In the News

Zen & the Art of Legal Networking
Use Editorial Focus & Insights to Create Content that Gets Noticed
Lindsay Griffiths recaps a recent webinar by John Hellerman and JD Supra's Adrian Lurssen about creating captivating, editorial-worthy content to help credential firms and their attorneys as thought leaders.

Above the Law (April 18, 2012)
Dewey Have Room For Incoming Associates? Or Overseas Offices?
John Hellerman discusses recent partner departures at Dewey LeBouef and the firm's branding crisis.

Chief Executive Magazine (April 6, 2012)
Goldman Sachs: A Cautionary Tale in Branding
John Hellerman discusses the recent Goldman Sachs op-ed as a branding lesson for corporate America.

HBC Expands to West Coast, Hires Sharon Liang (April 4, 2012)
Former Daily Journal Editor Opens Los Angeles Office
Seasoned editor and attorney expands agency presence to the West Coast, joining the team as a Senior Account Executive.

Virginia Lawyer's Weekly (March 26, 2012)
Use 'Branded Content' to Distinguish Your Firm
Mike Gray and Andrew Ryan offer advice on how individual attorneys and practice groups can distinguish themselves to potential clients in an increasingly competitive market.

Bulldog Reporter (March 19, 2012)
Goldman Sachs's "Tylenol Moment" — Examining the Long-Term Impact Of Greg Smith's Op-Ed
John Hellerman is featured in a Q&A with Bulldog Reporter on the communications and PR fallout Greg Smith's op-ed.

PRWeek (March 15, 2012)
Focus on Employees, Industry Experts Tell Goldman Sachs
John Hellerman talks to PRWeek about the lessons from Greg Smith’s now-infamous retirement message to Goldman Sachs.

Law360 (March 12, 2012)
Why Communications is Key to Merger and Lateral Success
With a hot lateral market and a surge in law firm mergers, John Hellerman explains why firms should be paying attention to the critical role of communications.

Law360 (February 17, 2012)
Law School, Meet Litigation PR...
Spencer Baretz explores recent probes into law school employment data, offering litigation PR tips for embroiled institutions.

Jason Milch Joins HBC (February 1, 2012)
Veteran Communications Pro Joins Team as Senior Vice President
Based in Chicago, Milch will continue an esteemed career managing communications campaigns for the legal and financial industries.

Marketing the Law Firm (February 2012)
It’s Not Social Media, It’s a Referral Generator
John Hellerman explores the challenges underpinning lawyers' hesitancy to embrace social media and promotes the powerful business development uses these tools offer.

Hellerman Baretz Communications’ Blog Named Best By Bulldog Reporter (January 30, 2012)
“Sound Bites” Blog Takes Gold Award
Bulldog Digital/Social PR Awards honors HBC's Sound Bites blog as its top agency blog of the year.

Law Practice Management (January/Februrary 2012)
When to Engage (or not) in the Social Media Conversation
HBC's John Hellerman and Rudy Burwell discuss how law firms and other corporate brands should use social media if their reputations come under attack.

Hellerman Baretz Communications Promotes Stalwart Team Members (December 19, 2011)
HBC Promotes Andrew Ryan and Kelsey Nason to New Positions
Andrew Ryan, a former Senior Account Executive who was recently named one of PR News’ “15 to Watch,” has been made an Account Supervisor, and Kelsey Nason, formerly an Account Executive, is now a Senior Account Executive.

Forbes Names Viveka von Rosen a Top-Ten Female Influencer in Social Media and Marketing (December 19, 2011)
Study Conducted by Forbes Tech Columnist finds von Rosen has 1,123 Times the Social Pull of Average Twitter User
HBC's Director of Social Media was named by Forbes tech columnist Haydn Shaughnessy as one of the most influential woman in social media and marketing, joining Ann Handley, Chief Content Officer at MarketingProfs and Facebook marketing expert Mari Smith on the list.

