The Intersection: Where the Court of Public Opinion and the Court of Law Collide | Podcast Guru

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Winning in the court of law often depends on mastering the court of public opinion. So how do lawyers and crisis PR experts shape public opinion to influence high-stakes legal battles? Wizard of Spin Mike Sitrick and senior partner at Sitrick and Company Sallie Hofmeister explore the powerful connection between media influence and legal outcomes.From crisis management to PR strategies in litigation, Sitrick and Hofmeister sit down with America’s leading lawyers and PR minds to reveal how media narratives can make or break a case. Matthew Schwartz, Chairman of Boies Schiller, joins the show to discuss his role in the Bernie Madoff investigation. Jeffrey Kessler, Co-Executive Chairman of Winston & Strawn, shares insights from his work with Tom Brady on Deflate-Gate, NFL lockouts, Ray Rice, and lawsuits that changed college athlete compensation. And Patricia Glaser, one of the nation’s most sought-after litigators, breaks down the Blake Lively vs. Justin Baldoni legal dispute and other celebrity-driven cases.Whether it’s controlling the conversation, managing reputations, or leveraging public sentiment, this podcast shares what you need to know about legal media strategies.For anyone interested in the media’s role in legal cases, The Intersection: Where the Court of Public Opinion and the Court of Law Collide is the podcast for you.____About Sitrick and CompanySitrick and Company is a Los Angeles-based public relations firm founded by Michael Sitrick specializing in corporate, financial, and crisis communications. Known for its expertise in high-stakes situations, the firm has handled reputation management, litigation support, and media strategy for high-profile clients. It operates offices in New York City and Washington, DC, and is recognized as a leader in strategic communications and crisis management. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Recent Episodes

General Motors, Enron, and Puerto Rico: Martin Bienenstock riffs on some of America’s largest restructuring cases

SEP 15, 2025

General Motors, Enron, and Puerto Rico: Martin Bienenstock riffs on some of America’s largest restructuring cases

This week, Mike and Sallie meet with Martin Bienenstock, chair of the Business Solutions Governance, Restructuring & Bankruptcy Group at Proskauer in New York, ranked among the top 100 lawyers in America by the National Law Journal. Marty currently represents the Financial Oversight and Management Board for Puerto Rico, handling almost $124 billion in restructuring assets.Marty talks about his unique position in helping Puerto Rico with its restructuring and the challenges of handling PR for the oversight board. He also discusses his earlier work restructuring General Motors and the role of the media. Martin also shares his experience working on Enron’s Chapter 11 and how the bankruptcy and restructuring industry has evolved over the years. About Sitrick and CompanySitrick and Company is a Los Angeles-based public relations firm founded by Michael Sitrick specializing in corporate, financial, and crisis communications. Known for its expertise in high-stakes situations, the firm has handled reputation management, litigation support, and media strategy for high-profile clients. It operates offices in New York City and Washington, DC, and is recognized as a leader in strategic communications and crisis management. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

33 MIN

Barney’s and Brooks Brothers: Bankruptcy Lawyer Rick Chesley on dealing with high- visibility restructuring cases

SEP 1, 2025

Barney’s and Brooks Brothers: Bankruptcy Lawyer Rick Chesley on dealing with high- visibility restructuring cases

This week on The Intersection, Mike and Sallie sit down with Rick Chesley, global managing partner of DLA Piper and Co. His focus is in bankruptcy and corporate restructuring, working on the sale and acquisition of various distressed businesses, such as Brooks Brothers, Nine West, and Aeropostale. Rick discusses how he educates journalists about the complexities of restructuring cases and the importance of making sure the messaging is clear, especially when thousands of jobs in a community are at stake. Is he tempted to correct misinformation being spread on social media? He says he typically advises clients to stay clear of the online conversations and focus instead on reinforcing consistent messaging through more conventional channels. “The rest of this will take care of itself,” he says. He talks about how his experience working as an investment banker shaped his perception of bankruptcy litigation.About Sitrick and CompanySitrick and Company is a Los Angeles-based public relations firm founded by Michael Sitrick specializing in corporate, financial, and crisis communications. Known for its expertise in high-stakes situations, the firm has handled reputation management, litigation support, and media strategy for high-profile clients. It operates offices in New York City and Washington, DC, and is recognized as a leader in strategic communications and crisis management. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

