Client: Atlanta-based trial law firm

Challenge: A boutique trial law firm in Atlanta was well-known in the courtroom and in the local community for taking on some of the nation’s most complex multi-plaintiff medical, product liability and Qui Tam cases. The only problem was the firm’s visibility didn’t extend outside the local area and while their successes were national, they lacked national exposure.

Work: In discussing our recommended strategy, the law firm never considered using rankings and nominations to garner national exposure and tout their wins. Berbay selected a few of the most coveted national rankings and drafted compelling nominations highlighting the firm’s significant achievements.

Result: Usually what may take several years to win, Berbay was successful in obtaining inclusion on a preeminent national ranking for the law firm on its first year submitting. Not only did it result in the national exposure they were seeking, but through leveraging the award on various channels like the website, social media and marketing material, the firm received several comments on their great work and later a call from an attorney referring a high-profile fraud case.

Client: Los Angeles-based financial restructuring and litigation firm 

Challenge: Amid the beginning of COVID and a changing economy, a Los Angeles-based bankruptcy law firm needed to quickly adjust their marketing strategy in response to the new business climate. With a marketing plan in place that no longer made sense, Berbay focused on creating a firm-wide strategy that aligned with world events and that would break through the clutter of pandemic-related information. In regrouping on the firm’s marketing, we were faced with trying to get the attorneys, who typically operated in silos, to execute the plan in a concerted effort. 

Work: Berbay developed a multi-pronged approach, including creating a business development matrix that broke down potential clients by practice area, attorney, marketing outreach and responsibilities. From there, we executed the new marketing plan by revamping and distributing e-newsletters; publishing a social media campaign on timely topics; generating engaging marketing materials for prospects; and promoting the firm’s webinar series and authoring articles related to COVID issues. We worked closely with each attorney to prioritize and track each step to ensure the plan moved forward. 

Result: We were able to quickly pivot and implement a refocused marketing campaign that was reactive to the economy. As a result, the firm saw an increase in the number of leads coming in the door, which also presented an opportunity to refresh their outdated pitchbook. The firm’s newsletter had a significant uptick in engagement and we grew their webinar audience. These efforts led to new prospects and cases for the firm in a time when many were experiencing a decline in business. This also highlights that a marketing plan can change and evolve depending on current circumstances.  

Client: Los Angeles-based trial law firm

Challenge: During the COVID pandemic, a leading Los Angeles-based plaintiff’s trial law firm, planned to file a wrongful death lawsuit against a SoCal Sheriff’s Department for its involvement in the shooting death of an unarmed, homeless Black man that sparked protests on the issue of police brutality and racism. Cellphone footage from witnesses captured the deputies’ interaction with the man, which escalated and eventually led to his death. However, the dashboard video footage from the officers’ vehicle that captured why they initially approached the man, was not released to his family or the attorneys after multiple requests. The law firm turned to Berbay to facilitate a press conference in conjunction with the lawsuit filing to educate the public that the Sheriff’s Department was not being transparent or forthcoming with crucial evidence, and to place pressure on the Department to ensure the full series of events were released. Making the situation even more complicated, the press conference had to be planned in accordance with public health guidelines for COVID-19.

Work: Prior to the press conference, the Sheriff’s Department released a heavily edited version of the cellphone footage that did not depict the full story in order to put the Department in the best possible light. Our client’s priority was to ensure the public knew there was more to the story and to place pressure on the Department to turn over this key piece of information. Berbay worked to ensure all crucial pieces of information were delivered to the media and that the press conference was held in an outdoor location that allowed for media to social distance.

Result: The press conference was a huge success – we obtained top-tier media placements nationally and locally, including: Associated Press, Los Angeles Times, U.S. News, Orange County Register, San Clemente Times, Daily Mail, East Bay Times, KNBC, Voice of OC, KABC, Sacramento Bee, Mercury News, New York Post, San Francisco Chronicle, Washington Post, CBS, FOX11, KTLA, KFI-AM, KNX-AM and more.

Through Berbay’s efforts, we generated increased awareness of the lawsuit and four months later, due to public pressure, the Sheriff’s Department released a Critical Incident Video with the dash camera footage. As a result, the law firm amended their original lawsuit to assert that the deputies had no reason to approach the man. CBS This Morning, MSNBC The Beat with Ari Melber, and many other outlets covered the developments.

Client: California-based law firm

Challenge: The firm wanted to capitalize on dozens of pending California legislation that would impact their clients.

Work: Berbay didn’t want to waste the client’s time and resources drafting pitches for legislation that wouldn’t pass, but with so much of media strategy being dependent on timing and offering an angle that will pique journalists’ interest, we knew we couldn’t wait until each piece was signed or vetoed. Our team developed a strategy that would allow us to have information in place and be able to pitch as soon as the decisions were published without overly limiting our scope of work. We obtained information from the client in advance, prioritized each topic to winnow down the list to the 10 most important pieces of legislation, identified the spokespersons and compiled targeted media lists. Once we got notice of each legislation being signed into law, we quickly drafted and distributed tailored media pitches (upon client approval.

