Litigation Communications
The Herald Group is a public affairs firm specializing in litigation communications with over 20 years of experience managing high-stakes litigation PR programs and national legal reform campaigns, applying political campaign discipline to protect organizations before, during, and after a case.
THE PROBLEM
Litigation creates an immediate reputational risk that legal strategy alone cannot manage.
Litigation communications and legal strategy are not the same. A legal team manages what happens inside the courtroom. A communications firm manages what happens outside it — in the press, in public perception, and in the minds of the policymakers, regulators, consumers, and stakeholders who will form opinions about a company or an organization long before a verdict is reached, and stakeholders who will form opinions about an organization long before a verdict is reached.
Media coverage can establish a presumption of liability before the full story is understood. "David vs. Goliath" framing gives journalists limited incentive to report fairly and accurately. And the plaintiffs' bar has a sophisticated litigation PR playbook — using media coverage as a pressure tool to drive settlement and condition juries.
Companies and organizations without a proactive litigation communications strategy don't just lose the media narrative; it also makes the legal fight impossible to overcome.
The public reaches a verdict long before the jury does.
Matt Well
Partner at The Herald Group
WHAT WE DO
Innovative Strategies + Extensive Capabilities
THG is a full-service public affairs firm specializing in litigation communications and litigation PR—deploying integrated programs that manage and prevent reputational risk, shape public perception, and protect companies across the full arc of a legal proceeding, from pre-filing through verdict and beyond.
Our work does not always begin with a lawsuit, nor does it stop when a settlement occurs. The settlement of a lawsuit rarely means the end of the threat. Left unmanaged, a high-stakes case can leave behind a lingering toxic narrative that invites copycat lawsuits, fuels regulatory scrutiny, or causes permanent reputational damage.
By consistently and proactively sharing the right narrative and contextualizing the outcome, we ensure that stakeholders have the full, accurate story—insulating companies against future potential vulnerability and building long-term resilience.
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Litigation Threat Mapping & Risk Assessment
Effective litigation communications begins well before a case becomes public.
THG assesses and audits litigation risks, identifies the communications vulnerabilities most likely to generate negative coverage, and develops tailored strategies based on anticipated threats — so clients are positioned to respond before the first story runs rather than after.
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Strategy, Messaging & Ongoing Counsel
A legal strategy and a communications strategy are not the same thing.
THG develops the full strategic framework for litigation communications — positioning, core message development, and scenario planning across every stage of the legal proceeding. We provide ongoing strategic counsel as the case evolves, adjusting the communications posture in real time as legal developments, media coverage, and public perception shift.
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Materials Development & Media Preparation
When a reporter calls during a trial, there is no time to develop a response.
THG prepares the full range of communications materials needed to manage a litigation news cycle — talking points, Q&A documents, holding statements, press statements, backgrounders, and spokesperson preparation. Materials are developed for media cycles before, during, and after key case milestones, ensuring clients are never caught unprepared when coverage intensifies.
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Media Monitoring & Rapid Response
24/7 monitoring through AI Innovation.
THG monitors earned, legal, and trade media coverage of the case in real time — tracking what reporters are writing, what narratives are developing, and what the opposition is feeding into the media environment. We provide ongoing reporter engagement, rapid response strategy, and real-time adjustments to the communications posture as coverage evolves.
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Public Opinion Research & Stakeholder Engagement
Juries aren't the only audience that matters during litigation.
Understanding how the public and key stakeholders perceive a case is essential to shaping the litigation communications strategy. THG conducts research-driven public opinion analysis and develops targeted stakeholder engagement programs — reaching policymakers, regulators, industry allies, and community leaders who can influence how the case is understood beyond the courtroom.
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Third-Party & Ally Activation
A credible outside voice can carry significant weight.
The most credible voices in a litigation communications program are not the organization's own. THG identifies, recruits, and mobilizes credible third-party allies — advocacy organizations, industry groups, academic experts, and community leaders — whose voices add weight to the client's narrative and counter the opposition's framing in media and public discourse.
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Social Media and Narrative Monitoring
Real-time visibility into where the story is actually spreading.
THG monitors the narrative and social media in real time to track how a case is being discussed, who is driving the conversation, and where narratives are gaining traction outside traditional media. We flag emerging threats—viral posts, coordinated campaigns, plaintiff-bar messaging, influencer activity—and feed that intelligence directly into the litigation communications strategy, allowing clients to respond before a social narrative hardens into a media story.
Designed to Fit Your Needs
We protect reputation across the full arc of legal proceedings.
Litigation communications programs are most effective when they combine proactive narrative development, sustained media engagement, and coordinated third-party support.
Counter the Trial Bar's Playbook
THG's litigation communications programs are built specifically to counter the trial bar’s strategy with sustained, proactive communications.
Get Ahead of the Narrative
We map threats, develop messaging, and build a response infrastructure before the first story runs.
Ensure the Full Story is Told
THG ensures reporters have the full context — the facts, the background, and the organization's position — so coverage reflects more than one side of the case.
Protect Ongoing Business Operations
THG limits the spillover impact on customers, partners, regulators, and employees — protecting the business beyond the case itself.
Maintain Strategic Flexibility
THG provides ongoing strategic counsel that adjusts the communications posture in real time — ensuring the program stays aligned with the legal strategy as the case develops.
Our Team
Litigation communications is a specialized discipline that sits at the intersection of legal strategy, public affairs, and crisis communications. The organizations that navigate it most successfully treat it as a campaign.
Matt Well
Partner
Matt specializes in high-stakes litigation and legal reform communications, drawing on his experience as Director of Public Affairs for the SEC during its most active enforcement period on record.
Ashley Pratte Oates
Senior Vice President
Ashley specializes in crisis communications and brand reputation management, building the media strategy that protects organizations navigating high-profile litigation and public scrutiny.
Brooke Ainslie
Director
Brooke specializes in developing litigation communications strategy, analyzing news coverage and building the messaging that protects clients' reputations as a case unfolds.
Meet the Entire THG Team
Meet our entire team of political campaign mentalities, MBA acumen, and more.
