When to Involve Legal or PR Support — Handling Reputation and Commercial Impact

Involve legal support immediately when facing potential litigation, regulatory compliance issues, confidentiality risks, or ethical violations that could impact operations. Engage PR support proactively before crises arise, and urgently during high-profile cases, media scrutiny, or reputational threats to manage public narrative and commercial fallout.

Key Triggers for Involvement

• Crisis or litigation scenarios: Activate PR alongside legal teams for high-profile or controversial cases where media attention risks reputational damage or influences negotiations. PR helps control the narrative, counter "no comment" perceptions that seem evasive, and protect client interests in the court of public opinion.
• Media exposure or inquiries: Involve PR for proactive visibility (e.g., press releases on verdicts, bylined articles, expert commentary) or rapid response to ensure fair coverage and compliance with bar rules on advertising.
• Reputational threats: Monitor mentions via tools like Google Alerts or Meltwater; escalate to PR-legal coordination for swift responses, pre-approved messaging, and designated spokespeople to minimize commercial impact.
• Proactive business growth: Hire specialized legal PR firms early to build brand awareness, thought leadership, and client trust through events, awards, and ethical campaigns, avoiding ad-hoc reactions.

Best Practices for Coordination

Legal and PR teams must collaborate via clear protocols:

• Develop joint crisis plans with roles, templates, and review checklists for compliance.
• Ensure PR respects NDAs, attorney-client privilege, and bar ethics (e.g., Florida's 20-day ad review).
• Train on media risks and establish escalation workflows for faster responses (up to 60% quicker with integration).

This integrated approach reduces reputation-damaging incidents and supports commercial goals like lead generation.