Result: We obtained multiple interviews and article placements in national and California-based outlets, including Associated Press, Bloomberg Law, Los Angeles Times, Sacramento Bee, Daily Journal, Western City Magazine, SF Weekly and more. The firm’s attorneys were positioned as experts at the forefront of issues addressed in the legislation, and as a result of having materials ready for distribution, were some of the first to be quoted in the media. They were also able to share their comments with clients via the firm’s e-newsletter, on their website and social media.

Client: Los Angeles-based high-stakes litigation law firm

Challenge: The firm represented the plaintiff in a lawsuit against a well-known attorney. The plaintiff wanted media coverage to bring attention to his lawsuit, however, he was unwilling to speak with the press directly or have his photo published.

Work: Berbay drafted a statement on the client’s behalf and distributed to local and national media requesting that they respect the plaintiff’s privacy for no further comment. Because it was such a high-profile case, we had to carefully navigate media requests while honoring the client’s wishes.

Result: Despite the interview and photo limitations, we were able to secure dozens of media placements with the plaintiff’s statement, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Associated Press, USA Today, ABC News, CNBC, NBC, Reuters, NPR, Bloomberg and more.

Client: Los Angeles-based plaintiff’s trial law firm

Challenge: The firm was filing back-to-back negligence and wrongful death lawsuits the week of Thanksgiving against utility companies on behalf of victims and surviving families of the devastating California wildfires.

Work: When we obtained an email from our client informing us of the lawsuits, we sprang into action. Understanding how crucial it was for media efforts to be among the first law firms in a soon-to-be long list filing lawsuits against the utility companies, we distributed the first of three press releases and media alerts, within 48 hours, and facilitated the first of three press conferences. Media outreach was particularly challenging given that it was a holiday week and many reporters were out of office, but by using every communication tool at our disposal and tenacious follow up, we ensured all outlets were aware of the lawsuits.

In the following months, among uncertainty after one utility company filed for bankruptcy, we offered our client as a resource to provide insight on what plaintiffs could expect. In addition to coordinating media efforts, we facilitated the firm’s online and print advertising campaign, including implementing a micro website and search engine optimization (SEO) campaign to promote the firm’s “Town Hall Meetings,” which were held to inform wildfire victims of their rights and options to seek recovery for their losses beyond what their insurance providers could offer.

Result: The firm was able to generate greater awareness for the lawsuits and signed up several new cases. We obtained more than 450 placement for our client, both print and on-camera interviews, including several prominent national and local outlets: The Wall Street Journal, CNN, Forbes, The Associated Press, USA Today, Buzzfeed, FOX LA, KTLA, CBS Los Angeles, NBC Los Angeles, Telemundo, Ventura County Star, KPCC, Estrella TV, LAist, The National Law Journal, Daily Journal and many more.

Client: Los Angeles based boutique law firm

Challenge: The firm warranted being ranked by Chambers and Partners, however, the partners typically shied away from submitting nominations where client references were needed due to confidentiality concerns in high-profile matters.

Work: Berbay met with the partners to thoroughly explain the Chambers submission process and the option to submit “confidential” matters and referees. We reviewed the firm’s competitors currently ranked in the respective practice area and made the case for why they should also be included. Once the firm agreed to proceed, we worked closely with the partners to develop a compelling nomination.

Result: The firm and its partners have been highly ranked in Chambers for several consecutive years. This has helped to level the playing field with some of their larger competitors and raised the firm’s overall visibility among clients and prospects. We have been able to leverage the ranking on the firm’s website and social media profiles, in marketing materials and more.

Client: International Am Law 200 law firm

Challenge: The firm was announcing numerous attorneys being elected to partnership in multiple offices, and turned to Berbay to obtain media coverage in a particular market and raise the firm’s visibility in the area.

Work: Going beyond the traditional partner announcement, we distributed a press release highlighting the expertise of the attorney being promoted in that office, the office’s recent expansion as well as the launch of a new practice group. The release demonstrated the firm’s commitment to strategic growth and delivering high quality services to that market.

Result: The firm secured several articles in local publications in addition to in-person meet and greets with the firm’s managing partner and editors/reporters. This face time established important relationships with local media that proved to be beneficial when pitching future stories and obtaining press coverage for the office and its attorneys.

Client: Los Angeles-based plaintiff’s trial law firm

Challenge: A prominent personal injury law firm filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the City of Los Angeles and Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officers. After holding an initial press conference releasing details of the lawsuit to the press, a second press conference was held to bring light to the LAPD’s lack of cooperation in the investigation.

Work: In order to generate interest for the press conference—in a case already extensively covered by media—Berbay released a well-crafted media alert that piqued reporters’ attention and encouraged attendance, without giving away too much information in advance. Working closely with the attorneys and victim’s family members, we developed messaging that would compel the City and LAPD to release critical information about the incident.

Result: The press conference resulted in high-profile media coverage in Los Angeles and throughout California, including Los Angeles Times, KTLA, NBC LA, ABC 7, Sacramento Bee, La Opinión and many others. Moreover, the press conference and news stories kept the lawsuit in headlines during the lengthy investigation and put pressure on the LAPD to cooperate and provide the victim’s family with the information they desperately sought.