< PreviousOn any given day, watching the crisis-driven 24/7 news cycle can give you whiplash. For an attorney hoping to siphon some of that mainstream media oxygen, it might seem impossible to get anyone to pay attention to a successful resolution or to showcase a client’s compelling case. The competition is fierce for airtime and print space but if you have a key element that makes a story newsworthy, you have a fighting chance to get some coverage. If your firm is already handling huge cases that involve major disas- ters or prominent clients, congratulations you’ve hit the PR jackpot. This advice is for smaller law practices that don’t typically litigate high- profile cases with national media interest. While getting coverage may not seem as clear cut, that doesn’t mean you can’t land a story if you have some of the right elements. Here are eight key questions that will help you determine whether it’s hot or not. Is it Topical? This requires paying attention to stories that are already making headlines. If there’s a current crisis or an unfortunate incident that is strikingly similar to a case you have or recently resolved, this is your opportunity to share your insights. Timing is important if you want to join the discussion. Reporters are often looking to expand the subject and find sidebars to advance the issue. By piggybacking on this news topic, you can advance the story and offer valuable 3rd party com- mentary. Is it Unusual? Different is good when it comes to publicity. Does the lawsuit have unique elements, unusual clients or out-of-the-ordinary circum- stances? There are many sad stories but if there’s something unusually egregious or tragic— that will grab attention. Sympathetic characters, severe damages or unusually callous defense tactics are also strong ele- ments that can help make a reporter pay attention. If multiple plaintiffs are alleging the same bad behavior, this shows an unusual pattern that should have raised red flags. Does it Have Impact? If the lawsuit has wider implications that impact a wide swath of the community, it’s a news story. If your client is suing because of a dan- gerous condition, defective product or severe misconduct that could hurt someone else, you have a strong argument to alert the public to this potential threat. By publicizing your case, you’re performing an important public safety service to warn others about the potential danger to the community. Through discovery, attorneys have access to previously secret documents, video footage and emails that can expose wrongdoing and reporters are eager to report that type of information. Is it Visual? Visual images are a huge selling point, especially for TV outlets. If you’ve uncovered surveillance video, body camera footage or home video that helps your case, you have a much stronger pitch. Journalists will typically ask for photos or videos that help visually tell a story. Does it Involve a Public Entity? If taxpayers are on the hook for something a public entity does wrong, they should know about any litigation that may result in a judgment or settlement and news outlets will cover it. If your client has sued the government, the public has the right to know and any mis- treatment by a public official or agency deserves scrutiny. If you have a lawsuit that involves public schools, law enforcement, metro buses or any public agency, this is an opportunity to shine a light on the issue. Does it Involve a High-Profile Defendant? Anytime a defendant company has a recognizable name, is publicly traded or is a Silicon Valley sweetheart, there’s an outlet that will cover it. Even if the company is not a household name, it is likely a major em- How to Identify If Your Case is Press Worthy BY GINA KAYSEN FERNANDES ATTORNEY AT LAW MAGAZINE · LOS ANGELES · VOL. 6 NO. 2 20ployer in a certain area or a leader in a specific business sec- tor. When something out of the ordinary occurs that results in litigation, this will pique the interest of business journals, trade publications or local news outlets. Is the Result Noteworthy? Winning a jury verdict is an amazing feat and it’s under- standable if you want to scream it from the hilltops. But It’s important to understand that the result must meet certain criteria for the public to care. If the case or the trial received press coverage before the verdict, there’s a good chance the outlet will want to report on the outcome. If the lawsuit nev- er obtained any news coverage, then you have to consider the size of the judgment or the impact of the result. Is it Emotional? While lawyers offer important insight on issues, they are generally considered “talking heads” and are not the subject of the story. It’s critical to include your client in the piece to provide the human emotion that the public can relate to and empathize with. If your case lands in one or more of these buckets, you have a good chance of getting some publicity on your case which can help get the attention of the defense and raise your firm’s profile. The next step is reaching out to the right media outlet with your best