In 2017, the Hellerman team was tasked with positioning Nadia de la Houssaye, a partner in Jones Walker’s Business & Commercial Litigation Practice Group and chair of the Healthcare team’s telemedicine section, as a thought leader in the telemedicine market, which was and is poised for exponential grow. Until we were retained, the main focus of the industry was on delivery of services versus the legal matters associated with it. The challenge was to shift the conversation to include legal issues and position de la Houssaye as the ‘go-to’ legal counsel in the market.

It is paramount that the telemedicine industry understands legal issues within its work, and I am thankful Hellerman helped me make these issues known.

To instigate this shift, we secured press attention and speaking opportunities for de la Houssaye with credible industry media outlets and associations. The strategic outreach campaign consisted of:

• Securing quotes in local, national, and trade media outlets on emerging issues and trends;
• Building relationships with key reporters through meet-and-greet opportunities;
• Identifying and pursuing speaking opportunities; and
• Developing awards and rankings submissions for targeted opportunities.

The outline of and effort on these activities developed in a very short timeframe. Team meetings were scheduled to ensure everyone was kept well-informed of progress; new and coming opportunities were evaluated in a timely manner and capitalized on strategically; and changes in telemedicine laws were constantly monitored for use as new talking points and messaging.

At the conclusion of this time-sensitive outreach campaign, the most notable achievement was de la Houssaye being asked to not only keynote the American Telemedicine Association’s annual conference – an event at which she had never been more than one of the thousands of participants – but to also program all of its legal content. She was also featured in two Bloomberg articles and asked to speak at three additional telemedicine events.

To benchmark de la Houssaye against her competitors, we developed a points-based value system for the known universe of credible media outlets that could support and influence positioning her as an industry leader. Against this list, de la Houssaye scored 200% greater than her competitors (24,000 vs. 11,000). This proved the outreach campaign not only shifted dialogue within and about the industry, it successfully positioned de la Houssaye as the preeminent attorney and thought leader in the market. It is worth noting the outreach campaign achieved its goal on a modest, low five-figures budget and answered the ever-present question of return on investment when de la Houssaye’s reported adding 12 new telemedicine clients post campaign, including a large $50M telestroke integration project.

de la Houssaye said: “The Hellerman Communications team has been absolutely incredible, and I couldn’t be more grateful for how they positioned me as a leader in my field, which led ultimately to the growth of the firm’s telemedicine practice. It is paramount that the telemedicine industry understands legal issues within its work, and I am thankful Hellerman helped me make these issues known. By doing so, our firm is seen as the most knowledgeable in the telemedicine field, and I am extremely grateful for our competitive edge.”

We are flattered to have been recommended, out of the blue, by our brand new friend at Poyner Spruill LLP, Brandi Crouch Hobbs. The message she shared within the Legal Marketers Extraordinaire group on Facebook, and the comments that followed, made our day… month… year!

John came through for me without having any prior relationship with me personally.

We humbly thank you for the kind words, and are happy to assist our friends, not only in times of crises (no matter what the time of day), but with any and all matters that will better position professionals.

Situation/Objective:

David Jacobson, a partner in the law firm of Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal (SNR), wanted to raise awareness of the firm’s E-Business practice, which he had co-founded. With his firm’s financial backing, David acquired the rights to bring First Tuesday (a very popular, international, Internet networking forum) to the United States.

The goal was to increase the visibility of the firm’s E-Business practice in Chicago. If successful, the firm would expand its efforts and include additional offices.

HC creates a high-tech culture.

Analysis/Strategy:

HC created a media strategy that targeted print, broadcast, Internet and radio outlets in the Chicago, Washington, New York, and Silicon Valley markets. Messages were created that highlighted the value of First Tuesday and the firm’s cutting-edge E-business practice. David and other partners were media trained in order to effectively communicate the firm’s messages to the media.

Numerous press releases, media alerts, and other materials were distributed to the media announcing events and new developments. A VIP media Email list was created so that announcements would be delivered directly to the most interested and involved reporters.

Results/Execution:

Pre-publicity generated crowds in excess of 1,500 people at the first First Tuesday event in Chicago, as eager attendees formed a two-block long line waiting to get in. First Tuesday Chicago became an instant monthly “must attend” event and by May, SNR expanded First Tuesday to cover New York, Washington, St. Louis, and Kansas City.