36 MIN

Giel Stein: Representing a convicted felon with a vocal social media fan base

AUG 18, 2025

Giel Stein: Representing a convicted felon with a vocal social media fan base

Mike and Sallie are joined this week by Giel Stein, a member of Clark Hill, PLC in Chicago. He is a trial lawyer with an impressive and extensive record of successfully leading internal investigations.Giel discusses his childhood and the impact on him from growing up on a Kibbutz in Israel and his studies at the University of Chicago, before delving into one of his most high-profile cases, representing author, salesman, TV personality and convicted felon Kevin Trudeau, who was threatened with “coersive incarceration” for hiding from the court funds owed to victims. Giel talks about the challenges of representing a personality with a deep and vocal fan base on social media and the difficulties of convincing the court and the public of his innocence. He also discusses his work with Mike on the criminal case defending Dr. John Kapoor, who was convicted in a bribery and kickback scheme that prosecutors said helped fuel the opioid crisis. Giel says some of his greatest career satisfaction stems from pro-bono cases he’s taken on, including one representing an ex-con who lost his vision and ability to work after being mistreated in prison. About Sitrick and CompanySitrick and Company is a Los Angeles-based public relations firm founded by Michael Sitrick, specializing in corporate, financial, and crisis communications. Known for its expertise in high-stakes situations, the firm has handled reputation management, litigation support, and media strategy for high-profile clients. It operates offices in New York City and Washington, DC, and is recognized as a leader in strategic communications and crisis management. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

36 MIN

Silicon Valley’s Go To Litigator Dan Bergeson Relishes Working in “The Epicenter of Creative Individuals”

AUG 4, 2025

Silicon Valley’s Go To Litigator Dan Bergeson Relishes Working in “The Epicenter of Creative Individuals”

This week on The Intersection, Mike and Sallie welcome Dan Bergeson, the founding partner of Bergeson LLP in San Jose, CA, one of Silicon Valley’s leading litigation firms. Dan’s clients range from Fortune 500 companies to startups, representing founders, C-level executives, directors, and special committees in high stakes litigation and investigations.Dan discusses his victory defending Al Shugart, founder and CEO of Seagate Technology, in a defamation case against sponsors of a TV commercial comparing him to convicted swindler Charles Keating. He also discusses litigation in a digital age, often reminding clients “anything you post in social media--that's there forever, and I'm going to have to deal with that in trial.” He is an advocate for bringing on a competent media relations team to handle situations where clients don’t listen to that advice to manage the media.About Sitrick and CompanySitrick and Company is a Los Angeles-based public relations firm founded by Michael Sitrick specializing in corporate, financial, and crisis communications. Known for its expertise in high-stakes situations, the firm has handled reputation management, litigation support, and media strategy for high-profile clients. It operates offices in New York City and Washington, DC, and is recognized as a leader in strategic communications and crisis management. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

37 MIN

Navigating Me Too – Jessica Rosenberg defines standards for a hostile work environment

JUL 21, 2025

Navigating Me Too – Jessica Rosenberg defines standards for a hostile work environment

Jessica Rosenberg, a Chambers USA-ranked lawyer and partner at Akin Gump, is this week’s guest on The Intersection. Born and raised on Long Island, Jessica’s father was a personal injury lawyer who instilled in her a love for the law from a very young age. Her work focuses on workplace issues such as discrimination, harassment, compensation, and tort claims, including fraud, defamation, and breach of fiduciary duty.Jessica talks about her approach to dealing with highly publicized cases, setting out a strategy at the get-go, then asking clients who want to stop negative articles, "Does this really matter to us? To our strategy? The strategy we set out in the beginning? Being reactive doesn't get us to our goal." She goes on to discuss her work with Me Too-related cases and explains how different jurisdictions define workplace harassment. She discusses a favorite “battle in court” where an employee believed she was retaliated against by a supervisor, with video evidence.About Sitrick and CompanySitrick and Company is a Los Angeles-based public relations firm founded by Michael Sitrick specializing in corporate, financial, and crisis communications. Known for its expertise in high-stakes situations, the firm has handled reputation management, litigation support, and media strategy for high-profile clients. It operates offices in New York City and Washington, DC, and is recognized as a leader in strategic communications and crisis management. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

45 MIN