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Kathy O'Brien Senior Vice President Public Reputation and RankingsForLawyers™

About Kathy

Kathy brings more than sixteen years of experience encompassing both corporate and agency work, having been an in-house marketer and a publicist with agencies in New York and Connecticut. She understands both sides of the public reputation curve, as the client at the top, and the service provider helping customers get there. She clearly understands PR challenges and helps clients develop realistic and results-oriented solutions by applying agency and in-house expertise to achieve their goals. Through the years, she has developed an extensive network of media contacts and knows what will play with the press. Kathy also leads Jaffe PR’s RankingsForLawyers™ service, which helps firms cut through the clutter and determine how to get ranked on the “right” lists.

Kathy's breadth of skill in writing, researching, and developing story ideas, combined with her extensive media contacts and talent for keeping relations healthy and growing, makes her a vital asset to any client. Kathy’s clients have been covered by The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Business Week, CNN and other major media.

Early in her career at Jaffe PR, Kathy recognized the growing importance of industry rankings, surveys and lists to the law firms and lawyers we serve, and has become a resident expert on the management process of this building trend. As the Director of Jaffe PR’s RankingsForLawyers™ service, she works with legal marketers to craft solutions to manage this mounting task and has developed ways to circumvent pitfalls, and ensure that the focus remains on the lists that most effectively support overall business objectives.

Kathy joined a strong team as an account director at MadisonOnMain Communications where she worked with industry leaders such as General Nutrition Centers and PricewaterhouseCoopers. Kathy honed her skills in creating customized public relations programs specifically tailored for her clients to manage, promote, and extend their brands.

Kathy has been in your shoes. As the former media relations manager for United States Surgical Corporation she was tapped with the task of finding, hiring and managing outside public relations counsel – in addition to her day-to-day marketing duties – and implementing innovative communications programs. She knows what to look for and what makes a strong team.

Kathy earned her B.A., cum laude, in political science from Providence College, and also attended the Universidad de Salamanca in Salamanca, Spain. She is based in Connecticut.

Speaking Engagements:

  • "Capturing the Marketing Potential of Legal Rankings," Legal Marketing Association - Austin, October 5, 2011, Graves Dougherty, Austin, Texas.
  • "Capturing the Marketing Potential of Legal Rankings," Legal Marketing Association - Nashville City Group Chapter, September 26, 2011, Baker Donelson, Nashville, Tennessee.
  • “Lists & Rankings: Forming Your Strategy and Keeping Your Sanity,” Legal Marketing Association - Capital Chapter, July 14, 2011, Grand Hyatt, Washington, D.C.
  • “Comparing Legal Rankings,” Legal Marketing Association - New York Chapter - Business Development Special Interest Group, June 28, 2011, ALM Headquarters, New York.
  • “What Lawyers, Law Firms & Legal Marketers Need to Know About Directories and Rankings,” Legal Marketing Association - Los Angeles Chapter, June 3, 2011, The Standard Hotel.
  • “Evaluating the Investment and ROI from Pursuing Directories, Rankings and Other Related Opportunities,” National Legal Marketing Association Annual Conference, April 5, 2011, Disney Yacht & Beach Club Resorts, Orlando, Florida.
  • “Making the List:  Leveraging Legal Rankings, Surveys and Directory Listings,” Meritas, Latin American & Caribbean Regional Meeting, November 18-20, 2010, Atlantis Resort - Nassau, Bahamas.
  • “Law Firm Rankings – Part II - Are They Worth Your Time?” Legal Marketing Association webinar, November 16, 2010.
  • “Law Firm Rankings – Part I - Are They Worth Your Time?” Legal Marketing Association webinar, October 26, 2010.
  • “LinkedIn®, Facebook® and Twitter® Redux Continuing Impact of Online Social Media for Law Firms and Clients,” Hartford County Bar Association, May 12, 2010, HCBA Conference Center.
  • “Taking Control of the Rankings Process,” Legal Marketing Association - New York Chapter - Small Firm Special Interest Group, April 1, 2010, Fensterstock & Partners LLP.
  • “The Zen of Law Firm Rankings,” Legal Marketing Association - Virginias Chapter, September 15, 2009, the Omni Hotel, Richmond.
  • “Capturing the Marketing Potential of Law Firm Rankings,” Meritas, August 12, 2009, online webinar.
  • “Marketing in a Web 2.0 World,” Legal Marketing Association - Hartford City Group, March 25, 2009, Robinson & Cole.
  • “The Zen of Legal Rankings,” Legal Marketing Association - Hartford City Group, March 25, 2009, Robinson & Cole.
  • “How to Maximize Your Public Relations Efforts & Get "Ink" Legal Marketing Association Southern Connecticut City Group, June 3, 2008, Robinson & Cole.
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Law Firm Marketing Specialties

  • Influencing Public Perception by Counseling Clients on an Effective Mix of External Communications
  • Integrating New Practice Areas into Marketing Efforts and Rejuvenating Promotion for Mainstay Groups through Effective Media Placement
  • Serving as the “Go-to” Source for Rankings Strategy and Information
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