National placements about First Tuesday and the firm included a front page feature in the New York Time’s Sunday Edition, a feature segment on CNN’s “Business Unusual,” and feature stories in Associated Press, Fortune, Money, and American Lawyer.

Multiple placements appeared in Chicago-based media including: Chicago Tribune, Sun-Times, Crain’s Chicago Business, Associated Press, Reuters, WGN-TV, WBBM-TV (CBS), WLS-TV (ABC), WGN-Radio, WBBM-AM, WLS-FM, The May Report, and E-Prarie.com. Given the success, the firm was positioned as the deliverer of a “high-tech networking culture” to the Midwest.

In Washington, DC, more than 20 stories about the firm and First Tuesday appeared in outlets including: Washington Post, Washington Times, Washington Business Journal, WAMU-Radio (NPR), WJFK-FM, Wash tech.com, Potomac Tech Journal, Techway Magazine, and the Legal Times.

Other placements included articles in Crain’s Detroit Business, Kansas City Star, Kansas City Business Journal, Globe and Mail, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, and Money.com.

As it desired, Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal’s E-Business practice became a major provider to entrepreneurs and developing businesses.

Situation/Objective:

In mid-2000, Steve Boehm and Cynthia Krus, partners at the law firm of Sutherland Asbill & Brennan LLP, approached the firm’s marketing department with a request: “Make Sutherland the premier provider of legal counsel to Business Development Companies (BDCs).”

BDCs provide capital to small- and middle-market businesses, allowing public investors access to portfolios that resemble private equity funds. Although BDCs have been part of the regulatory landscape since 1980, Sutherland’s partners identified the dearth of legal representation in the niche and were confident they had the expertise necessary to own the market.

Turning $40K into $1,000,000 plus.

However, research indicated that BDCs weren’t a very exciting a topic for reporters; only six articles had appeared on BDCs since 1995, and, unfortunately, Sutherland was mentioned in only one. Therefore, the primary marketing goal was to increase the partners’ visibility by doubling the number of BDC articles and generating at least 75% coverage for the firm. (The firm wisely wanted to market the business niche to the broader business community as well as just their position within it.)

Additionally, the firm wanted to bring BDCs to the attention of SEC regulators and Congress in order to change legislation and make BDCs a contemporary option for investors and entrepreneurs.

Analysis/Strategy:

HC devised and implemented an 18-month media relations plan to achieve the primary goal, which included media training, editorial coverage, speaking engagements, byline article placement, and white paper generation. For the secondary goal, the plan included a public affairs and events component. Major business publications were targeted and pitched information about the benefits of BDCs.

The firm organized the Committee for Modernization of BDC Regulation, which includes all of the leading BDCs, and held a heavily attended, full-day BDC symposium in conjunction with U.S. Bancorp Piper Jaffray.

Results/Execution:

Results exceeded expectations. Sixteen BDC articles appeared in the media (Forbes, Wall Street Journal, Investor’s Business Daily, Daily Deal, Washington Post, Fund Action, etc.), and Sutherland was mentioned in every one, representing a 300% increase in coverage.

Boehm and Krus are now considered the absolute “go-to” lawyers on BDC issues. In fact, Krus recalls two occasions when they were presenting to the Boards of Directors of prospects and saw that the “Board Books” contained numerous media clips touting the firm’s expertise. (They got the clients.)

Most importantly, on an investment of just less than $40,000, the firm achieved a 2500% ROI adding 17 new BDC matters to its client roster and more than $1,000,000 in new revenue.

Situation: A senior lawyer from a top tier firm is currently the subject of rumors circulating in the press, claiming that he, as well as some other well-known business personalities, are involved in child pornography. Up to this point, the media has been focusing on the other personalities in the group. However, two young lawyers have just approached the Managing Director, claiming that they have uncovered child pornographic material on one of the firm’s computer files while working on that partner’s matters. Advise the Managing Partner as to how he should handle the situation.

Advice: A crisis situation presents enormous threats and represents significant risk to the company’s reputation, operations, market share, sales, employee morale, and overall financial performance. There is little room for error and response time must be quick. That is why planning and preparing for a crisis is so important.

This is a classic managerial blunder: companies fail to respond to problems in a timely matter. To explain, emergencies MUST be dealt with immediately.

