Law And More

Crisis Czar kglobal's Gene Grabowski Predicts Darkness Over Sackler Family Won't Brighten for At Least a Generation

Brand equity is money. 

So, what the members of the Sackler family of Purdue Pharma could lose in the proposed settlement of the opioid lawsuits is not just a major chunk of their $13 billion fortune. 

In addition, as kglobal public affairs' crisis czar Gene Grabowski observes in SFGate, they could also lose their reputation as philanthropists.

That's pricey brand equity. It could take more than a generation to restore that aura of being do-gooders, notes Grabowski.

Grabowski's prediction of long-term damage may shock some.

After all, didn't "evil genius" lawyer in the Nixon Administration Chuck Colson manage to rebrand rather quickly? By time he emerged from prison he already had become a respected and inspirational spiritual healer.

However, Colson's "sin," - to leverage that old-fashioned concept - was different from the transgressions of the Sacklers. Not only have too many human beings died. Myriad others can't shake the addiction, costing society plenty while they do serial rehabs. Also, the epidemic has created orphans through states such as Ohio. 

Communities will have a long memory of their opioid-related suffering.

Smart global ghostwriting, with social networking know-know. Emergencies welcome. Complimentary consultation (pressure-free) janegenova374@gmail.com.

 

Law Firm Mergers - Lots of Talk, But Only 46 Done Deals, So Far in 2019

Mergers, in any industry, are a tool for survival as well as possible scaling.

Regarding the latter, whole new profit centers can be acquired rather than be developed organically. When the tobacco industry was threatened globally, Philip Morris (which became Altria) merged with major food corporations. 

So, it's no surprise that Fairfax Associates noted there has been a lot of merger talk during the first three quarters of 2019. Much of law, despite increased revenues among the elite firms, remains a zero sum game.

However, so far, there have been only 46 completed mergers. By this time (end of third quarter) last year, there had been 57 completed. Here are more details from Law.com. 

This is good news for many employees at law firms. Mergers create redundancies. For instance, two IP practices are joined together. Usually those perceived as not bringing in enough revenue or new business wind up axed. That's the way it is. 

Smart global ghostwriting, with social networking know-know. Emergencies welcome. Complimentary consultation (pressure-free) janegenova374@gmail.com.

 

Content Management, Atlanta, GA - Must Know Treasury Products (full-time)

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"Savignac and Sheketoff v. Jones Day" - Defendant Files Motion to Dismiss, Contending Litigation w/o Merit

Law firm Jones Day may function as a black box.

But its association with the now-distressed Trump Administration has made it high profile.

During the 2016 presidential election, its partner Don McGahn represented the Make America Great campaign. Later he became top lawyer in the White House, bringing with him other former Jones Day partners. Currently, McGahn is back as a partner at Jones Day.

That unique positioning and packaging might have made Jones Day a target for lawsuits.

Among the ones it is battling is the unusual "Mark C. Savignac and Julia Sheketoff v. Jones Day" lawsuit.

 Here is a copy of that lawsuit.

The plaintiffs, a married couple, contend the law firm's paid parental leave policy discriminates against males. Both had been U.S. Supreme Court clerks and are representing themselves. Skeketoff had quit Jones Day and Savignac had been fired. 

Last Friday, Jones Day filed a motion to dismiss, as is covered by Law.com . And here is a copy of the motion.

Jones Day argues that the complaint's four grounds are w/o merit. Two of the points probably will get the most attention in the courts of law and the court of public opinion.

The plaintiff asserted that, in addition to the stated paid parental leave policy for birth parents, females can apply for eight more weeks of paid disability leave and males cannot. Jones Day says that the situation of the females who did give birth and the males who didn't is different. Should the males have had a heart attack in the delivery room they too could apply for additional paid leave time in alignment with the firm's short term disability policy.

Another point Jones Day makes is that it terminated Savignac not in retaliation. He had sent an email to the firm demanding 18 weeks paid leave. If he did not receive it he indicated that he would sue and make this internal matter public in the court of public opinion. Jones Day classified that as a type of extortion.  

On another front, Jones Day is the defendant in the class action gender discrimination lawsuit "Tolton et al. v. Jones Day." Here is a copy of that amended complaint. The plaintiff class is represented by law firm specializing in employment matters Sanford Heisler Sharp. 

