Friends in the press? Forum

[Anonymous User]

I'm a corporate junior at a large NYC firm. An acquaintance of mine from college recently got a job in a very well-regarded trade publication in my field (think covenant review, reorg, mergermarket). He reached out asking for a call to catch up.

Does anyone have thoughts on this? Is it dangerous and stupid? Is it useful (how)? Any advice for speaking to journalists (beyond, obviously, don't violate client confidentiality)?

[Anonymous User]

I'm a corporate junior at a large NYC firm. An acquaintance of mine from college recently got a job in a very well-regarded trade publication in my field (think covenant review, reorg, mergermarket). He reached out for me asking for a call to catch up.

Does anyone have thoughts on this? Is it dangerous and stupid? Is it useful (how)? Any advice for speaking to journalists (beyond, obviously, don't violate client confidentiality)?

Literally no upside for you, but unlimited downside.

College acquaintances don’t reach out “for a call to catch up” - journalists wanting sources do. I would just ignore or avoid.

[Sackboy]

Taking the call is perfectly fine. There is no downside if you don't, ya know, participate in unethical conduct.

[Anonymous User]

I'm a corporate junior at a large NYC firm. An acquaintance of mine from college recently got a job in a very well-regarded trade publication in my field (think covenant review, reorg, mergermarket). He reached out for me asking for a call to catch up.

Does anyone have thoughts on this? Is it dangerous and stupid? Is it useful (how)? Any advice for speaking to journalists (beyond, obviously, don't violate client confidentiality)?

Literally no upside for you, but unlimited downside.

College acquaintances don’t reach out “for a call to catch up” - journalists wanting sources do. I would just ignore or avoid.

OP here: I mean, yeah, he wants me as a source. I get that. But I feel like this could be useful, if done well. Really just trying to see if anyone on TLS has done something like this and their thoughts if so.

[Mullens]

I'm a corporate junior at a large NYC firm. An acquaintance of mine from college recently got a job in a very well-regarded trade publication in my field (think covenant review, reorg, mergermarket). He reached out for me asking for a call to catch up.

Does anyone have thoughts on this? Is it dangerous and stupid? Is it useful (how)? Any advice for speaking to journalists (beyond, obviously, don't violate client confidentiality)?

Literally no upside for you, but unlimited downside.

College acquaintances don’t reach out “for a call to catch up” - journalists wanting sources do. I would just ignore or avoid.

OP here: I mean, yeah, he wants me as a source. I get that. But I feel like this could be useful, if done well. Really just trying to see if anyone on TLS has done something like this and their thoughts if so.

Genuinely curious how this could be useful as a corporate junior.

[ughbugchugplug]

Just ask yourself: if I were a partner and I heard that a junior associate was speaking as a source to a member of the press who focused on my industry without clearing it with my firm, would I be happy about that?

[Anonymous User]

She probably wants info on confidential deals. There's no upside for you here.

[Anonymous User]

I'm a corporate junior at a large NYC firm. An acquaintance of mine from college recently got a job in a very well-regarded trade publication in my field (think covenant review, reorg, mergermarket). He reached out for me asking for a call to catch up.

Does anyone have thoughts on this? Is it dangerous and stupid? Is it useful (how)? Any advice for speaking to journalists (beyond, obviously, don't violate client confidentiality)?

Literally no upside for you, but unlimited downside.

College acquaintances don’t reach out “for a call to catch up” - journalists wanting sources do. I would just ignore or avoid.

OP here: I mean, yeah, he wants me as a source. I get that. But I feel like this could be useful, if done well. Really just trying to see if anyone on TLS has done something like this and their thoughts if so.

How?

Other than you getting off on feeling important and knowledgeable for the 10 minute phone call, there’s literally no benefit to you. This is not a networking connection that is going to help you out.

People get sucked into doing much worse things (e.g. giving MNPI stock tips) for the same fleeting feeling of being important an involved in something glamorous - don’t make the same mistake.

The moment you tell this person anything remotely important, you will be filled with regret and the uncomfortable memory will hit you at odd moments that someone out there has your nuts in a vice and could ruin your career.

If you don’t tell them anything important, this will be a short and not repeated phone call.

So just listen to the people here, and let it go.

[PrinterInk]

To echo the good advice provided by others on this thread, the essence of good judgement is the ability to accurately weigh the positive things that could come out of an action against the negatives. So let’s do a quick analysis:
Positives: momentary feeling of being special
Negatives: getting disbarred; getting fired from your job; getting sued for breach of fiduciary duty

[Anonymous User]

OP here. I take the point and am not gonna do anything, but most of the reason I ask is it's clear that people regularly talk to these trade publications. I just find it hard to believe that everyone who speaks to them is a moron who gets nothing out of it beyond an ego hit (as this thread basically says again and again). I have to imagine there's some real value from talking to reporters. But this thread is making me reconsider that.

To echo the good advice provided by others on this thread, the essence of good judgement is the ability to accurately weigh the positive things that could come out of an action against the negatives. So let’s do a quick analysis:
Positives: momentary feeling of being special
Negatives: getting disbarred; getting fired from your job; getting sued for breach of fiduciary duty

I'm not sure this is right, though. Is it bad judgment to delay and ask around when you're unsure? Similarly, I'm not sure it's accurate to say "picking up the phone and talking to a college acquaintance" is going to lead to disbarment or a lawyer liability suit; especially if it's off-the-record and I don't say anything about my matters, the firm, etc. I think that this is bad judgment, this is presuming the sky will automatically fall. It's a first-year calling a partner at 11 because they found something that's not great for their client while doing doc review.