Smart companies will establish early warning alerts to identify problems likely to escalate in intensity, cause unwanted outside attention, damage the company’s public image or reputation, or damage the bottom line in any way. Companies involved in situations such as the one described must act – they must not hesitate to make decisions. They must identify and respond to early signs of impending problems instead of denying that they exist. In this case, the rumors that were already circulating should have tipped off senior management to begin crisis management and communications procedures.

This is a classic managerial blunder: companies fail to respond to problems in a timely matter. To explain, emergencies MUST be dealt with immediately. Problems, on the other hand, need to be addressed rapidly (but not necessarily immediately), as those problems that linger or are not rectified usually lead to emergencies.

So in walk the two young lawyers with evidence about the partner’s illegal activity and the Managing Partner is seemingly caught flat-footed. Here are three things he should do:

Isolate the problem. Perceptions must be controlled because public opinion is all about perception, NOT reality. Therefore, public and internal communications must establish perceptions first. The public is a very skeptical. More and more frequently, companies and governmental agencies are “guilty until proven innocent.” Arrogance, saying “no comment” and/or responding with terse denials about questioned ethics are seldom, if ever, successful crisis communications strategies.

This is about one partner and his outrageous and illegal behavior, not about the firm, any of its other lawyers and how they practice or serve clients.

The problem for the firm seems to be that a firm computer houses the illicit and illegal material and that certain personnel were exposed to that material while working on firm business.

Fix the problem as quickly as possible (i.e. immediately).

Assuming that the material on the computer is indeed child pornography, notify the police and turn the evidence over to them.

Terminate the partner.

Use the crisis as an opportunity to do better. For instance, the firm should offer help and counseling (but not his job) to the fallen partner.  It should consider donating money or pro-bono services to child welfare groups in the community, etc.

Communicate. In the court of public opinion the defense MUST always take the stand. The press is driven by their need to tell a story. Failure to provide a coherent explanation about matters under question means the press will fill their stories with messages detrimental to one’s own. Do not stay silent.

Develop appropriate message points based on the facts. When responding to questions from the media, remember to communicate the truth (as much as needed to fulfill the public’s need to know), and to comfort all affected audiences by exuding compassion and understanding of their concerns.

Communicate to internal audiences first – especially in this situation where people will be incredulous about the news of their partner’s behavior. Making sure internal audiences hear the story from organization leaders before hearing it from the press builds and enforces trust.  Internal support is critical because this audience is often used by the news media to perpetuate unflattering messages. The Managing Partner wants everyone to know that management understands the matter is shocking and unfortunate and that it has dealt with the situation decisively.

Designate one person to act as a spokesman for the organization. RARELY ever should that be the firm’s lawyer (if it has retained one). Most likely in this instance it should be the Managing Partner, although a senior female partner would also send an appropriate message of concern and disgust. As a point of explanation, top executives are not always the best spokespersons. Sometimes technical experts or third-party allies are best. Deciding who speak is critical and says a lot about how serious the company considers the problem. Do not have a Managing Partner respond to a minor problem – the press will think it is more important than it is. Do not have mid-level spokespersons talk to the press when there is a tragedy (i.e. health effects, loss of life, etc.) – the company will look callous. Make sure the spokesperson is media trained. **Such training is perhaps the single most important factor in dealing with a crisis.

Educate the media – they are the intermediaries between the organization’s story and the public. Demystify complex arguments and provide as much information as possible in order to create an on-going, beneficial dialogue.

If managed properly, the resulting stories should be all about the individual with brief mentions that he was a partner at the firm of x, y, and z and has since been terminated. Any other information about the firm in articles should have to do with its shock and disgust at the partner’s behavior, its sympathy for the children and their families and its efforts to help in the community.

Situation/Objective:

The Beatles famously held off coming to New York before they had a number-one hit. Few of the nation’s largest law firms have shown such restraint.

Many of them rapidly increased their numbers, and offices, during the good times—only to undergo painful layoffs and office closures during the recent recession. Meanwhile, Perkins Coie, a national law firm with a strong West Coast presence and more than 800 attorneys, was biding its time. The firm’s conservative business planning prevented unsustainable growth. That prudence paid off when the firm added dozens of new lateral hires and opened offices in three new cities while many of its competitors were retreating.

A West coast firm hits the Big Apple.

The capstone of this strategic expansion was the opening of an office in New York City. The addition of attorney Schuyler Carroll made the timing right. Schuyler’s well-respected bankruptcy practice, a growth area for the firm, was the solid anchor Perkins Coie needed to open its New York office, just its second outpost on the East Coast.