HBC Honored by Legal Times (December 6, 2011)
Hellerman Baretz Communications Named “Best PR Firm” by Legal Professionals in “Best of Legal Times” Survey
The publication's readers also name HBC as "Top Social Media Consultancy" and a "Top-Three Crisis Communications Firm." HBC adds the honor to a growing list of awards in 2011.

Viveka von Rosen Quoted in PRWeek (December 6, 2011)
PRWeek Gets App Development Insight from Hellerman Baretz Communications’ Social Media Trainer Viveka von Rosen, Other Top Experts
HBC's Director of Social Media Training Viveka von Rosen joins several social media experts in a PRWeek panel discussing the importance of mobile apps for corporate brands.

PRWeek (December 1, 2011)
Master Class: For brands seeking to make an impact, is creating an app always the best plan?
Viveka von Rosen, HBC's Director of Social Media Training, joins Rishi Dave, Executive director of online marketing for Dell, Graham Gunn, SVP, digital creative director for MSLGroup, Jared Hendler, EVP, global director of digital and creative services for MWW Group, and Scott Monty, Global digital communications manager for Ford on a PRWeek panel discussing apps for corporate brands.

Rock the World with LinkedIn (November 20, 2011)
Networking with LinkedIn without Advertising or Marketing (Interview is from 00:7:00 until 00:23:00)
HBC's John Hellerman and Viveka von Rosen speak with Lori Ruff and Mike O'Neil about how they help professionals present themselves on LinkedIn.

Law360 (October 28, 2011)
Avoiding Client Reference Fatigue During Awards Season
In addition to the burdens and resource challenges that awards place on legal marketing professionals, they also bring an unwanted and dangerous trend—client reference fatigue. HBC's Andrew Ryan and Mike Gray explain how to strategically and smartly manage their firms' awards.

Profiles in Success (October 2011)
John Hellerman's Executive Leadership Profile
HBC's John Hellerman is profiled in an exclusive, new book featuring stories from Washington-area small business owners.

PR Daily (October 5, 2011)
PR and Media Relations Lessons from a War Zone
Rudy Burwell shares lessons learned from the Iraq War and how they relate to everyday PR pros.

Retired Army Colonel Rudy Burwell Joins Hellerman Baretz (September 21, 2011)
Combat-Proven Leader to Head HBC's Crisis Communications and Litigation Public Relations Practice
Former Director of Army Reserve Communications brings over 20-plus years of management and crisis-communications experience to HBC's award-winning practice.

HBC Partners with Top LinkedIn Trainer Viveka von Rosen (September 15, 2011)
“Cool Coaching” Sessions Offer Social Media Training to Professional Service Providers
Von Rosen to become HBC’s Director of Social Media Training and will lead the delivery of  “Cool Coaching” social-media seminars to law firms, practice groups, and individual lawyers.

DEMO Magazine (September 2011)
John Hellerman Profiled as One of Columbia College's 2011 Alumni of the Year
Columbia alum John Helleman ('95) is profiled as one of the College's three "Alumni of the Year," having been honored for remarkable ingenuity, ambition, and achievements.

Bulldog Reporter Honors HBC (August 29, 2011)
HBC Named Top Boutique Specialty PR Agency of the Year
Bulldog Reporter’s “Stars of PR” awards honored HBC as the top Boutique PR Agency of the Year with a Specialty Practice.

Bloomberg Law Reports (July 2011)
What Real Estate Can Teach About Effective Law Firm Award Submissions
HBC's Spencer Baretz, Mike Gray, and Andrew Ryan discuss how law firm marketers can learn a lot from those in the real estate business when it comes to successful award submissions.

ALA Delaware Chapter Newsletter (June 2011)
Using Public Relations to Build Attorneys' Individual Brands and Drive Business
If GCs hire lawyers, not law firms, shouldn't firms be focused on marketing their indvidual attorneys? HBC's Cari Brunelle discusses the importance of developing attorneys' individual brands using PR.