ETA: here are the positives, having thought about it. The reporter's very sharp.

• Sense of what's going on at other firms / in the market.
• External views of my firm. It's hard for me to have a sense.
• News I can use (is some weird thing popping up somewhere else I should know about?)
• Connections.

I'm not sure if they're real or would happen, and again I'm not going to do anything here, but I don't think it's crazy at all to suggest there are possible positives here.

[Anonymous User]

I am friends with many journalists including those who cover industries that my biglaw work deals with. Most of these replies are way overheated. There is nothing wrong with you speaking to a journalist generally that you already know who wants to catch up. Facially, this is a personal call. Just don't say anything about your work.

If the other person on the call moves the subject matter from personal to professional, stop and say that you'll continue only if the call is off the record (and do not continue unless the journalist actually agrees). Then, still don't say anything that would reveal any confidences or breach ethical responsibilities to your Firm or the Bar, but at least you might be able to speak at a very general level about the industry or point the journalist to other contacts that may be beneficial.

I would likely not mention the call to any of my partners (because I do not discuss my personal calls with old acquaintances with them). Right now, this is nothing more than an old friend reaching out to shoot the shit - it doesn't become more than that unless you let it happen, on your terms.

[Anonymous User]

A lot of the time, people talking about certain deals are the PARTNERS on the deal. And, at least at my firm, that’s only after the client approves of discussions.

We avoid even discussing cases our clients are involved in (that we don’t have any knowledge on) because we don’t want to potentially harm any client relationship.

If a partner reads through a trade magazine and you’re quoted on something regarding a client/deal/case, you may get some backlash.

I don’t think it’ll lead to disbarment, but I wouldn’t even use the “off the record” tactic mentioned above.

[Anonymous User]

you have nothing to offer that doesn't entail saying something that would probably piss off a partner/client

if it's a friend/someone you genuinely trust, it's one thing. an acquaintance? come on. they're just fishing for info.

the people that regularly interface with publications are partners. not you (or me).

[Anonymous User]

A lot of the time, people talking about certain deals are the PARTNERS on the deal. And, at least at my firm, that’s only after the client approves of discussions.

We avoid even discussing cases our clients are involved in (that we don’t have any knowledge on) because we don’t want to potentially harm any client relationship.

If a partner reads through a trade magazine and you’re quoted on something regarding a client/deal/case, you may get some backlash.

I don’t think it’ll lead to disbarment, but I wouldn’t even use the “off the record” tactic mentioned above.

Think I’m the reply you referenced. You won’t be quoted if you are off the record. And you shouldn’t be discussing any specific client/deal/case even if you ARE off the record as a lawyer anyway, as I said. Every biglaw associate is capable of walking and chewing gum by speaking with a journalist and not revealing any confidential info.

[Anonymous User]

A lot of the time, people talking about certain deals are the PARTNERS on the deal. And, at least at my firm, that’s only after the client approves of discussions.

We avoid even discussing cases our clients are involved in (that we don’t have any knowledge on) because we don’t want to potentially harm any client relationship.

If a partner reads through a trade magazine and you’re quoted on something regarding a client/deal/case, you may get some backlash.

I don’t think it’ll lead to disbarment, but I wouldn’t even use the “off the record” tactic mentioned above.

Think I’m the reply you referenced. You won’t be quoted if you are off the record. And you shouldn’t be discussing any specific client/deal/case even if you ARE off the record as a lawyer anyway, as I said. Every biglaw associate is capable of walking and chewing gum by speaking with a journalist and not revealing any confidential info.

I’m the quoted anon. I mentioned the off the record thing because I think it’s not worth it to do it then. I know you aren’t quoted.

And for attorneys having common sense, I’ve been in many situations where my friends and I are drinking and they “accidentally” mention something on some big case/deal they are on. If you had a trade journal person there, think about how much anxiety that would cause you (knowing they could write about it). They may not quote you or name your firm, but people may be able to connect the dots.

There is zero upside for the junior associate. You only get juicy details if you yourself become a source.

[Elston Gunn]

I trust the answers you’re getting for a junior M&A lawyer, but when I worked in a niche regulatory practice, having connections at trade publications became very valuable for senior associates who were trying to make partner. There’d be no immediate upside as a junior, but if you have someone who would actually come to you for a (cleared with the firm) quote when there’s a big development in the industry (eg, a new proposed rule), that’s a really nice way to build your profile. As I said though I grant it could be very different in general corporate.

[Sackboy]

I trust the answers you’re getting for a junior M&A lawyer, but when I worked in a niche regulatory practice, having connections at trade publications became very valuable for senior associates who were trying to make partner. There’d be no immediate upside as a junior, but if you have someone who would actually come to you for a (cleared with the firm) quote when there’s a big development in the industry (eg, a new proposed rule), that’s a really nice way to build your profile. As I said though I grant it could be very different in general corporate.

+1.

Also, I feel like every poster is missing the fact that there is zero downside of OP taking the call and not disclosing information. Nobody is going to find out, and you're not going to get published saying anything when your responses are "I can't comment on any potential, current, or past client matters."