stepping in a bit of a hornet's nest. Therefore, when Lorillard Tobacco Company sued the ALF,
claiming that the ads "vilified the tobacco industry," the ALF tread warily in combating the suit. The last thing they wanted was for the case to be tried in the court of public opinion, so the
communications team ensured that all materials being released to the media followed the rules of the Master Settlement Agreement and the courts.
As the lawsuit played out over a long period of time, the communications team anticipated various possible scenarios and planned responses to each, so they would be prepared with an appropriate
reaction no matter what the court's ruling was. The possibilities included: (1) the court could find in favor of the ALF; (2) the court could find in favor of Lorillard's claim that the ALF had
vilified the tobacco industry; or (3) the judge could remand the decision back to a lower court.
The team prepared three sets of communications materials to address each of the possible outcomes, including a speakers' list, talking points that had been approved to be in accordance with the
MSA and all legal aspects of the case, agendas for press conference calls, drafted op-ed pieces, and a b-roll and sound bites package. A triage plan outlined, hour by hour, the steps that would take
place when the court's decision was announced.
The court found in favor of the ALF, and media coverage included placements in such vehicles as Fortune, Brandweek, Adweek, Advertising Age, The Miami Herald and The National Law Journal.
Client Newsletter
Campaign: Latham & Watkins SmartCapital
Company: Latham & Watkins
It's not easy to keep track of a private equity practice group that works on 85 deals with a value of more than $60 billion in a given year, much less keep your clients apprised of your
activities. Latham & Watkins decided the best way to keep its clients abreast of the team's expertise and knowledge was to use a targeted external newsletter.
The team determined that a quarterly newsletter targeting private equity clients and assembled an editorial team made up of private equity partners, associates and members of the firm's business
development team. A creative services team developed a clean, modern design that would make it appealing to read and accommodate an editorial mix of long and short stories. The piece, dubbed
SmartCapital, would include a range of commentary and analysis with regular features focusing on cutting edge deal techniques, trends and practice highlights. A sister publication in Europe
complements the U.S. counterpart.
The U.S. edition of SmartCapital is distributed to about 4,000 client contacts, which has risen 1,500 from the number of recipients at launch. The production is tied closely to the firm's PR
program, and the PR team places articles from the newsletter in target industry media. The newsletter is also posted on the firm's Web site.
Community Relations
Campaign: Making a Mark: Mentoring
Company: Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP
Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft, as one of the oldest law firms in the U.S., has a long-standing tradition of public service, including a multi-pronged pro bono and community relations program.
However, the firm lacked a solid strategy to get the word out about its philanthropic efforts. By connecting the dots among the community efforts, business of the firm, current and future clients,
personnel and the communities within which the firm operates, the company hoped to link its goals in the areas of charitable giving, pro bono and professional development with its marketing and
communications efforts.
The company wove a thread of mentoring throughout the organization at all levels, encouraging involvement in mentoring programs targeting children and adults. Each office was empowered to develop
programs and share the mission to make a difference. The firm's efforts were implemented across such organizations as Britain's BPP Law School at Holborn; the High School for Public Service in
Brooklyn, NY; Manhattan International High School; and Project Teach Law.
By focusing on mentoring, Cadwalader's commitment remains relevant to the business of the firm and its people, who have been able to effect extraordinary contributions to their communities. The
company has developed an approach to institutionalize the notion of its lawyers serving as trusted mentors, and the feedback has been outstanding.
Crisis Communications
Campaign: The Palm Beach Incident
Company: Allergan, Inc.
Agency: Chandler Chicco Agency
Botox has become a watchword for an image-conscious jetset, and any product that achieves that level of popularity is bound to have one or two setbacks. For Allergan, Botox' creator, one of those
setbacks occurred when four people in Florida became ill with botulism poisoning after received supposed Botox cosmetic injections.
