Expand Your Role

In the world that we live in and practice the law in, the media; free, objective, unbiased or otherwise is not in the business of telling your side, your law firm's side or your client's side of; the story, your story or any story for that matter. It is in the business of selling papers and you just happened to provide grist for the mill. This leads to the following reality: the story will be told the way the media sees it and to be frank, you are quite content during other times when they provide you with so-called objective, unbiased opinion. Now imagine your client is the current embattled governor of Lagos state, Akinwunmi Ambode who is being called all sort of names. As his legal advisers you have to give a position to right the wrong as you see it to his dedication and service. What to do? The rules of engagement mean you must look at history for similar cases and what worked in those cases a d how you can apply them to the current dilemma and do remember that in his age of the free press, censoring may not always work.
The point of this example is, what is your legal advisory approach to publicity debacles other than waiting to sue and placing an ad in the paper? How can you anticipate and be on top of the situation, form solid partnerships with key stakeholders in the client account so you can funnel your value add, legal and otherwise to manage the situation. Prima facie, it does not have the appearance of litigation but you cannot fold your hands while your client gets creamed, however remote the situation is from your legal expertise, unless folding your hand is the strategy. This kind of situation will fall under your scope as a client adviser and not a mere legal expert for hire and if your law firm does okay and makes a truly valued contribution be it hand holding, offering support, ideas, general context, it most certainly will lead to you being seen as more than 'legal' and you will conceivably be part of decision level conversations with a full seat at the table and not merely receiving instructions down the pike.
In the event that this wide-level approach to practising the law seems like meddling, a word of advice, you really have to keep expanding your role, taking on responsibilities that are above your pay grade so you are well positioned as a firm for a long term profitable future with the said client. Or as it is said, I be lawyer, trouble na my work.