Hellerman Baretz Communications

SITUATIONA non-profit hospital located in a small town was being sued for alleged antitrust violations after it failed to grant work privileges to an orthopedic surgeon employed by an independent physicians group (IPG).The hospital's reasons for denying privileges were complicated and difficult to explain in short 15 second sound-bites.  Conversely, the IPG's messages were easy to understand and...

SITUATIONA national, home-warranty company faced a class-action law suit prompted over the way the company notified its customers of policy changes. The suit exposed the company to more than $225 million in damages.The company felt that the problem was caused by the confusing and ever-changing policies and regulations of the state's insurance regulators.The company was a market leader and feared...

SITUATIONOn behalf of his client, a partner in a Washington, DC law firm brought a $100 million suit against Corrections Corporation of America (CCA) and the District of Columbia's Department of Corrections regarding the death of the client's husband, an inmate at CCA's Youngstown, Ohio facility.The man, a minimum-security prisoner, was incorrectly placed among high security felons and had been...

The Government of Canada, troubled by an influx of smuggled cigarettes across its borders, filed a RICO suit against RJR Tobacco in a Syracuse, NY court.  HBC’s goal was to generate as much publicity about the case as possible in an effort to put RJR on notice that the Government would not tolerate its support of smuggled cigarettes into the country and educate Canadian citizens about the costs...

SITUATIONA partnership of pharmaceutical companies created to develop and distribute an early warning test for breast cancer was at risk because a physician who developed the test protocol was suing for higher royalties.Given the current amount the partnership was paying for the license, drug companies were making it possible for state agencies to provide the test to lower income women for free...