pitch or hiring a PR professional who can help make sure the pitch lands in the right hands. Gina Kaysen Fernandes is the Director of Juris Production’s Public Relations division. She develops PR strategies, reputation manage- ment and brand messaging for civil litigation attorneys.Because of the global CO- VID-19 pandemic, law firms are scrambling to deliver ser- vices remotely while main- taining the continuity of their work. We thought it would be helpful to provide a summary of the technology tools we have used to remotely deliver our services as a virtual marketing company since 1997. It is our hope that you will be able to minimize the impact this pandemic could have on your practice by relying on technolo- gies, many of them free, to continue “meeting” with your clients. Our goal is to present tools we think are easy, intuitive, and effective. CREATE YOUR OWN VIRTUAL CONFERENCE ROOM We have used everything from Skype, to GoToMeeting, to Zoom and Microsoft Teams to easily connect with our clients. Our favorite program is what we currently use: Whereby. com. Here, you can create your own personal conference room where the only technology that is needed is a camera, microphone, and speakers (standard issue on laptops today). Whereby is FREE for a room that accommodates 4 people. For less than $100 per year you can upgrade to Whereby premium and host up to 12 participants. MAKE IT EASY FOR CLIENTS TO SCHEDULE MEETINGS WITH YOU Reassure your clients and let them know you are here for them, that you are accessible and available to them. We use a tool called Appointlet.com, which integrates with Google Calen- dar, Office 365, and other calendaring programs. Appointlet.com automatically blocks out time you have meetings scheduled and only offers the open times you designate. You set up your meeting options (15-minute brief consultation, 30-minute call, 60-min- ute client meeting, etc.) and your cli- ents simply click a link on an icon to “book now” with you. DELIVER HIGH QUALITY EDUCATION VIA WEBINAR There is no need for you to stop educating your clients on topics that are important to them. Rather than in-person programming, consider of- fering webinars. For years, we have used GoToWe- binar.com. We have found this format works well and allows us the ability to create invitations, manage responses, and record our webinars. That way we can send links to our clients and friends allowing them to click and play our webinar from the comfort of their remote offices. Another great thing about webi- nars, is that you can promote them on social media, include them in com- munications, and create a Webinar Archive to feature your past webinars. COMMUNICATE WITH YOUR CLIENTS! Particularly during difficult times, it is important to communicate with your clients and contacts. We have used several e-communication tools and MailChimp.com is our favorite. If you have 2,000 or fewer contacts, this program is free! Even if you have more contacts, the next plan up is only $9.99 per month. Think about what you want to communicate to your clients – including how your firm is preparing for the continued impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Reassure your clients that just because your team will likely be working remotely, the services you have been providing will continue uninterrupted. STAY CONNECTED ON SOCIAL MEDIA It’s important to remember dur- ing this time of isolation that social media used to be referred to as social networking. You still need to con- tinue your networking efforts during this time – but do it from the safety of your home office. Now is a great time to stay connected with your friends, colleagues, clients, and family mem- bers using social media. Be a positive force in social media discussions about how you and those you know are taking care of your- selves by working from home without jeopardizing important relationships. Discuss the tools and techniques you are using to maintain your personal productivity as well as your sanity during this unprecedented time. Remember that we are all tied and connected to others who are going through the same thing we are. I per- sonally aspire to be a source of the many positive ways we can use simple technology tools available to stay con- nected to one another. For over 25 years, Terrie S. Wheeler, MBC of PSM Marketing, has been helping lawyers and law firms develop high-impact, low- cost marketing strategies that differenti- ate you and your firm. Staying Positive and Productive During the COVID-19 Pandemic BY TERRIE S. WHEELER ATTORNEY AT LAW MAGAZINE · LOS ANGELES · VOL. 6 NO. 2 22AWARDS ANNOUNCEMENTS PRESS RELEASES EVENTS PROMOTIONS ACTIVITIES HONORS RECOGNITIONS TALK TOWN of the SUBMIT PRESS RELEASES FOR NEXT MONTH’S TALK OF THE TOWN AT WWW.ATTORNEYATLAWMAGAZINE.COM/SUBMIT-NEWS/ Jeffer Mangels Butler and Mitch- ell announces that Vince Farhat has joined the firm as partner and chair of the White-Collar Defense & Investi- gations practice. Farhat’s practice fo- cuses on representing companies and individuals in criminal and civil in- vestigations and