1. After Browne Sanders went public with her charges, what PR options did MSG have? What PR strategies should MSG have taken?
I think that after she went public with the charges, MSG needed to make a statement about what happened. If the public is only hearing from Browne Sanders that’s the story they’re going to know and believe. If MSG communicated with the public by letting them know they’re looking into the case, and going to take care of the problem once the facts have been presented, they may have been able to avoid going to court. The key thing that needed to be done was communicate.
2. What were the PR considerations for MSG and how did they differ from legal considerations?
The PR considerations were that communication needed to take place within MSG. If the accused parties came forward and took responsibility for what happened the case could have stayed out of court and settled quietly, which would also make the company look better. Because the case went to court, the legal considerations are different because the focus is placed on the clients. Lawyers are paid to fight for their own party. Because Browne Sanders put up a stronger fight than the MSG party, they were able to win the case.
3. If you were advising James Dolan on his video testimony, what would you have advised him to wear? How would you have advised him to act?
I would have advised him to wear a suit and look presentable. Even though it’s a video testimony, he still needed to look professional like if he was in court. And for that matter, he needed to act as if he was in the courtroom. The video screen is presenting him to the court as if he were physically there, therefore, he should act professionally, the way he should if he were physically in the courtroom.
4. In terms of post modern actions after the verdict, what would you advise CEO Dolan?
I think after the verdict I would have pointed out things that were done well with the case, and the things that were done poorly, so that the next time a case of this matter was presented it could be handled better. Obviously something different needs to be done next time to keep from losing millions of dollars.
Muffy Lavens 
Very good points in Questions 1 and 2. I agree with your response to Question 3. Even though he won’t physically be in court, he still will be seen in the courtroom therefore he should look presentable and professional. Furthermore, I agree that he should act professional and respectful.
I agree with what you said about #2. Because the lawyers are paid to defend those who hire them, they need to look out for their client’s best interests. In the end of the say, both sides want to win. You made a good point when you said that because Browne Sanders put up a stronger argument, they won the case. I also agree with your advice to tell Dolan to dress and act professionally because he is in the court in an unorthodox method, he needs to counter-act that as much as he could by dressing and acting professionally.
Muffy, Jenn, and Chris,
It’s important to recognize the importance of constructing an image with things like dress, but it’s more important to recognize that image cannot cover up decay which is one of my main complaints about how lawyers approach PR problems.
Dr. Schultz