Netting global coverage and industry recognition for a three-attorney Florida litigation boutique

Ehrenstein|Sager is a highly regarded, three-attorney litigation boutique in Coral Gables, Florida. The firm defends sovereign governments against claims on U.S. soil and represents companies, investors and high-net-worth individuals in complex U.S. and cross-border litigation. The firm’s clients often retain Ehrenstein|Sager to handle high-stakes cases with millions or billions in damages on the line. 

Challenge

As a small firm punching far above its weight, Ehrenstein|Sager knew its work deserved wider attention. The firm’s founding partners particularly wanted to develop a broader awareness among prospective clients, referral sources and industry peers. They agreed that increased media coverage, along with strategic rankings and award wins, would help position the firm as an equally effective and efficient BigLaw alternative. The firm also saw increased media attention and awards as a way to get on the radar of the general counsel and high-net-worth clients they were targeting.

To do this, Ehrenstein|Sager needed a clear roadmap — and an experienced legal PR and content agency to serve as a trusted guide. After their outside business consultant reviewed several options, Ehrenstein|Sager chose Reputation Ink as their partner.

At the outset of the engagement, our legal PR team met individually with Ehrenstein|Sager’s attorneys in discovery calls to gather the information we needed to develop an overarching strategy for our work. We asked detailed questions about the firm’s current market position, competitors, work, industry niches, ideal clients and more. Based on those discussions and our own industry, media and awards knowledge, we created a plan with specific goals and tactics for each attorney and the firm. 

The firm’s managing partner wanted to grow his practice with sovereign governments and businesses in Africa and bring attention to a high-profile litigation matter he was handling for the government of Angola. 

• Our approach: We developed a thought leadership strategy, offering him as a source to reporters on the firm’s cases and trending developments in international law. We also sought opportunities with podcasts aimed at a potential client and referral audience, particularly showcasing his knowledge on Africa-specific and cross-border law topics.

A civil litigation partner sought to parlay his recent Wharton certification in the Economics of Blockchain and Digital Assets into more client representations with Web 3.0 companies. He also wanted more referrals from lawyers unfamiliar with crypto asset discovery. Although this attorney was open to different media opportunities, he preferred more control over his points and messaging. 

• Our approach: Our team focused on bylined article opportunities, allowing this partner to share his insights in a controlled environment without off-the-cuff questioning. We also offered support and one-on-one coaching for relevant podcast appearance opportunities.

The firm’s transportation law attorney, who previously worked as an assistant general counsel with the Florida Department of Transportation, wanted to leverage her state agency background to build her profile with transportation sector clients.

• Our approach: We developed bylined article and interview source pitches highlighting the attorney’s transportation experience and identified media outlets that would get her in front of potential clients and referral sources. 

Firmwide support

In addition to promoting its individual lawyers, Ehrenstein|Sager tasked Reputation Ink with identifying key awards and rankings the firm should apply for, including Chambers USA and Benchmark Litigation. The firm also sought a profile that would highlight its impressive successes as a three-lawyer firm from Coral Gables. 

• Our approach: We assisted the firm with preparing submissions for Chambers USA, Benchmark Litigation, Lawdragon and other rankings. We provided guidance on the process and research methodologies for these submissions, including advising the firm on choosing matters to showcase, writing effective descriptions, and identifying references if applicable. We also developed pitches outlining the firm’s work and impressive results we planned to send to national legal trades.

Reputation Ink helped Ehrenstein|Sager secure important media opportunities and award recognitions that significantly raised its profile with potential clients and referral sources. 

For the firm, our team successfully netted awards and coverage that brought Ehrenstein|Sager’s accomplishments, global footprint and collaborative culture to the forefront. These included: 

• Securing a Law360 Pulse feature on Ehrenstein|Sager’s work culture, highlighting how the firm’s efficient case management and global connections allow partners to fully service the firm’s varied clients. Law firm profiles are often more difficult to place since most editors prefer news-driven content.

• Placing the firm in Chambers USA Regional Spotlight: Florida, a section of the respected guide that highlights firms on the rise.

• Successfully submitting the firm for the Daily Business Review’s first-ever Watch List,  which singled out Florida firms working on interesting matters.

For the law firm’s managing partner, we secured opportunities that helped bring third-party credibility to his already-noteworthy background. These included: 

• A prominent mention in the Am Law Litigation Daily’s widely read Litigators of the Week column for helping the Angolan government avoid more than $1 billion in liability in a case before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.

• Interviews with the National Law Journal and Daily Business Review on his representation of the Angolan government in New York and Washington, D.C. federal court actions.

• Inclusion in the 2023 Lawdragon 500 Global Litigators and 2024 500 Best Litigators in America guides, which ranked the founding partner alongside attorneys from BigLaw firms.

• A Best Mentor honor and an invitation to the Daily Business Review’s Florida Awards event, which helped facilitate business connections with influential area attorneys.

• A bylined article in an Africa-based publication widely read by the continent’s politicians and decision-makers. 

• Multiple appearances on the D.C. Bar Association’s Brief Encounters podcast. These led to work for the firm on a case in collaboration with the podcast’s host.

• An introduction to the organizers of an oil and gas conference on the African continent that attracted government officials.

For Ehrenstein|Sager’s civil litigation partner, we nurtured media relationships that allowed him to build a niche reputation for his mainstream crypto litigation experience. We achieved this through a mix of podcast appearances and articles, including: 

• An appearance on The Crypto Conversation, a podcast from Brave New Coin that has featured Web 3.0 startup founders and executives.

• A series off our columns in Law360 that showcased the attorney’s knowledge of digital assets discovery, metaverse gaming and the Corporate Transparency Act’s impact on crypto asset discovery. His first article on digital assets discovery ranked among the most widely read on Law360 during the week of its publication and led to a CLE course invitation and networking opportunity.

• A Spanish-language column in BeInCrypto that showcased the lawyer’s crypto experience to a new demographic.

For Ehrenstein|Sager’s transportation law attorney, we secured trade publication opportunities that spotlighted her deep knowledge of transportation law. These included:

• An article opportunity in SupplyChainBrain, an outlet that caters to transportation industry executives and stakeholders.

• A law review-style article for The Transporation Lawyer, the official publication of the Transportation Lawyers Association.

Each of these opportunities increased Ehrenstein|Sager's exposure to its target potential clients, allowing the firm to leverage its significant casework into invaluable publicity opportunities that will benefit the firm in the long term.

“Reputation Ink’s team was responsive, strategic and efficient in positioning our firm. They established the media connections and relationships necessary to get our law firm the visibility it needed before the kinds of referral sources and potential clients we sought. We're grateful for Reputation Ink’s help in getting us the recognition we needed to build up our firm’s profile.” —Mike Ehrenstein, managing partner