The Issue
Jaffe’s client, one of the nation’s oldest and largest firms, has a practice group focused on climate change and environmental law. Its attorneys advise some of the biggest companies in the U.S. regarding their use of air and water and are widely considered leaders in their field.
Yet while the firm maintained a strong reputation among clients and the legal community for its experience in litigation, regulatory and policy monitoring, trade issues, and lobbying, the media profile of that practice did not reflect its stature. The firm called upon Jaffe’s public relations consultants to expand its media presence and position its attorneys as thought leaders in environmental and climate change law.
The firm called upon Jaffe’s public relations consultants to expand its media presence and position its attorneys as thought leaders.
The Strategy
Jaffe developed a PR strategy to enhance the practice group’s visibility through targeted media placements in national and international outlets, environmental trade publications, and legal industry media. To do this, our team worked with the practice group leader to identify several attorneys with varied strengths who could act as key spokespeople on timely issues. Capitalizing on our extensive connections with journalists and publications, we introduced these spokespeople to reporters seeking analysis of climate change and environmental legal issues. We also monitored breaking news on these topics so we could ready our clients’ spokespeople as sources at a moment’s notice.
Concurrent with these efforts, we identified law firm rankings that could showcase the breadth and depth of the practice, nominating the practice and select attorneys for these accolades as opportunities arose.
Jaffe monitored breaking news to position attorneys as commentators.
The Impact
Jaffe successfully landed a myriad of high-profile national and international media opportunities for the attorneys. Through these efforts, the attorneys developed reputations among journalists as go-to sources in their respective practice areas, greatly increasing their visibility in the media. Many of the reporters Jaffe introduced to the practice remained in close contact, calling them regularly for analysis and commentary on breaking news. Additionally, Jaffe’s consultants wrote several successful rankings nominations for the group and its attorneys, securing wins that included “Environmental Group of the Year” and “Rising Star” in environmental law.