Law360 (June 24, 2011)
How To Make It Rain By Marketing Individual Lawyers
Sales guru Steve Bell of Womble Carlyle and HBC's John Hellerman tell Law360 why firms should be marketing individual attorneys.

PRWeek (May 6, 2011)
Taco Bell's game-changing litigation PR strategy
HBC's Spencer Baretz discusses how Taco Bell's "outside the bun" response to a recent lawsuit has impacted its litigtion PR strategy.

LFMP/HBC Salary & Social Media Survey (April 12, 2011)
Survey Says: Salaries Jumping for Legal Media Professionals
HBC teamed up with the Law Firm Media Professionals (LFMP) for our second annual Law Firm Media Professionals/Hellerman Baretz Communications Salary & Social Media survey of legal media professionals.

ABA Journal (March 20, 2011)
Howrey Branding Efforts Should Have Targeted Its Own Lawyers, Its Ex-Marketer Says
John Hellerman's Law360 piece "Five Marketing Lessons from Howrey's Graveside" is discussed by the ABA Journal.

Virginia Lawyer's Weekly (March 28, 2011)
Done right, social media a powerful tool for lawyers
HBC Senior Account Executives Mike Gray and Andrew Ryan provide tips for lawyers to effectively-and efficiently-use social media to gain powerful business development benefits.

Law360 (March 21, 2011)
Five Marketing Lessons from Howrey's Graveside
John Hellerman's recent Law360 article - one of the most-viewed articles on Law360 ever shows  what the demise of Howrey tells us about the marketing of lawyers and firms.  Namely: although firms tend to think of themselves as the relevant "brand" to be marketed to clients, they aren't.

PRWeek Names HBC Top-Five Boutique Agency (March 16, 2011)
PR Industry's Leading Awards Honor HBC as Top Agency in the Country
PRWeek honors HBC as one of the top five boutique PR agencies in the country at an awards ceremony held in New York.

HBC Teams with Reputation.com (March 8, 2011)
New Service will Defend Lawyers' and Law Firms' Online Reputations
Hellerman Baretz Commmunications announces a new partnership with Reputation.com to provide its clients with a suite of online reputation management services tailored specifically for attorneys and law firms.

Bloomberg Law Reports (December 2010)
Blogging for a City
Important lessons can come from unlikely places: Mars and Venus, a block of cheese, or the end of the sidewalk. For law firms considering whether to start a blog-or wondering how
to get an existing blog on the right track, John Hellerman and JD Supra's Adrian Lurssen look to another improbable source of inspiration: a mountaintop in South Africa.

LMA Your Honor Awards (December 6, 2010)
DC LMA's First "Big Idea" Award Goes to Hellerman Baretz Communications
Hellerman Baretz Communications was honored with the LMA Capital Chapter's first annual "Your Honor" Award for "big idea." HBC took home the award for an innovative event it conceived and staged in conjunction with the release of the 20th Century Fox film Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps.

Law360 (November 24, 2010)  
The Content Marketing Revolution
John Hellerman and Adrian Lurssen of JD Supra extol the benefits of content marketing in their recent article for Law360.

Legal Marketing Association (November 18, 2010)
"Stepping out of the PR Box: Using Non-Traditional Communications Tactics to Achieve Success"
HBC's Mike Gray and Andrew Ryan spoke to members of the Legal Marketing Association: Nashville City Group about using non-traditional communications tactics to help credential attorneys and achieve business development goals. The presentation focused on the development of alliances, using social media effectively and taking advantage of industry focused awards and rankings.

LMA Virginias Chapter Newsletter (November 2010)
Public Relations Update: Utilizing PR Initiatives to Achieve Business Development Goals
Andrew Ryan explains the importance of an often overlooked aspect of successful
business development plans: the role of public relations. He explains why now, more than ever, firms should be focused on strategically designed and properly implemented PR campaigns to help achieve a their business development goals.

