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Capability VII

FORGE

In the room when case strategy is set. Not called in after.

At a Glance

Counters
Defense communications embedded with legal strategy team
Format
Communications counsel embedded with legal team from day one.
Operates
Pre-Filing Through Verdict
Intake
By referral from counsel of record

The Problem

The communications mistake plaintiff firms make most often is calling the communications consultant after the story breaks. By then, the defense narrative is set. The first media cycle has run. Communications cannot fix what legal strategy has already produced. It can only react. VIS does not react.

In Practice

Case Reference

In the Johns Hopkins litigation, VIS was engaged before the complaint was filed. Every communications implication of every legal decision was evaluated before the decision was made. When the settlement was announced, VIS was not being briefed. VIS had written the press strategy six months earlier. The result was a coordinated, same-day, multi-outlet placement that produced one million impressions before the defense could respond.

What VIS Does

Karen Elizabeth Campbell is embedded in the case from day one. Not a team. Not a system. Karen Campbell — twenty-five years in litigation communications, former Dow Jones reporter, established relationships at every major network and national outlet — present at strategy sessions, available for same-day response, integrated with the legal team’s calendar.

  • Case initiation communications audit — every known communications risk identified before filing
  • Ongoing strategy session participation — Karen Campbell present at every major case decision point
  • Same-day response capability — available when the defense moves, not after the news cycle
  • Legal team communications training — attorney statements, deposition conduct, and public posture
  • Crisis protocol — pre-built response for every foreseeable adverse development

What is the defense communications
operation doing on your case right now?

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