The Media Relations Manager reports to the Director of Communications and works closely with the Associate Director of International Operations and Business Development in London through a dottedline relationship to help coordinate various communication and business development initiatives. The Media Relations Manager needs to be a savvy, driven professional who can proactively identify promotional opportunities for the firm and will provide leadership and guidance in helping to develop a communications and public relations strategy to support lawyers in the firm’s London, Dubai, Dublin and Brussels offices. The professional also needs to be outgoing, someone who enjoys collaborating with lawyers, the firm’s global Communications team, and media professionals to craft and execute on messaging strategies.
Primary
- Helps further an integrated communications and public relations strategy that seeks high-level placements in a variety of media outlets and helps protect, build and enhance the firm’s departments. The successful candidate will develop a thorough understanding of all of the firm’s practice areas, clients and communications needs.
- Position the firm and attorneys in the media as thought leaders within the legal trade, industry media, business/financial press, including hosting press meetings and similar events.
- Work closely and collaboratively to develop strong relationships with the local partners and the local operations team, including HR/Talent, to ensure the key brand messages are incorporated into recruiting materials, internal communications and media-related activities.
- Manage and develop media relationships, maintains media contact lists, including editors and reporters. Fields inquiries from outside media and coordinates with firm attorneys on responses and interviews.
- Proactively research, identify and secure media opportunities for attorneys and practice groups. Research and draft attorney talking points for media interviews and participate in attorney media training as needed.
- Develop and sustain good relationships with key trade, national, international and legal journalists.
- Work with the lawyers to identify emerging trends and legal issues to capitalize on and suggest interactive and effective ways for lawyers to engage.
- Collaborate closely with the London Business Development team to support and maximize distribution of relevant content and work to increase thought leadership capabilities and presence in the media by partnering with attorneys to pitch and prepare new and thought-provoking articles related to the firm’s practices and clients.
- Work across the firm’s U.S.-based communications and digital teams to further develop our international content strategy, including relevant themes, third party placements, and paid content strategy.
- Help identify, draft, edit and otherwise participate in awards and directory submissions for the firm, practices and attorneys, as needed.
- Write, prepare, and place firm announcements, press releases, and other external marketing and advertising copy, as needed.
- Assist with firmwide crisis communications and internal executive communications.
- Serve as a liaison and provide oversight to the firm’s outside public relations agency.
Secondary
- Work closely with the International Practice Director in London to identify opportunities for communicating news and insights and to take the lead on drafting internal emails and communications.
- Work closely with the Director of Internal Communications to ensure a consistent message and narrative exists across the firm in written communications.
- Work with HR/Talent and London Associates to develop and to act as editor of the London office’s fortnightly newsletter.
- Measure and report on communication activities with the team to determine how the firm's reputation is reaching target audiences.
- Provide day-to-day management and guidance to Business Development, HR/Talent and office leadership ensuring that activities are in line with the overall culture and strategy.
- Encourage local partners to raise their personal profiles through the use of LinkedIn; offer best practice tips and guidance as needed.
- Support the U.S.-based Communications team with tactical responsibilities such as web content management and social content sharing as needed, due to time zone differences
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