MarCom Awards (November 1, 2010)
Hellerman Baretz Wins Prestigious Platinum and Gold Awards
HBC was honored with the marketing and communications industries' highest honor-a MarCom Platinum Award-for a groundbreaking social media campaign. In addition, HBC won a Gold Award for outstanding media relations work.

National Law Review (October 29, 2010)
No Longer an Option: Social Media Policies are Necessary for Law Firms
Senior Account Executive Andrew Ryan takes a closer look at why law firms cannot ignore social media and the growing need for clear and robust policies to protect themselves and and their reputations.

Cari Brunelle Joins HBC (October 13, 2010)
Veteran PR Consultant Cari Brunelle Joins Hellerman Baretz Communications
Cari Brunelle - a 10-year PR veteran - joins HBC as a Senior Vice President.  Brunelle has provided strategic PR counsel to dozens of AmLaw 200 law firms while at Jaffe PR.

Legal Marketing Association (October 12, 2010)
"Your Firm and the Media: How to Gain Media Exposure without Supersizing Your Budget","
HBC's Mike Gray spoke to members of the Legal Marketing Association: The Virginias Chapter about the importance of securing beneficial media exposure for firms. Building off of his experiences in-house, Mike shared a variety of best practices for in-house communications professionals as they undertake their media outreach campaigns.

Inc. Magazine (September 14, 2010)
HBC Named to Inc. 5,000 List for Third Consecutive Year
Hellerman Baretz Communications was named to Inc. magazine's prestigious annual list of the 5,000 fastest-growing companies for the third consecutive year. HBC ranked in the top half of the Inc. results as the country's 1,773rd fastest-growing private company and the 174th fastest-growing Advertising & Marketing firm in the nation.

Mike C. Gray Joins HBC (July 8, 2010)
Experienced PR Pro Mike C. Gray Joins Hellerman Baretz Communications
Mike C. Gray, a Biglaw PR veteran, joins Hellerman Baretz's Richmond office.  Formerly a Communications and Business Development Specialist at Williams Mullen, Gray becomes a Senior Account Executive.

Executive Leader's Radio (July 1, 2010)
John Hellerman's Interview (Interview is from 00:14:30 until 00:25:55)
Write-Up from Executive Leader's Radio
John Hellerman shares his perspectives on successful leadership from his nearly 20-year career in PR with Executive Leaders Radio, a unique forum for prominent DC-area CEOs, COOs, CFOs, CIOs and Presidents.

National Law Review (May 5, 2010)
X-Ray Vision and the Law Firm
From Above the Law to the The American Lawyer to an unprecedented upsurge in lateral moves, John Hellerman explores the driving factors behind law firm transparency in a National Law Review article.

Law360 (March 23, 2010)
Marketing-Savvy Partners Have Edge In Lateral Race
Why are attorneys with a savvy for marketing and business development winning in the lateral race? John Hellerman weighs in on this fascinating new trend in law firm recruiting.

Law360 (March 18, 2010)
Firms Must Wise Up To Digital Marketing
John Hellerman is quoted in a recent Law360 article on why law firms need to embrace digital marketing.  John provides invaluable tips for simplifying the process of integrating social media into one's repoitoire and discusses the opportunities Web 2.0 provides for law firms.

Law360 (March 11, 2010)
Social Media: Give 'Em Something To Talk About
As a guest columnist for Law360, John Hellerman takes a closer look at the power of social media as a business development tool. Today's social media tools (Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, etc.) are neither as magical nor fear-inspiring as they may seem. They are merely new - sometimes better - ways of doing old things. And the real benefit to PR professionals is that they make our traditional work product more valuable than ever.

Hellerman Baretz Communications Honored by PR News (February 2, 2010)
Hellerman Baretz Communications Wins PR News Award for Outstanding Media Relations Work During Litigation
A consistent leader in helping its clients preserve their reputations during times of crisis, HBC is honored by PR News for its media relations work on behalf of a client embroiled in a high-profile crisis situation.