If the Trump Administration collapses, the issue is this: Will Jones Day become more of a target, both in courts of law and courts of public opinion? To paraphrase the line in Shakespeare's "Henry IV Part 2, "Uneasy lies the head of those in the politics-related power." Yet, access to federal leadership is a major branding issue for law firms. According to Joe Patrice at Abovethelaw.com, Jones Day touted those ties to the Trump Administration as a kind of marketing tool.

Smart global ghostwriting, with social networking know-know. Emergencies welcome. Complimentary consultation (pressure-free) janegenova374@gmail.com.

 

The Whistleblower - Paying Legal Team Not One of His/Her Problems

The world knows: The Whistleblower's life has been threatened. He/she is in federal protection.

But, in the current darkness there is a beam of bright light.

The Whistleblower isn't ponying up anything for legal expenses. The legal team, including Mark Zaid, reports Law.com, is not billing their client. They specialize in government whistleblower cases.

Instead, members of the team will be compensated through the Whistleblower Aid, a nonprofit. So far, the organization has raised $138,000 through GoFundMe.

But, come on, there is a high probability that whatever is eventually raised the members of the legal team won't break even. 

This experience, though, can make them superheroes in myriad circles. Their branding could forever carry an aura.

However, in other circles, though, they could be declared (to borrow that phrase from the film "John Wick 3" excommunicado. 

Smart global ghostwriting, with social networking know-know. Emergencies welcome. Complimentary consultation (pressure-free) janegenova374@gmail.com.

 

Drudge Brings Back Flashing Blue Light, "60 Minutes" Glues America's Eyeballs - Whistleblower, Fearful for Life, Under Federal Protection

Sunday probably will never again be embedded in the media mindset as a day of slow news.

Today, the Drudge Report, although conservative, brought back the flashing blue light for this development. And long-in-the-tooth "60 Minutes" glued America's eyeballs with its breaking news.

What that was all about is this: The Whistleblower, fearing for his or her life, currently is under federal protection. Here is the article the Drudge Report headline links to. Click it open and the video feed from "60 Minutes" begins playing. 

As the article and video feed kicks off time travel, we are reminded that this unraveling came into play last Tuesday. Power Democrat Nancy Pelosi announced there would begin an impeachment inquiry.

Those of a certain age lived through that. Institutions, ranging from government to universities whose faculty and students couldn't leave their TV screens, became paralyzed. It's predicted that, once again, that will happen. 

The inability to function could overtake those in the loop of Election 2020. 

The issue Man the Economic Animal frets about: Will this downsize GDP growth? And, what will the stock market open at Monday morning? 

Those near retirement are encountering new kinds of uncertainty.

Smart global ghostwriting, with social networking know-know. Emergencies welcome. Complimentary consultation (pressure-free) janegenova374@gmail.com.

 

Dog Fight in Law Enforcement Programming on Network TV - Will "Law & Order SVU" Be Mauled?

The 21st season of iconic "Law & Order SVU" is not off to a promising start.

Meanwhile there is a dog fight in the glut of law-enforcement programming on network television. Right now, watchers of that competitive arena wonder if that elite team, headed by Olivia Benson, will be mauled. 

The first episode was the second  ripped from the headlines play-out of the Harvey Weinstein allegations of sexual misconduct.

The plot for that one focused on an actual film producer.

The earlier one on an airline pilot.

In addition, the characterization of Benson was filled with excessive close-ups of empathy.

The ratings provide evidence that "Law & Order SVU" is off its game.

Overall, reports TV Series Finale, viewership for 9/26/2019 was down 24.61%. In the critical 18-45 demographic it had plunged 36.36%.

Ratings are important to those in the network TV loop. After all, that's how commercial space is sold.

The question is: Can this long-running series make it to a 22nd season?

On the one hand, the show is a sentimental favorite because the star Mariska Hargitay is involved in real life in being an advocate for rape victims. That was going on before #MeToo.

Also, although the #MeToo movement might have peaked and the issues can be overshadowed by the impeachment narrative, it still can influence decisions about TV programming.

On the other hand, viewers have other law enforcement teams to embrace by tuning in weekly. They range from "FBI" to "Chicago P.D." There can be a max on how much TV can be consumed. 

