media people | media-savvy person | businessman | Lawyer

Why have you gone out of your way to be generous to media people?
In the Puff Daddy case, we were under a gag order during the trial and really couldn't talk. I'd come to court and there'd be 50 camera-crew people outside in the dead of winter, and I got to know a lot of them. I'd sometimes bring them donuts and coffee. It was more out of friendship and not looking to cultivate them. On the other hand, if you have friends in the media who will not go out of their way to slam you if given the choice, it's not a bad situation.

Is it wise to nurture the media?
I think I am a media-savvy person who has learned how to effectively deal with them. I've really had no choice but to learn how, especially with the notoriety of some of my clients. Great exposure and scrutiny come with these cases. I've learned the media can be a friend or a terrible enemy.


Absolutely. More than half of my time, I work on cases that nobody ever reads about. It's keeping people from being charged. It's convincing the government that either a crime was not committed, or, if one was technically committed, they will lose if they proceed. So we'll try to work out a civil resolution. That's some of the most successful work I've undertaken. There are about a hundred well-known people whom I've represented in investigations that were closed before they resulted in criminal prosecution. And nobody really knows they were on the verge of being destroyed.

What should a businessman or corporation look for in hiring a lawyer to handle a looming crisis situation?