Crisis & Litigation Communicators' Alliance Launches (November 16, 2009)
Premier PR Firms Launch First International Communications Network for Litigation and Corporate Crises
In today's world, business takes place globally - and so do PR challenges.  To address this market trend, HBC partners with five prominent litigation PR firms from Austria, Germany, Switzerland, and the UK, forming an international network to provide clients with seamless crisis and litigation communications support as needed around the globe.

MarCom Awards (November 5, 2009)
Hellerman Baretz Communications Receives Prestigious 2009 MarCom Gold Award for Communication Planning
HBC is awarded a prestigious MarCom Gold Award for its work on behalf of the law firm of Weil Gotshal & Manges.  HBC created a PR-based communications plan to raise awareness of Weil Gotshal's pro bono work to secure veterans' benefits that resulted in a three-part feature series in American Legion Magazine and helped influence Congressional policy on veterans' funding.

PR News (October 13, 2009)
Andrew Ryan of Hellerman Baretz Communications Honored by PR News
Andrew Ryan is honored by PR News as one of the top 15 PR pros under 30. Andrew is recognized for his extraordinary work on behalf of HBC's clients, including Supreme Court litigators, a top plaintiffs' law firm, and a leading economic consulting firm. At just 25, his media relations work has garnered increased visibility and significant media exposure for his clients, often resulting in new business opportunities for them.

ABA Law Practice Magazine (September17, 2009)
Hellerman Baretz Communications recognized for its work with Ford & Harrison
HBC gets a shout out from the ABA Law Practice Magazine for helping client Ford & Harrison stand out from its competitors during tough economic times.  HBC helped the firm create the groundbreaking blog "That's What She Said," a tongue-in-cheek dissection of The Office, which puts a litigation price tag on the antics of the show's characters.

Inc. Magazine (August 19, 2009)
Hellerman Baretz Communications Named One of America's Fastest-Growing Private Companies by Inc. Magazine and Grabs Spot in Top 100 Advertising & Marketing Firms
Hellerman Baretz is named one of America's fastest-growing private companies, grabbing a spot in the top 100 advertising and marketing firms. HBC is ranked as the 1,114th fastest-growing company in America, improving on its 2008 ranking by more than 800 places. Over the last three years, HBC has grown at a rate of 281 percent, doubling the median three-year growth of the standout advertising and marketing firms in the Inc. 5000.

Bulldog Reporter (July 29, 2009)
Hellerman Baretz Communications Hires Ford as Senior Account Supervisor
Bulldog Reporter features John Ford's move to HBC in its Agency News section. John, previously Managing Editor of Legal Bisnow and a former attorney, joins the firm as a senior account supervisor.

John Ford Joins HBC (July 21, 2009)
John Ford, Managing Editor of Legal Bisnow, Joins Hellerman Baretz Communications
John Ford, the former managing editor of the popular Washington, DC e-newsletter, Legal Bisnow, and former attorney at Wilmer, Cutler & Pickering (now WilmerHale), joins the firm as a senior account supervisor. John will be responsible for crafting and implementing strategic communications programs for HBC's clients.

The Lawyers Weekly (July 17, 2009)
Helen Bertelli quoted in Lawyers Weekly article on social media
Helen Bertelli is quoted in this week's Lawyers Weekly about how lawyers can leverage social media to build and expand their practices. 

Darden CFO Roundtable (May 14, 2009)
John Hellerman participates in Darden Business School Strategic CFO Roundtable
John Hellerman joins other leading Washington, DC area CFOs to share experiences and lessons learned in their roles as top financial officers.  The quarterly Strategic CFO Roundtables are organized by ILEX Leadership Associates, facilitated by Prof. Ken Eades of the University of Virginia's Darden Graduate School of Business, and hosted by the McGuireWoods law firm.