Kevin Catalano is a copywriter/editor in the Kansas City office of Husch Blackwell LLP, a full-service litigation and business law firm with attorneys in 14 locations across the United States and in London. Kevin joined Husch Blackwell in 2011. Before that, he was a journalist. Kevin worked at 13 newspapers, including The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the St. Petersburg Times, The Kansas City Star and The Seattle Times. He taught editing and newspaper design for seven years at the University of Missouri School of Journalism and has led writing and editing workshops for more than 500 reporters and editors at newspapers across the country. Kevin holds an M.A. in journalism from The Ohio State University and a B.J. from the University of Missouri-Columbia.
Q: As a long-time former journalist, what suggestions do you have for legal marketing professionals who handle public relations, in terms of best practices for pitching stories to reporters and for media relations?
A: Two important words: responsiveness and honesty. Reporters, no matter what medium, are ruled by deadlines. Therefore, they might have a question about your law firm or need access to an attorney outside of normal business hours. Be ready for their inquiries by providing your cell phone number and then quickly returning their calls.
In addition, be authentic. Maintain an honest relationship with the reporter. Give forthright responses even if the answer is “no comment.” Thus, you both could benefit in this symbiotic relationship.
Q: What other general advice do you have for legal marketing professionals who handle public relations?
A: If you don’t cut through the clutter, then you’re creating more work for the reporter or writer. Thus, press releases must be clear, concise, informative and absent of legal terms and jargon. Facilitate the journalists’ information-gathering process by including attorney quotes in the news release and thorough explanations of the genesis, the process and the results from the completed litigation or business transaction that is being highlighted in the release.
Q: What practices and skills from your journalism career have served you best in your role as copywriter/editor?
A: Without a doubt, my two biggest disciplines are verification and grammar. Writing content for attorney biographies, advertising copy, marketing brochures or any other collateral necessitates continual verification of information. Even when proofreading printed marketing material, I’m engaging in verification – checking telephone numbers, email and snail-mail addresses, spelling of names and other “facts.” Failure to be accurate undermines our credibility in the eyes of the attorneys and the firm’s clients.
In terms of grammar, I sometimes feel as if I’m fighting a losing battle. For instance, every time someone violates an adjective in “more importantly” or thinks that “begs the question” means “raises the question,” I want to scream. But I won’t give up in maintaining good grammar for precise communication, no matter how much the Internet and television abuse the English language.
Q. What has been the most challenging adjustment you’ve had to make in moving from a journalist to a legal marketing professional?
A: While I’ve written editorials and personal columns for newspapers as a journalist, I’m now fully immersed in an advocacy role for Husch Blackwell and no longer an impartial observer. The world of legal marketing – from brand consistency to effective messaging to consumer engagement – is my new, creative outlet. And I’m getting a big kick out of it.
Q: Attorney biographies are valuable marketing tools, and you write a lot of them. Of course, they can take a long time to write. What have you found to be the most efficient method for writing a new biography? How about for editing an existing biography?
A: Exhaustive research and information gathering is crucial before having a sit-down with an attorney who has requested a complete overhaul of his or her biography. Just as reporters will plunge themselves into the background of an interview subject before talking with the target, I discover all I can about an attorney in order to ask specific questions. Well-written bios must be drawn from a well filled with detailed and unique information gathered from each attorney. This is why some of my interviews with attorneys have exceeded two hours. Their time is valuable, and I want to use it wisely and productively in the questions I ask. For the editing of bios, I draw heavily on what I mentioned before: verification and grammar.
Q: What are your goals in writing or editing attorney biographies?
A: My goals are precision, clarity and distinctiveness. I want to tell the attorney’s legal story and personal story in a sophisticated and engaging manner, with a minimum of legalese, abbreviations and acronyms. The LMA Midwest Chapter’s “Bio CPR” presentation from October 2012 was spot-on when it addressed the gulf between “what lawyers put in their biographies” and “what clients look for in lawyer biographies.”
Q: You write an internal publication at Husch Blackwell called, “Victory Alert.” Can you tell us about it and how it came about?
A: Last year, in order to foster a cultural “glue” across our wide-ranging firm, a sort of esprit de corps, the “Victory Alert” process was launched. This electronic communication tool distributes internally to all 13 of our domestic offices on a frequent basis and celebrates the firm’s recent litigation wins and business deals. It acknowledges the contributions of all team members – attorneys, litigation support, paralegals, administrative assistants, etc. – to each success. We also created a victory database that collects all of these successes into a searchable format. The “Victory Alerts” have been warmly received across the firm.
Q: You’re an avid runner, but it wasn’t always necessarily so. Can you explain how you got into running?
A: That’s an interesting story. I was never athletic in high school or college, but during my early professional career I landed a position with an afternoon newspaper. Not being a morning person, and forced to begin work at 7 a.m., I took up jogging to “jolt” myself into my day. I started with just a few blocks and, unexpectedly, found that I enjoyed the running experience. It became a source of pleasure and reward, not an obligation. Running clears my mind and reduces stress. God willing, I’ll do it forever.
Q: What else do you do in your free time?
A: My wife and I are avid movie watchers and travelers. With so much of the world left to explore, we’ll never be at a loss of where to visit. One of our favorite destinations is Vancouver, British Columbia, where we’ve been three times.