BulletProofBlog the blog on crisis communications

Each week, Bulletproof Blog™ features exclusive interviews with thought leaders on issues of critical importance to companies and countries. This week, with the recent economic downturn having affixed the public spotlight on law firm billing practices, we interview Fred Krebs, President of the Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC), and discuss how legal services providers can better align their business models with client needs. During our chat, Mr. Krebs, who served both as an in-house and private ... READ MORE

As part of a continuing series of Bulletproof Blog™ video interviews with thought leaders across multiple disciplines and industry sectors, I recently sat down with Veta Richardson, Executive Director of the Minority Corporate Counsel Association (MCCA), to discuss how law firms can best articulate a commitment to diversity during tough economic times. Since taking the helm at MCCA, Ms. Richardson has made research and education the focus of MCCA’s advocacy efforts to ensure that one’s race/ethnicity, ... READ MORE

In this regular feature, Bulletproof interviews top plaintiffs' attorneys for their perspective on the crises likely to affect businesses in the near future. Today we talk to Jared H. Beck of Miami’s Beck & Lee, who, along with the Weston Firm of San Diego, has filed a class action against Yelp, the social media review site, alleging it offered to remove bad customer reviews of businesses that bought advertising space on Yelp itself. The suit, alleging that ... READ MORE

A few weeks ago, a report issued by Diversity Scorecard revealed that the recent recession caused a startling decline in law firm diversity in 2009. As such, significant branding and reputational liabilities may be in the offing for firms whose commitment to hiring diverse individuals could be painted as anything less than stellar. When the economy no longer offers a plausible excuse, many firms may very well face the stark reality that the demands of ... READ MORE

In this regular feature, Bulletproof interviews top plaintiffs' attorneys for their perspective on the crises likely to affect businesses in the near future. Today we talk to Richard Middleton, a Savannah, Ga.-based trial lawyer who won a recent case in Missouri against Premium Standard Farms (PSF). Mr. Middleton’s clients are Missouri farmers variously affected by vile odors and deplorable sanitary conditions arising from PSF’s factory pig farm close by their own farms in Jackson County. On March ... READ MORE

Diversity at major law firms across the U.S. has dropped as a result of the recent recession. According to the annual Diversity Scorecard issued by The American Lawyer, which compiles diversity data from 200 of the largest U.S. firms, the percentage of attorneys of color at all responding firms decreased for the first time in nine years in 2009. Between 2000 and 2008, diversity had increased from below ten percent to 13.9 percent. Last year, ... READ MORE

This week, Apple Inc. took an aggressive step toward the courtroom when it filed a patent infringement lawsuit with the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) and U.S. District Court in Delaware against HTC, a Taiwanese manufacturer of Android smartphones, including Google’s Nexus One. Not surprisingly, the lawsuit made headlines – but for all the wrong reasons. Apple CEO Steve Jobs’ commentary on the matter has painted a contradictory picture of the company that prides itself on ... READ MORE

In this regular feature, Bulletproof interviews top plaintiffs' attorneys for their perspective on the crises likely to affect businesses in the near future. Today we talk to employment lawyer Anthony Lazzaro of The Lazzaro Law Firm, LLC in Cleveland, Ohio, who specializes in wage and hour cases. Mr. Lazzaro is currently representing some 40 legal secretaries against their employer, Turocy & Watson, an intellectual property law firm. The employees claim the firm misclassified their job status ... READ MORE

The top six social media tips to know before you leave the office. In today’s digitally-dominated marketplace, where 93 percent of Americans feel that a strong social media presence is essential to top-notch customer service, companies across all industries are wrestling with how to best infuse marketing and public relations efforts with fresh online approaches. In the legal services industry, engaging with key constituencies via social media platforms provides powerful thought leadership opportunities; alerts firms to client ... READ MORE

Microsoft announced Monday that it has forged a patent cross-licensing agreement with Amazon.com that will enable each company to mutually share proprietary technology for set royalty fees. Some critics believe the deal sets a "bad precedent" for roping other competitors into unnecessary agreements involving open source technologies that are normally shared with the public at no cost. Although the deal includes a "broad range" of products, Microsoft is quick to highlight that the agreement covers “Amazon’s ... READ MORE