The media responded with inflammatory headlines linking Allergan's product to the illnesses. The story spread like wildfire, sparking concern among physicians, patients and the general public. To
reassure everyone, including its own employees, Allergan would need to work on many levels simultaneously.
The team had to work within the context of ongoing state and federal investigations, which limited its ability to divulge all the information it knew about the case. The company contended that
Botox was not involved and that an unapproved, unlicensed toxin was behind the illnesses, but it was further hampered by the media's tendency to use the brand name Botox in referring to all botulinum
toxin products.
The company set out to collect all the information it could, communicate that information to physicians and the media, and get across key messages, among them that Botox was not involved in the
incident; Allergan's Botox was the only product of its type licensed in the U.S.; there has never been a case of botulism associated with Botox; and this case involved physicians who had knowingly
purchased and used a dangerous, unapproved, unlicensed product.
More than 2,400 articles/segments were produced and distributed, for a total of 1.04 billion media impressions. The company employed a positive-to-negative message analysis, clearly demonstrating
an improvement in the messages as the weeks wore on following the initial news stories.
In-House PR Professional
Campaign: Robyn L. Radomski, Chief Marketing Officer
Company: Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal LLP
Robyn L. Radomski is responsible for all the public relations, marketing and new business development efforts of Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal LLP, an international law firm that's 700 lawyers
strong. She conceived, planned, organized and directed a national team of 34 professionals to implement a comprehensive, year-long communications program to celebrate the company's 100th birthday in
2006.
The "100 Years of Partnering for Progress" campaign included a 60-minute DVD drawing on such sources as historical societies, museums, newspaper libraries, social and business clubs, religious
institutions, courthouses, social clubs and more. The team created street banners and flags to fly throughout the firm's 11 U.S. offices, and designed a centennial logo for all the firm's materials.
Employees and clients received a commemorative medallion, and a time capsule was created that will be opened in 2106, when the firm turns 200. She also helped design a special Web site for the
centennial year.
In addition to the centennial celebrations, Radomski has also reorganized the marketing department to feature a centralized core team that provided public relations, media relations and
promotional business development support to all lawyers. Another six to eight marketing professional provide customized support for each of some two-dozen national practice groups. In case that
wasn't enough, She is also completing her third year as chair of the worldwide marketing committee of Lex Mundi, the world's leading association of independent law firms.
Marketing Communications
Campaign: In-Depth, High-Volume, Issue-Oriented: The Walkers PR/Marketing Campaign
Company: Walkers
Agency: Levick Strategic Communications
The Walkers law firm, based in the Cayman Islands, had four goals: It wanted to raise its profile even more in its target markets; it wanted to outdistance its direct competitors in brand name
recognition; it hoped to maximize interest in ongoing office openings and practice area expansions; and it needed to improve general perceptions of offshore finance in global economic markets.
The media were bound to be attracted by the firm's industry focus on hedge funds, Islamic finance, private equity funds and the Asian investment market, as well as Cayman as a business center.
This gave Walkers a good deal to talk about to the media as it added offices in other jurisdictions such as Dubai and Jersey, and broadened its services in the British Virgin Islands, Hong Kong and
London. Because PR was a new, strange animal to Walkers, the firm could offer the media a resource they did not yet have, and Levick leveraged the marketing principle of seizing the opportunity of
being the first mover in certain areas.
Media training for the company's spokespeople was key, and reporter meetings were critical to develop rapport with the right journalists in New York, London, Dubai and Hong Kong. As the company's
strategies were implemented, reporters became more receptive and responsive to firm-related news.
Media Coverage
Campaign: Legal Change Agent: Injecting Innovation Into the Legal Industry
Company: Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft
Agency: Weber Shandwick
As the world continues to flatten (and you thought it was round), companies, including law firms, are rethinking the whole concept of innovation. As one of the nation's oldest law firms,
Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft saw an opportunity to emerge in front of the pack with a restructured firm and a concentration on a highly specialized, niche area of law: securities and financial
services.
