Imagine this: you run a boutique law firm with an engaged client base and public visibility. It is hit with an employee discrimination lawsuit, landing your firm’s name in the news and across social media outlets with hundreds of mentions in a matter of weeks. Some of what is published truthfully reports on the situation, but much of the attention is malicious in nature, in some cases promoting false information. These materials dominate the first page of your practice’s Google results for weeks, then months. Your prospects and revenues drop.
This type of reputation crisis happens every day. Depending on the size of your firm and its area of specialization, the reasons differ. If yours is a white shoe firm that has managed to stay out of the news except as an expert commentator, that situation can quickly change if your files are hacked. If yours is a criminal defense firm and represents controversial clients, you may be as newsworthy as they are . . . and attract as much reputational damage.
If you are like many attorneys, your closest association with reputation management may be referring your clients to firms that specialize in it. (Like ours: many of our referrals come from law firms.) Increasingly, though, you may find you need such a provider yourself.
If you are an attorney and recognize yourself or your firm in this narrative, I invite you to read my new article in the New York State Bar Association Journal.