Given the intense competition in New York and Perkins Coie’s determination to make the new office and Carroll a success, Perkins asked Hellerman Communications (HC) to make sure they were a hit.

Analysis/Strategy:

HC’s primary goal was to promote the office opening, which became the focus of the initial media plan. The secondary goal was to publicize Schuyler’s association with his new firm, and in doing so position him as a thought leader on bankruptcy issues. Thus, the six-month plan had two distinct phases: (1) announce the new office opening, and (2) position Carroll as a bankruptcy attorney with Perkins.

HC’s past experience with new office openings has shown that targeting the legal and business press in the local market is critical to an office’s success. These local publications are read closely by businesses in local markets and can generate the buzz necessary to establishing a successful office. Likewise, when partners change firms, it’s critical that the local market quickly identifies the attorney with his or her new firm in order to capture the business advantages of the move.

To support its approach, HC worked with the firm to identify key target constituencies and develop a comprehensive media list for the office-opening announcement. HC also crafted a targeted list of executive-moves columns in New York in which to publicize the new office and Carroll’s addition to the firm. HC then worked with Carroll to identify a number of developing news stories likely to be covered by bankruptcy reporters, as well as emerging issues to serve as subject matter for articles.

Throughout the engagement, HC placed a priority on generating media opportunities in the most respected publications—those that would speak most powerfully to Perkins’ clients and prospects, the most important audience of the campaign.

HC’s dual-pronged strategy proved successful from the start. The office opening announcement in March was widely covered in local business and national trade media. The coverage was enhanced by an ongoing use of executive-moves columns to announce Perkins’ presence in New York and Carroll’s move to the firm.

The second component of the strategy—positioning Carroll as a thought leader—required a tailored approach. The poor economy had resulted in a rise in corporate bankruptcies across the board. The increased bankruptcies also caused an exponential growth in “expert” voices, all competing for attention in a shrinking media environment. To break through this clutter and deliver high-quality opportunities for Perkins Coie, HC identified specific areas of focus: (1) the highly publicized Borders bankruptcy; (2) bankruptcy investments by family offices of high-wealth individuals; and (3) bankruptcy trends in New York courts.

HC designed a PR strategy to position Carroll as a third-party commentator on the Borders bankruptcy, while also seeking article-writing opportunities on issues relevant to family offices and New York courts. This balance ensured Carroll received prominent coverage discussing a major bankruptcy case that would reinforce his status as a leader in the field, while also providing opportunities, through byline articles, to share deeper analysis on bankruptcy trends and tips for businesses in New York and family offices.

Results/Execution:

HC’s success exceeded Perkin’ expectations. The media outreach increased the firm’s profile in New York and positioned both the firm and Carroll as leaders in bankruptcy law. Carroll has also been effectively branded as an attorney with Perkins, a key benchmark for this project.

A simple Google search returns a number of hits for Carroll with Perkins, including media placements. In the first set of 20 Google results, Carroll is associated with Perkins in 80% of the results. HC also successfully generated high-level article opportunities. He has already published a guest piece in the “Outside Counsel” column of The New York Law Journal, the leading legal publication in New York. He is also awaiting publication of articles in Private Wealth magazine, a key trade publication for family offices, and Bloomberg Law Reports. HC encouraged Carroll to co-author these guest columns with Perkins Coie colleagues in other practices, when appropriate, to highlight the firm’s various strengths and cross-promote its practices.

The results of the campaign have been impressive, with 42 high-level media hits within months of its launch. In addition to obtaining the guest column placements, HC successfully positioned Carroll as a top source on the Borders bankruptcy case. He was quoted in a variety of leading business and trade publications, including Bloomberg, Reuters, Turnarounds & Workouts, and Debtwire. HC also secured a number of profiles of Carroll and the new office in leading trade publications such as The Deal, AmLaw Daily, Law360, and Legal Bisnow NY. This coverage underlines the firm’s status as a player in the New York market, increasing Perkins’ profile in the city and establishing Carroll as a leading source on corporate bankruptcy. In short, making them a hit.