With a two-year turnaround communications strategy firmly in mind, the firm sought to raise its own profile in coverage at leading trade and mainstream publications; establish its partners as the
experts of record in their practice areas; highlight the firm's reputation as a niche firm with expertise in the area of financial services/structured products; and elevate its profile in such key
markets as Washington D.C., Charlotte, Europe and Asia.
The company used media backgrounders to educate the media, leveraged breaking news across various industries to showcase Cadwalader's expertise in certain practice areas, used bylined articles
written by its attorneys to enhance its credibility and conducted local media outreach efforts to promote new hires and pro bono work.
As a result of its hard work, Cadwalader has moved from 27th in 2001 in the American Bar Association's rankings of the largest law firms in the U.S. to 3rd in 2005. It has been in the number one
spot for five years in the CMBS law firm rankings. In addition, The National Law Journal named Cadwalader attorney Dennis Block one of the 100 Most Influential Lawyers in America last year.
Media Event
Campaign: Clients on a Rock/Frontier Partnership Wild Blue Yonder Media Launch
Company: Holland & Hart LLP
Holland & Hart's new ad campaign launched with a bang: a party that spawned a wealth of favorable media coverage. The ad campaign featured CEOs of innovative clients outdoors, in front of
gorgeous western landscapes (the firm's trademark image). Ad copy related each client's innovations, creativity and business success without transgressing the "no testimonial" ethics rule that
applies in some states where the firm practices.
But that's not all. A multimedia campaign involving a five-minute TV series called "Business Class" aired on Frontier Airlines' Wild Blue Yonder network, each featuring an innovative client of the
firm. The CEOs also were featured in print ads that ran in Frontier Airline's in-flight magazine, as well as regional business media and national legal media. The client videos were featured on the
firm's Web site, as well as on YouTube.com and Google Video.
The campaign resulted in a 60% print ad recall rate (compared with a national average of 37%). The same study showed that 9% of readers recalled discussing the ad or firm over the past 30 days,
and the in-flight TV segment garnered recall rates of 25% of all passengers, and more among business travelers.
For the launch party, the firm staged a media event on the 32nd floor of its Denver office, inviting members of the media, including bloggers. The event was positioned as a video premier,
featuring the first segment of "Business Class." Invitations were designed to resemble Frontier Airlines boarding passes, and press releases and media kits featured the DVD and copies of the print
ads. A large conference room was set up like an airplane interior, with a marketing intern dressed like a flight attendant emceeing. The party's creative approach attracted a wealth of favorable
media coverage.
The Honorable Mentions
Everyone on these pages is a winner, as a result of their outstanding efforts in legal public relations during 2006. Here, we laud the honorable mentions for PR News' Legal PR Awards.
Annual Report
- Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal LLP - Centennial Review "100 Years of Partnering for Progress"
Best Litigation Communications
- National Association of Manufacturers - Legal Beagle Search Engine - http:beagle.nam.com
Best PR-Legal Counsel Team
- Edelman - Brigham More Eminent Domain Public Affairs Campaign
- Sun Microsystems - Global Technology Company Sun Microsystems "Blogging in the Legal Profession"
Client Newsletter
- Powell Goldstein LLP - Powell Goldstein Communications
- Skrine - Legal Insights
Crisis Communications
- American Immigration Lawyers Association - Comprehensive Immigration Reform
- Edelman on behalf of American Beverage Association (ABA) - Protecting an Industry Under Attack
Marketing Communications
- Sinsheimer Juhnke Lebens and McIvor, LLP - Verdin Marketing Ink
Media Coverage
- Latham & Watkins LLP - "Media Coverage: Excellence in Showcasing Firm Management and Culture"
- Sedgwick, Detert Moran & Arnold - 2006 Media Relations Campaign
- Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis, LLP - Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis, LLP
Media Event
- Foley & Lardner LLP - eBay v. MercExchange Media Roundtable