High-Stakes Communications

Holland & Knight's High-Stakes Communications Team includes highly experienced public affairs, crisis management, public relations and high-profile media relations strategists and operatives. We offer a multidisciplinary approach to initiatives that include risk management and reputation protection. Our practice concentrates on complex matters involving sensitive public relations issues in the United States and around the globe. Our clients include some of the world's most successful corporations, organizations and high-profile individuals.

Team Approach to Meeting Policy, Regulatory, Legal and Reputation Management Objectives

Our High-Stakes Communications Team offers experience that other PR teams do not, decades of daily interaction with organization leadership and their legal and regulatory teams while coordinating closely on communications efforts. Holland & Knight utilizes an efficient and integrated approach so that communications and legal efforts are complementary. This sort of collaboration, early on, results in messaging that is consistent with legal, regulatory and/or policy objectives and helps prevent embarrassment or damaged relationships with key reporters down the line. Alternately, our team can serve in a stand−alone role should a client's needs not include legal or policy-related help.

Enhancing Opportunities and Avoiding Problems

Holland & Knight's High-Stakes Communications Team includes veterans of a wide range of local, national and global public affairs, and policy and market positioning campaigns. Our team is comprised of former press secretaries, directors of communication, principals of leading public relations firms and governmental officials. We are sensitive to business concerns, legal issues and deadlines, therefore we operate with a keen awareness of the need to carefully balance each of these components.

What We Do

Whatever your communication objectives or challenges, Holland & Knight's High-Stakes Communications Team can help your organization define clear messaging and communications strategy to respond swiftly in the event of a crisis. Corporations, individuals, associations and nonprofit organizations rely on Holland & Knight for integrated service that includes:

• public affairs
• high-stakes communications strategy and message development
• policy reform public relations in the U.S. and around the globe
• reputation protection
• high-profile media relations and media rapid response
• public relations strategy and campaign implementation 
• expert ally development and ally advocacy
• data breach communications
• opinion research, message and credibility testing
• media resource and website development
• intelligence, opposition research and evidence gathering
• message discipline and media training
• social media strategy and implementation
• health, economic and environmental studies 
• litigation communications
• coding, coverage and payment ally advocacy
• product launch communications
• multimedia advocacy ads
• events and press conference management
• expert witness media spokesperson development

Strategy and Messaging

The Holland & Knight strategy and message development services include:

• data, intelligence and evidence gathering
• public opinion research, including message and credibility testing to inform communications and advocacy strategy
• communications and media relations strategy and plan development
• message and materials development, including statements related to high profile events and issue advocacy, drafting and producing advocacy materials, media advisories, and opinion editorials and congressional testimony
• identifying issue experts whose perspective is valued by decision-makers, the media and the public

Advocacy Campaign Management and Public Relations

Meeting policy objectives requires a strategic advocacy campaign to help a coalition, trade association or company achieve results. A critical component of any type of advocacy campaign is clear and concise messaging and balanced media coverage of the issues at stake for the public. Holland & Knight's High-Stakes Communications Team regularly runs inside-the-beltway, inside-state-capital and stakeholder advocacy campaigns. We have extensive experience in preparing spokespeople and serving as "press secretary" to ensure that messages and messengers resonate with decision-makers and in the court of public opinion. We offer clients full-service public relations to meet their policy, regulatory, market growth and market protection objectives.

Media Relations

Holland & Knight maintains strong contacts with the reporters, editors and producers at all types of media outlets ─ from online news sites and television broadcasters to printed newspapers and trade publications across the United States and around the world. These working relationships allow our High-Stakes Communications Team to provide access to key journalists and news agencies covering a wide range of issues at stake for governments, industries and the public.

Media and Witness Training

Communicating effectively and resonating with decision-makers and the public requires message discipline and preparation. Holland & Knight provides a variety of media relations-related training services, from preparing individuals for congressional testimony and court appearances to print and televised interviews and press conferences.

Crisis Communications

When businesses face a crisis and the camera is rolling, the lights are on you and the questions keep coming ─ how would your company fare under media scrutiny? Defining a clear strategy for communicating effectively can be the difference between a positive and a negative outcome ─ both in the glare of a sudden media spotlight and when planning a sustained communications campaign.

While we work with you proactively to identify potential vulnerabilities, if a crisis does emerge, our Crisis Management Team is poised to respond immediately. Holland & Knight's crisis-related communications services include reputation protection, spokesperson preparation, risk assessments, simulation exercises, high-profile media relations, vigilant mainstream and online media monitoring, and rapid response to inaccuracies or misleading information. Working collaboratively with you, we address all requirements of the situation, from litigation communications to congressional testimony.

Image and Reputation Management

Using tested strategies, we work with corporate and organization leadership to enhance the profile of their policy initiatives and image in capital markets and in local media markets. We assist in gaining a complete understanding of public perceptions and identify opportunities to communicate client messages effectively.

Event and Press Conference Management

Holland & Knight's team has years of experience planning events and press conferences for a wide range of audiences and media. We work with our clients to craft the right events to help deliver your messages appropriately.

Communications Strategy Enhanced by Industry Insight

While communication advice may be transferable across industries, we have substantial experience in:

• aviation
• chemical
• construction
• energy
• environment
• food safety and nutrition
• healthcare and life sciences
• media, sports and entertainment
• public health
• real estate and land use
• transportation and infrastructure