Third Straight Plaintiff's Verdict, and Largest to Date, in Accutane Litigation
On Tuesday, a jury in Atlantic City, NJ, ordered the pharmaceutical manufacturer Roche to pay plaintiff Kamie Kendall $10,578,500.00, for injuries caused by its drug Accutane. Ms Kendall developed ulcerative colitis, a form of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), after taking Accutane. The jury found that Roche failed to warn Ms. Kendall and her physician about the risk of IBD associated with its drug. The $10.5 million compensatory award is the largest in any Accutane case to date. Judge Carol Higbee denied Plaintiff's motion to present the issue of punitive damages to the jury, ruling that the evidence supporting the claim post-dated Ms. Kendall's diagnosis of ulcerative colitis. However, the specter of punitive damages looms in many of the cases still pending in Atlantic City, NJ. Ms. Kendall, a resident of Utah, brought suit against Roche in its home state of New Jersey. Ms. Kendall was represented by attorneys Mike Hook and Steve Bolton of the Hook & Bolton firm, Pete Kaufman of the Levin, Papantonio firm, Dave Buchanan of the Seeger Weiss firm and Mary Jane Bass and Jack Lurton of the Beggs & Lane firm.

Marketing to Hispanics



Harlan,

For those of us fortunate enough to have marketed legal services when it first became permissible, we understand the yearning for the "good old days". Those days were filled with opportunities like a growing market and little competition. Though those days are gone, there are segments within our market that are still growing and have little competition. It's a no-brainer, the Hispanic market. You have featured statistics about how it that market is growing at 4 times that of the general market. Yet, most marketing lawyers are still oblivious to the spectacular opportunities within that market and will likely miss their window of opportunity to dominate.

How does one promote their practice to Hispanics? Firstly, unless you ask for the business you won't get it. Asking means advertising and letting them know that you want to serve them. You need to let them know that you speak their language, that they have rights that you will fight for. Most importantly, they need to know how to reach you. That is where an easy to remember Spanish vanity number, 1-800-DERECHOS comes in.

Business in America has learned the importance of branding. Companies such as 1-800-CONTACTS, 1-800-FLOWERS, 1-800-MATTRESS, 1-800-DENTIST, and 1-800-PETMEDS, all have become the leaders in their industries, and have flourished because they have branded themselves with an easy to remember telephone number that screams what they do. Now, a law firm can scream this message in a way that it will NEVER be forgotten.

Though I have worked with some of your clients in the Spanish vanity number arena, I am still shocked at how slowly law firms are moving toward marketing to Hispanics and utilizing a vanity number.

1-800-DERECHOS is not a new concept. It is a new application of a concept that has proven effective for marketing many industries directly to the consumer. When an Hispanic tells glory stories about his 1-800-DERECHOS lawyer he never has to pull out a business card to relate the phone number. There is never confusion about how to reach their lawyer. They simply dial 1-800-DERECHOS.

My firm owns 1-800-DERECHOS and is happy to work with you or any of your clients in helping them brand their practice utilizing 1-800-DERECHOS. I will provide the number without charge to any of your clients for 3 months. I will guarantee improved results or they can cancel and owe nothing. If they decide that the program is one that they want to stick with, I will lease them the number indefinately for a monthly fee.

For more information please see our you tube video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6uoIZ7J6Rv0 or speak with Harlan Schillinger at Network Affilliates.

When was the last time you sat down and reviewed all of your creative messaging?

Maybe you're not really talking to all the right audiences. Perhaps there's a better way to deliver your message. After all, your firm's reputation and caseload may depend on it.

Network Affiliates recently helped Philadelphia-based accident lawyers Stark & Stark gain a fresh perspective on how they appeal to accident victims needing representation. Using a strategic TV commercial campaign, we crafted a humanized message for Stark & Stark that speaks through the voice of an actual victim. "Darryl's" personal story about his 13-year-old's permanent, life-altering injury and the compensation his family received as a result is just the type of real, heart-felt narratives that bring new and qualified cases in the door.

Another Network Affiliates-created Stark & Stark commercial touts - not shouts - the firm's 70 years of experience, expertise, and specialized tools and technology. For this piece, we used a few plain facts and welcoming faces to express a universal message in a direct and approachable way. As a result of the multi-faceted campaign, Stark & Stark continues to increase its caseload and quality - not to mention its passion for personal injury work.

To view additional examples of how we're helping law firms reach qualified clients through simple, savvy marketing approaches, visit www.netaff.com/legal (click on Showcase).

With 26 years of legal advertising experience, Network Affiliates has been at the forefront of creating customized yet cost-efficient marketing campaigns. Our full-service agency has the capability to provide a single custom TV commercial or comprehensive media planning. We also offer specialties in mass tort and Latino-specific marketing.

See what we have to say about your overall messaging strategy. Please contact me at 1-800-525-3332 and I'll be happy to provide a complimentary, confidential evaluation of your current marketing approach. I look forward to speaking with you soon.

Sincerely,

Harlan M. Schillinger
Vice President/Director of Marketing

When was the last time you really looked at your creative message?

A decade ago?

You might see that your firm's caseload - and quality - is suffering because for too many years you've simply said the same thing in the same way. Maybe it's time for a change in how you relate a story - to an accident victim, for example.

The specialized team at Network Affiliates can help you uncover what really resonates about your firm's creative message. In fact, we recently reinvented the way Utah-based Siegfried & Jensen reaches personal injury victims by focusing a TV commercial on the human elements that really matter to people - family, fairness and quality of life. Not just the money. The results have been significant!

As Network Affiliates has proven, creatively positioned law firms can reach new and better audiences with an original twist on the stale money-for-victims legal advertisement. By humanizing the idea of compensation for others' carelessness, for example, we can elevate your message to one that will not only stand out, but will pull in highly targeted prospects. (View an example at www.netaff.com/legal and click on Showcase.)

With 26 years of legal advertising experience, Network Affiliates understands the subtleties of marketing law firms and is versed in finding creative advertising pathways that are both customized and cost-efficient.

Our full-service agency offers everything from targeted custom TV production to comprehensive media planning, plus niche specialties in mass tort and Latino-specific marketing.

A fresh perspective is just a call away. Please contact me at 1-800-525-3332 and I'll be happy to provide a complimentary evaluation of your current marketing approach. I look forward to speaking with you soon.

Sincerely,

Harlan M. Schillinger
Vice President/Director of Legal Marketing