Situation/Objective:

In the summer of 2011, HC was charged with highlighting a new IP boutique’s role in the record-breaking auction of 6,000 patent assets owned by Nortel Networks—the largest patent auction in history. Because the auction was happening within the context of a bankrupt company selling its assets, it was important to distinguish Global IP Law Group’s role from that of the attorneys who handled the bankruptcy. Doing so would be a challenge. Nortel had been in bankruptcy for a number of years, and media outlets had already built up a cache of bankruptcy-related sources.

The IP auction heard round the world.

Analysis/Strategy:

HC determined that to distinguish the firm, it would position Global IP Law Group as a pioneer of an emerging trend in which companies are monetizing their IP assets through sales and licenses rather than litigation. During a two-month time period leading up to the auction, HC compiled an exhaustive media list of reporters and bloggers focused on wireless technology and intellectual property. Prior to the auction, the firm was limited as to what it could say to media due to confidentiality restrictions, so HC focused on reaching out to media about the larger issue of how companies should value their IP assets and what it takes to prepare such a large patent portfolio for auction—including visiting potential buyers’ IP teams to explain the value of the patents, ensuring that potential purchasers understood the depth and breadth of the collection and its applications, and, in the case of the Nortel auction, soliciting a stalking horse bid from Google for $900 million. In doing so, HC positioned Global IP Law Group partner David Berten as a go-to source on this trend and the impending auction. This initial effort resulted in substantial coverage, including a feature on the firm in the Chicago Tribune, which was picked up by many other papers around the country.

The week of the auction, HC continued its outreach in order to position the IP firm as a knowledgeable source on patent auctions generally and the Nortel auction specifically. And as soon as the news of the auction results could be made public, HC launched an email initiative alerting media to the role that David Berten and his firm played in the auction proceedings.

Results/Execution:

The results of HC’s strategy were overwhelming. The client was physically unable to speak with the onslaught of interested media at the time, and still continues to field calls resulting from HC’s initial outreach, especially from reporters who now view the firm as an authority on the state of the current patent market. Not surprisingly, news of Global IP Law Group’s work with Nortel has helped it become a worldwide brand. As a result, the firm has been extremely active in selling patents this year and has closed more than ten additional deals valued at $30 to $40 million dollars.

Representative media outlets covering Global IP law Group and its role in the Nortel auction include: Associated Press (story was picked up around the world), The Chicago Tribune, Corporate Counsel, Dow Jones Newswires, Seattle Times, International Business Times, Bloomberg (Canada and Seattle), Reuters (Europe and Canada), Computerworld, Total Telecom, Marketwatch, Daily Bankruptcy Review, AmLaw Daily, The Deal, Technology News, Mobile Commerce Daily, Financial Post, Law Technology News, Sys-Con Media, Managing IP, Mobile Commerce Daily, SPI Technology News Reports, Philip Brooks’ Patent Infringement Update, Fierce Wireless, Spectrum of Intellectual Property Rights, Intellectual Asset Management, Chicago Daily Law Bulletin, San Francisco Daily Journal, Wall Street Journal, C114, and G2News.

Situation/Objective:

A national, home-warranty company faced a class-action law suit prompted over the way the company notified its customers of policy changes. The suit exposed the company to more than $225 million in damages. The company felt that the problem was caused by the confusing and ever-changing policies and regulations of the state’s insurance regulators. The company was a market leader and feared adverse publicity would drive customers to its competitors and erode its market share.

Class action threatens home warranty company.

Analysis/Strategy:

HC created a communications/education plan for both internal (employees) and external audiences (media, customers, regulators, etc.).

A corporate spokesperson was trained to communicate company messages through a variety of media, especially call-in radio programs, which were used aggressively to educate policy-holders and other stakeholders.

To communicate to employees, a “pyramid-style” internal communications plan was developed. Senior Executives communicated to middle management, who in turn communicated to “line” workers. In this way, employees heard news about the class action and their company’s response from a source close to them rather then from the CEO or other faceless “suits.” The strategy also assured that everyone in the pyramid would have a stake in the company’s message.

To handle policy-holder questions, a call center was created and personnel were trained in effective communication skills.

A campaign to gather testimonials from satisfied customers was crafted, and the testimonials that were received were used aggressively in the company’s marketing materials.

Clients, chosen by their testimonial letters, were contacted and trained as 3rd-party spokespersons by the company. These customers were offered to the media as positive sources and, additionally, called into radio talk-shows as advocates for the company.

Lastly, to directly benefit customers and solidify its positive reputation, the company increased its public-affairs efforts and took the lead in its niche to recommend effective policy changes to the regulators.

