Senior Vice President at Levick Strategic Communications Named Public Affairs Executive of the Year
WASHINGTON, Nov. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- Levick Strategic Communications
congratulates Senior Vice President Michael W. Robinson for being named
"Public Affairs Executive of the Year" by PRNews. The announcement was made at
the magazine's annual award ceremony at the National Press Club in Washington,
D.C.
As Chair of Levick's Corporate and Public Affairs practice, Robinson was
recognized for his effort to affix the public spotlight on the impact of
regulatory overreaching in what was hailed as a "David and Goliath tale." Over
the last two years, he led an intensive campaign on behalf of Stolt-Nielsen
SA, one of the world's leading foreign shippers of specialty liquids and
chemicals. The victory over the Department of Justice in this case set a
defining precedent by curtailing prosecutorial overreaching against white
collar defendants around the world in a case that was well on its way toward
one of the largest fines ever assessed by the Justice Department's Antitrust
Division.
"The key to success in this case," Robinson said, "was successfully
positioning the narrative of this story in a larger template -- that of
overzealous prosecutors."
Robinson employed a variety of tactics in order to shape public opinion,
recruit powerful and persuasive third party-think tank experts, and to
identify eventual amicus filers. He even captured the support of an
influential columnist on business and antitrust issues at The Wall Street
Journal.
Robinson follows a number of his Levick colleagues who have achieved top
accolades from PRNews, such as fellow Senior Vice President David Bartlett,
who was honored this year as a finalist in the "Educator/Trainer of the Year"
category; and Gene Grabowski, Senior Vice President, who was named "Crisis
Communicator of the Year" in 2007. In 2006, President & CEO, Richard S.
Levick, was honored as a member of the "Hall of Fame."
Levick Strategic Communications LLC is a leader in high-stakes public
affairs and crisis communications. The firm directs communications engagements
in the highest-profile matters globally: among many others, the spinach, pet
food, and toy recalls of 2007; the Guantanamo Bay controversy; the Catholic
Church scandals; today's Wall Street crisis; and complex regulatory and
litigation matters.