Also there is competition for attention from news analysis of impeachment, video games, and attending free seminars on how to protect the retirement nest egg in a downturn.

History demonstrates that when programming is off its game, the writers are forced to resort to bizarre plotting. We bore witness to that in the final days of "Desperate Housewives." 

Can "Law & Order SVU" put together a new game? That's always possible. Most of business owners do that more and more often. The actors on "Law & Order SVU" can push back against the lousy scripting and what the camera is panning and for how many seconds.

Smart global ghostwriting, with social networking know-know. Emergencies welcome. Complimentary consultation (pressure-free) janegenova374@gmail.com.

Impeachment Kicking Off New Golden Age of Comedy - Meanwhile, Politicos/Media Must Maintain High Gravitas

"SNL," along with Alec Baldwin, backbackback.

As the often critical Daily Mail salutes, the 45th season of up-and-down in the ratings and in the American heart "SNL" opened with a homerun.

The scripting and acting focused on the impeachment process resulting from the whistle blower complaint. The two main characters portrayed last night had been Donald Trump and Rudy Giulliani. Brilliantly, Baldwin, depicting Trump, captured the King Lear quality of self-pity. The U.S. president, under attack, perceived himself "harassed." That is, he saw himself as more sinned against than sinning.

In addition, late night talk shows also are working with great fresh material. The shift has been from naughty Trump-bashing to constitutional and world-affairs issues. 

American entertainment could be entering a new Golden Age of Comedy. Baby Boomers recall the genius of the creators and actors of old-line television ranging from "I Love Lucy" to "Mary Tyler Moore."  

That's one tribe. The other is the gravitas tribe. Members include politicos themselves such as Nancy Pelosi and those in the popular media like Matt Drudge.

Pelosi is center-stage. Every word, every facial gesture, and every bit of body language - all are open to comprehensive analysis and commentary. Humor has no place.

Already, Drudge is being closely observed for the amount of his conservative tabloid focused, surprisingly, on the impeachment issue. The last time he did that with The Intern it was to lash out at the liberals. Now Drudge has taken on the role of a type of Greek Chorus warning America what it is really into.

The raw reality of this kind of experience of impeachment is that it is siphoning off attention from everything from the candidates in Election 2020 to the corporation whose public relations in-house staff and outside agency are frantic because their news is being ignored. 

Impeachment is the story. When Princess Diana died, many weren't aware that Mother Teresa had also died six days afterward. Mother who? That brought home the way of the media world: There is only space for the story. And the ambitious media will stick with the story which attracts the most eyeballs, likes, shares, retweets, and shares. Diana's premature death remains a big story, one hovering over the new generations of royals. 

The challenge in fast-moving chaotic times is to understand what tribe you belong to. Most of legal media shouldn't be indulging in early-internet snark or more recent rant. And those on the comedy reservation have the unique shot at sustained fame and fortune. Use it or lose it.

Smart global ghostwriting, with social networking know-know. Emergencies welcome. Complimentary consultation (pressure-free) janegenova374@gmail.com.

 

 

" ... depression is a chronic disease that may ultimately prove fatal ..." - Jill Harper, M.D. in The New York Times

In The New York Times Jill Harper M.D. classifies clinical depression as a chronic disease.

She provides the analogy of cancer.

Yes, like cancer, it could go into remission. Some remain depression-free.

And, yes, like cancer, it also could go out of remission.

Her husband's depression, which had triggered a serious suicide attempt, went into remission for two decades. Then it went out of remission. He took his own life. 

This perspective of depression as a chronic condition can be helpful to lawyers. As it is well known, lawyers have a higher rate of psychiatric conditions such as depression than do those in the general population. 

Lawyers may or may not receive treatment. More often they self-medicate through substance abuse and other self-defeating tactics such as the excitement of embezzling. 

If they do receive treatment and later they find themselves slipping back into the darkness they might blame themselves. The cure should have held on, it is assumed. They must have done something wrong. The self-blame can worsen the mood disorder. 

It should be liberating to embrace that relapses back into depression can be part of the disease pattern. Instead of castigating themselves or being in denial, lawyers can give themselves permission to seek out help - yet again. 

Smart global ghostwriting, with social networking know-know. Emergencies welcome. Complimentary consultation (pressure-free) janegenova374@gmail.com.

 

ACLU of Southern California, Los Angeles - Communications

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