In response to recent moves by Goldman Sachs and others to offer more compensation in stock, the reporter troubles a senior attorney for an opinion, which is basically, "they'll do well if the stock goes up." I'm not kidding.
"It may very well work out to be much better for the executives, if the companies perform well," said Kenneth Raskin, the head of law firm White & Case's executive compensation practice.
Although I've never worked with him, Mr. Raskin embodies the advice I give to law firm clients when they first start speaking to the press - reporters aren't judges and you don't need as much information to talk to them as you do to try a case on the subject. Keep it simple, get quoted.
I've often had junior PR people come to me excited after 60 minute introductory interviews, thinking a wonderful relationship must have just been born. I always tell them to wait for the story - in my experience interviews usually only last that long when the reporter is still waiting to hear something he or she can use.
That said, with so much attention already lavished on the subject of what to do with the money when financial services companies generate profits (the employees and shareholders always seem like good ideas to me), the bar should be higher before producing the next story.
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