prosecutions by gov- ernment enforcement agencie. Sam & Ash LLP made a $1.125-mil- lion gift to its alma mater, Chapman University’s Fowler School of Law. In addition to renaming the student lounge and rec room, the gift provides support for an in-house bar prep pro- gram available to all Fowler Law stu- dents, a student scholarship and a named directorship for the law school’s Academic Achievement Pro- gram. Blank Rome LLP’s Insur- ance Recovery group has been named Bench- mark Litiga- tion’s 2020 In- surance Firm of the Year. The award program recognizes attorneys and firms nationwide that display the abil- ity to consistently handle complex, high-stakes litigation and are highly recommended within the business and legal communities. Los Angeles Part- ner Linda Kornfeld serves as the vice chair of the practice group. Crosbie Gliner Schiffman Southard and Swanson LLP, a San Diego-based com- mercial real estate law firm, has recruited Christopher J. Rizza as its newest partner. Rizza concentrates his practice on leases, acquisitions, dispositions, development agreements and related real estate transactions. Jim Bulger and Jon- athan Seber have re- launched their firm as as Seber Bulger LLP. The firm specializes in personal injury and employment law. The Beverly Hills Bar Association and Bar Foundation an- nounce that Belinda Macauley has joined the organization as its new executive director. Macauley comes to BHBA after more than two decades practicing law and serving in the senior management of national nonprofit or- ganizations. Polsinelli welcomes experienced employ- ment law litigator Alex Polishuk as counsel. Polishuk focuses his practice on helping cli- ents navigate the intri- cacies of California and federal em- ployment laws as a member of the firm’s national Employment Litiga- tion practice group. Keia James Atkin- son has joined Polsi- nelli as an associate in the firm’s national Em- ployment Litigation practice group. Atkin- son focuses his practice on a wide variety of sensitive work- place matters. The Los Angeles County Bar Associa- tion has announced the recipients of its three highest honors, the Shattuck-Price Outstanding Lawyer Award to Hon. Lee S. Edmon, the Outstand- ing Jurist Award to Hon. Virginia A. Phil- lips, and the Diversity Impact Award to Munger Tolles & Olson. LACBA’s Diversity Impact Award was established in 2019 to recognize an individual, bench officer, govern- ment legal office, public-interest law organization, law firm, corporation or other legal service organization for their long and distinguished history of increasing inclusion and diversity in the practice of law. Munger Tolles & Olsen wins for its Fellows Program, an innovative outreach program of- fered to 25 – 40 diverse prospective law students each year. Cox, Castle & Nich- olson, a full-service law firm focused on real es- tate, announces that its band “Castle of Funk” earned the overall and judge’s choice awards at the 9th Annual Law Rocks Los Angeles. Funds raised benefitting United Friends of the Children, a Los Angeles-based nonprofit organization dedicated to bettering the lives of fos- ter children and supporting foster youth in their journey to self-suffi- ciency. Associate Daniel Kadin has joined the Los Angeles office and Intellectual Property team of Lathrop GPM. Kadin is an experi- enced patent litigator who assists clients in a variety of industries including sci- ences/medical device, telecom sys- tems, application security software and computer software. Blank Rome LLP Virginia Phillip Lee S. Edmon Cox Castle Jim Bulger Jonathan Seber Belinda Macauley Daniel Kadin Keia James Atkinson Christopher J. Rizza Alex Polishuk AttorneyAtLawMagazine.com 23Out on the Town LACBA Small Firm Section Mixer at Los Angeles Country Store Lady Lawyer Networking Hour at Lynk Law Meg Razi, Lawrence Kohn, Sarvenaz Bahar and Jeffrey Hoffer Lorena Vazquez and Anahit DanielyanPeter Schnaitman and Mahdi GhandhariJamie Shepherd and Elana Luber Rachel Sposato and Soheila Kazimi Pinky Ghuman and Amira Hasenbush Jodi Deranja and Katherine Lizardo Soheila Kazimi and Alice Tavoukjian Rachel Sposato, Arezou Kohan and Meg Razi Erin Joyce, Sanaz Bereliani, Sona Tatiyants and Sharen Ghatan Jen Goldstein, Amy Breyer and Ella Brodskaya Felix Woo, Jeffrey Horowitz and Joe Huser ATTORNEY AT LAW MAGAZINE · LOS ANGELES · VOL. 6 NO. 2 24Santa Monica Bar Association Tuesday Toast at the Bodega Wine Bar Rodney Hawkins, Manee Pazargad, Griselda Rodriguez and Jonathan Seber Tiffiny Fox, Arthur Liberty, Ben Rothman and Mina Kuper Danny Yadidsion, Maksimilian Sklyarov, Ella Brodskaya and Suzanne Natbony Noelle Valentino and Morgana Blackwelder Tom Coester and Raul Martinez Ainat Kiewe and Gil Peles Tory Owens and Robert Shiri Arsen Sarapinian and Ella Brodskaya Jim Bulger and Jonathan Seber Matthew Baker and Mina Kuper Margaret Simonian and Victoria Tsylina AttorneyAtLawMagazine.com 25Top 10 - Forbes Best Banks Western Alliance Bank specializes in banking for law firms and settlement administrators. 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