Synergy between lawyers and Communications experts on serving business. Why we should work together?

1. 18.05.2015.
Ralfs Vīlands
Synergy
The Interlex Group
2015 European Regional meeting

2. ... We all serve business
but have different tasks
and therefore methods

3.  Brand protection
 Conflict/Crises/Public
pressure
Content of the presentation -
Synergy

4. Brand protection

5.  PR is a strategy
 Legal counsel is a
tactic
In brand
protection

6. Lawyer
... Protects legal body
(exact values, very formalized)
Communication
... Protects brand
(public opinion, game of values)

7.  Aim of Communications is
to increase value of the
brand - tangible and non-
tangible asset
 While dealing with different
issues, we should never
forget about the big picture
In brand
protection II

8. Value exchange via interaction
Brand
Employee
s
Clients
Suppliers
Neighbours
Opinion
leaders
Media
Brand is like an elephant in a porcelain shop

9. Brand reputation is
Corporate
values
Society values
Distance in between

10. Logic of business vs Logic of media
Big is good Small is good
Rational is good Emotional is good
Dialogue Conflict
Confidentiality Transparency
Facts Opinion/Narrative
Detailed
explanation
Colorful details

11. Synergy in crises and
conflict
Public pressure

12. Communication crisis
becomes a large crisis
when lawyers are leading
the process

13. In Court
... Everybody is equal,
the evidence speaks for itself
In Public Court
... Asymmetrical power of small groups

14.  PR and legal counsel
have an equal role
 Lawyers – we need to
win it
 We need to win it
(public pressure), but
what others will say
about it?
In times of crises
or conflict

15.  IT company attacked
high-school student who
programmed add-on for
e-class (a product of the
IT company). With help of
an international law firm
the company sent letter
to his parrents and visited
him at home
 From the legal point
everything was correct
When PR is not
involved

16.  Was used inadequately large power
 Company attacked its client who had good
intentions
 Company tried to stop publicly accepted step
towards innovations and progress
 IT company against young programmer – what
was the signal sent by them to other students?
Sometimes legaly correct steps cause damage for
the brand
The result was public anger and sarcasm.
What did go wrong?

17.  If a legal position is not
strong enough, conflict
usually moves to the public
space
 False, one-sided, supposedly
credible narrative is more
vivid in public space than a
strong position from a legal
standpoint
Public presure in conflict. Hybrid
war

18.  The small has a better position even if the position
is false
Small against big

19.  Lawyers: our position is correct
- so why they are not publising
all the facts? Let’s supply them
with full information!
 For lawyers each detail matters
 In communication matters a
narrative with whom the
audience can self-identify
Public presure in conflict.
Hybrid war

20.  Please remember one issue
where you have been
involved this year!
Public presure in conflict.
Hybrid war

21. And now retell it in the “elevator
pitch”!
Public presure in conflict.
Hybrid war

22.  Institutions start to act
when they realize that
the public knows
 Our aim is to increase
importance of an issue
for the public
Public presure in conflict.
Hybrid war

23. Financial system against fraudulent
insolvencies
Pretkorupciju.lv

24. Public pressure

25.  2013 Rey Routh kills
Chris Kyle
Public pressure
 2014 Clint
Eastwood’s movie
American Sniper
 2015 Feb 25. Texas
jury finds Rey Routh
guilty

27. Importance of quotes

28. Importance of quotes

29. Any questions?
Thank you for your attention!