Results/Execution:

By aggressively using testimonials and 3rd-party spokespersons, the company ably demonstrated that the class litigants were misguided as to the source of their frustration.

The internal communications strategy solidified the support of employees for the company.

The regulators changed several controlling policies, which drastically reduced the company’s exposure to damages.

While the company took some initial hits in the media, they were quickly diffused by its messages and actions. The company grew its market share and is considered the best in the business.

Situation/Objective:

When Pravin Rao joined the law firm Perkins Coie, he brought a wealth of government experience. His young career already included stints as an Assistant U.S. Attorney, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Enforcement Branch Chief, and Assistant State’s Attorney in Illinois, all of which made him a promising white-collar attorney. But while impressive, Rao’s experience alone did not make him stand out in the crowded field of white-collar legal practice, a glamorous and profitable area of legal work full of “star” attorneys. Perkins Coie, intent on making its new partner a success, wanted to position Rao as a thought leader in his field. The firm asked HC to position him as a leading, national source for white-collar crime issues, particularly financial fraud.

HC gets the ball rolling for a white-collar attorney.

Analysis/Strategy:

HC’s primary goal was to establish Rao as a go-to source for reporters covering white-collar crime and investigations, specifically on financial-fraud topics. Toward that end, HC developed a two-pronged approach to the campaign. It would: (i) seek opportunities for Rao to contribute long-form articles demonstrating his thoughtful analysis on financial fraud topics; and (ii) obtain opportunities for Rao to provide third-party commentary to media outlets covering day-to-day financial-fraud stories.

HC’s experience has shown that these two activities complement each other: thoughtful articles on a topic assure reporters that the source is worth talking to, while frequent quotation in new stories often leads to article requests. Executed together, the two prongs can create a powerful snowball effect. To support its approach, HC worked with Rao to identify a number of developing news stories likely to be covered by reporters, as well as emerging issues to serve as subject matter for articles.

Throughout the engagement, HC placed a priority on generating media opportunities in the most respected publications—those that would speak most powerfully to Perkins Coie’s client prospects, the true audience of the campaign.

Results/Execution:

HC’s dual-pronged strategy showed results from the start. Early in the year, Pravin secured a byline article in Law360, one of the legal industry’s best-read publications, focusing on the SEC’s newfound willingness to settle with those charged with fraud. Simultaneously, HC’s strategy of using breaking news stories to generate interest in Rao’s commentary saw results as the fallout from the financial collapse and the discovery of widespread financial fraud created a number of media opportunities.

This heightened media interest, however, was not entirely positive. The uptick in financial fraud investigations and cases stemming from the financial collapse also led to a spike “expert” voices, all competing for attention in a shrinking media environment. To break through this noise, HC altered its strategy slightly. Our team chose to focus on key reporters and editors at the most prominent publications—those who would recognize the significance of Rao’s background, and the quality of the commentary he had already provided.

Building strong relationships between Rao and these journalists became the foundation of HC’s ongoing campaign. HC prepared Pravin for this media outreach by developing talking points and analysis with him. Once he was fully prepped, HC began connecting him with the key reporters and editors our team had identified.

The adjusted, two-pronged strategy succeeded beyond any expectations. Pravin’s written articles—in which he retained control over his message and had the space to analyze a complex issue—gained notice in the field. As with all of his media placements, they were repurposed as a business development tool for use as marketing collateral. And they reinforced reporters’ choice of Pravin for high-level interviews concerning breaking news on financial fraud cases.

The results have been impressive, with more than 30 high-level media placements for Rao in a short time. One example typifies the success of the campaign. When the SEC announced a $550 million settlement with Goldman Sachs over allegations of fraud, Rao earlier Law360 article on SEC settlement practices positioned him a highly qualified commentator. Reaching out to reporters on the story immediately, HC secured interviews for Rao with many of the top-level financial-fraud reporters that had become the focus of the campaign. Rao was quoted in outlets including the Wall Street Journal, Fortune, Reuters, Law360, USA Today, and the Los Angeles Times.

Today, due to the relationships HC facilitated with its campaign, many reporters now call Pravin directly for his thoughts on breaking news. HC was recently told that at one prominent publication, there is even some competition on certain days to see which reporter can get to Pravin first for an interview. “Everyone loves Pravin,” a reporter has remarked. The snowball effect has indeed taken place.