Text Karen — 202.322.8199or call
WHAT WE DO

I Know the Defense’s Playbook. Here’s How I Use It.

Before I build the narrative for your case, I find out exactly what the defense’s communications team is already doing — based on 25 years watching how newsrooms and defense communications teams both operate.

$190M Settlement
Nearly 9,000 claimants, one wire story I ran communications on.
Direct Access
Karen picks up. No associates, no account managers, no hand-offs.
12-Hour Audit
A written check of the public record on your case before you decide anything.
WHAT THIS LOOKS LIKE

Almost Never an Aberration

By the time something like this becomes public, there are usually years behind it where the information stayed out of view.

It didn’t used to be this easy for them. Reaching the public meant going through a newspaper or one of a handful of networks — editors stood in the way. Now a podcast or a text message puts the defense directly into someone’s living room or phone, with no one editing the message.

Example · 2022 · Mass-Casualty Litigation

After one recent mass-casualty case, a defendant didn’t just hire outside crisis PR — it created a new senior executive role, reporting to leadership, solely to manage long-term outreach to the families involved. That’s not a press statement. That’s a standing communications operation, built to run as long as the litigation does.

Example · 2020 · Mass Tort / Product Safety

In a different mass tort, court-ordered discovery showed a defendant’s scientists had ghostwritten sections of the company’s own safety reviews, then had outside experts sign their names to them. None of that showed up in a press release — it surfaced because plaintiffs’ counsel got the internal emails in discovery.

Example · 2021 · Consumer Product Liability

In a case involving a consumer product used by millions, a defendant answered an investigative report with full-page ads in national newspapers and a dedicated rebuttal website, still running, updated every time a new story or verdict broke. None of that was filed with the court — it ran in the news cycle, aimed at jurors, regulators, and the public.

Example · 2013–2014 · Johns Hopkins / Nikita Levy Matter

I saw this play out firsthand on the Johns Hopkins matter (see Results). When the story became public, the institution’s own lawyer called the doctor responsible a “rogue” employee. That’s the aberration defense, almost word for word — and it’s the same framing I watch for on every case I take on now.

01 — THE ASSESSMENT

First, I Find Out What’s Actually Happening.

The same check behind the free audit on the homepage — run on an ongoing basis, not a one-time snapshot.

Geofencing & Local Targeting

Whether targeted ads are running in the zip codes around the courthouse or your claimants’ communities.

Paid Search Bidding

Whether your firm’s name or case terms are being bid on to intercept your traffic.

Forums & Online Communities

How the defense — or people speaking for them — are showing up on Reddit and other public forums.

Public Messaging

What the defense is telling reporters, regulators, and the public directly.

If nothing’s running against your case, I tell you that too.

What the 24-Hour Audit Actually Contains
  • • A written summary of what’s running against your case across the four areas above, with dates and sources.
  • • A plain “nothing found” note on any area with no activity — no manufactured urgency.
  • • One recommended next step, scaled to what the audit actually finds.
02 — THE STRATEGY

Then, I Build the Story — and Put It Where It Lands.

Once I know what’s actually happening, I build the message and decide where it needs to run.

01
The Message
Taking a complicated legal issue and answering four questions plainly: what happened, why should someone care, what is it costing, and what should they do.
02
The Placement
Reaching the audience your case actually depends on, not just a national masthead — I study where your audience reads, watches, and talks, and I put the story there.
03
The Diagnosis
If coverage isn’t moving opinion, that’s a diagnosis problem, not a publicity problem. I find out why the coverage isn’t landing, and build the plan to fix it.
04
Staying the Course
High-stakes litigation can take years. Part of the work is answering questions and making sure your clients feel supported enough to stay in it.
See It on Your Case

Want to Know What’s Running Against Your Docket?

Send me the name of your biggest active case. I’ll send you a full, plain-English brief within 12 hours, workload permitting.

Text the Case Name to 202.322.8199
Retainers start at the Monitoring tier and scale with the matter — see pricing tiers.