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Jonathan Groner, PR Specialist and Freelance Writer, has been named to the LMA Capital Chapter Hall of Fame for his longstanding service to the Chapter through Board and committee involvement, and for generously sharing his wisdom and expertise as a mentor to many Chapter members.  Over the past 10 years, Jonathan has served on the Capital Chapter Board from 2006 through 2009; as former Chair, and a current member, of both the Programming (2009) and Communications (2007-08) Committees; and is a frequent contributor to the LMA Capital Ideas Newsletter.  He currently leads a successful freelance public relations and content marketing practice through which he helps lawyers and law firms raise their profiles by drafting articles, planning and executing PR and marketing campaigns, drafting  and editing blog posts, and coaching lawyers on business development strategies. 

When he first joined LMA in 2004, Jonathan was working as a journalist covering federal courts and judicial nomination battles on Capitol Hill for Legal Times.  “I saw the members of LMA as potentially a great source of contacts who could help me get in touch with the right people at law firms,” he says.  When he left journalism in late 2004, his background as a former practicing attorney and many years of experience as a journalist gave him plenty of insight into both the law and media worlds, making his transition to in-house legal marketing a natural fit. 

After several years of gaining in-house experience at Womble Carlyle and Jenner & Block, and being active on the LMA Board and as Chair of both the Programming and Communications Committees, Jonathan decided that it was time to branch out on his own in 2009.  Initially, he spent a lot of time pitching his services to marketing department contacts he had met through LMA, which was instrumental to build his client base.  “I had been involved with LMA long before I became a consultant and needed the clients,” he says. “The contacts and camaraderie have been very beneficial to me.” 

When Jonathan started his freelance practice, his work was heavily weighted toward media outreach.  Since then, the landscape has changed.  “Ten years ago, if you wanted to show your expertise, you had to reach out to get something published by a media outlet,” he says. While he still provides traditional PR services, he says that “in today’s PR environment, it is very difficult to guarantee results for articles” because of the pressures of the 24-hour news cycle.  “Now, lawyers rightly understand that they can show their expertise more reliably by setting up blogs and publishing themselves.  The paradox is that lawyers are very busy and they don’t have the time.”  That’s where he comes in.  

Jonathan has earned the reputation of being a reliable and efficient ghostwriter, who can  produce informed content on nearly any legal topic.  In the past several years, he has written articles or blog posts on behalf of attorneys on the topics of social media law, white collar litigation, government contracts, food and drug regulation, insurance law, and bankruptcy, among others.  His biggest challenge has been convincing lawyers and legal marketing departments that the writing and content marketing services he provides are credible and appropriate, and that he is able to “assist the lawyers themselves on a consulting basis.”  

His J.D. from Columbia University School of Law and past experience as an Federal Trade Commission attorney investigating mergers and other corporate matters for possible antitrust violations have given him a good foundation to understand court decisions from a legal standpoint.  However, while helpful, he says “the law background isn’t essential.” “It is never a matter of knowing the very specific details of the law as well as the lawyers themselves do.  It is much more a matter of learning enough about a particular area to identify and call attention to interesting current topics and write about them in a well-informed way.”  

“Legal marketing is a profession of significance,” he says. “In today’s environment, marketing is just as important to lawyers and law firms as it is to major corporations. All the tools and techniques used in corporate marketing are just as important in the competitive law firm environment.”  Many who are new to legal marketing do understand the essential marketing techniques and the need for client development, as well as the unique pressures that are on law firm partners and associates.  However, “they will only ever begin to establish stature and credibility if they are able to understand the substance and are invested in what the law firm does. If they work at a specialized firm, they should understand the issues that are at play— the legal theories and decisions —enough to understand what the lawyers are talking about.”  He recommends, “If you have an assignment from a partner that involves a case that you don’t understand, go online and read up on it.  Ask questions to help you learn it so that you are able to communicate why it is important and how it impacts their clients’ businesses.”

When he isn’t in the office, you’ll find Jonathan walking Lola, his seven-year-old West Highland Terrier, around their Dupont Circle neighborhood, or exploring DC’s restaurant scene.  He also enjoys reading, playing Scrabble, and connecting with his Jewish background though his traditional, yet inclusive, prayer group.  

By Emily Flowers, Manager of Content Marketing and Communications for McDermott Will & Emery, for the November/December 2014 issue of the Capital Ideas Newsletter.