Public Affairs Advocacy

When: 27-28 January 2024, 9am-5pm GMT

Where: Centre for Commercial Law Studies, Queen Mary University of London, WC2A 3JB

Modern commercial lawyers need to be familiar with mounting and changing forms of business regulation. However, clients are increasingly looking to their legal advisers to assist them not only in navigating the rules, but to influence the development of the regulatory frameworks that are applicable to their activities. This 2-day interactive course will provide lawyers with a thorough understanding of how the public policy agenda emerges and how it is influenced and how lawyers can play a role in such developments, including public campaigning, lobbying legislators, officials and advisers at a local, regional and national level, as well as building coalitions and alliances.

The course will be delivered in person at our central London location. The material will be delivered through lectures, group exercises, small group discussion groups.

Day One, Monday 27 January:

Public policy primer

Session led by Patrick Diamond, Professor in Public policy, QMUL

Public policy refers to the actions and decisions that governments make to address issues and challenges facing society. Public policy is developed through a process of research, consultation and decision-making, involving the identification of problems, analysing potential solutions, and selecting the best option based on evidence and stakeholder input. Evidence-based policies should be transparent and accountable, with mechanisms for monitoring and evaluation to ensure they are achieving their intended outcomes. It should be a collaborative process involving multiple stakeholders, including civil servants, experts, industry representatives and civil society. Effective public policy requires careful consideration of the potential impacts on different groups in society. This session will examine the theory and practice of policy-making in the UK.

Westminster advocacy

Session led by Nick Lansman, President, Public Affairs, Clarity Global

With a new Labour Government and over of half of the MPs new to Parliament, this is an important opportunity for clients to influence policy and decision-making within the Westminster system of government. This typically involves engaging with government officials, MPs, and other key stakeholders to advocate for specific policies or outcomes. This can take many forms, including meeting with politicians and civil servants; using the media to raise awareness and build public support for a particular issue; engaging with other stakeholders to build support for a particular issue, and providing written submissions to government inquiries or consultations. Westminster advocacy can be a powerful tool for bringing about change and shaping government policy, but it requires a deep understanding of the political process and the ability to effectively engage with key decision-makers, which this session will offer.

Building coalitions and alliances

Session led by Andrew Kernahan, Vice-President Public Affairs, Clarity Global

Building coalitions and alliances is an important part of public affairs advocacy, as it allows organizations to amplify their voice and increase their influence. By working together, organizations can pool their resources, expertise and networks. It can help organizations reach a wider audience and build public support for a cause, as well as increase the credibility and legitimacy of their message. Coalitions and alliances can also bring together a range of perspectives and experiences, leading to more creative and effective advocacy strategies. This session will consider how building coalitions and alliances can be a key strategy for effective public affairs advocacy, enabling clients to increase their impact and achieve their advocacy goals more effectively.

Brussels advocacy

Session led by Ian Walden, Professor of Information and Communications Law, QMUL

Advocacy in Brussels presents a number of unique challenges for clients. First, EU policy-making process is highly complex, involving multiple institutions and stakeholders, which can make it difficult to navigate and influence. Second, its 27 member states have diverse cultures, languages, and political systems, which can make it hard to develop messaging and strategies that resonate across different audiences. Third, Brussels is a highly competitive advocacy environment, with many organizations vying for the attention of policymakers and stakeholders. At the same time, EU institutions can be bureaucratic and slow-moving, which can make it difficult to achieve timely policy change. This session will examine these challenges and consider approaches to advocacy in Brussels.

Day 2, Tuesday 28 January:

Working with regulators

Session led by Professor Ian Walden, Professor of Information and Communications Law and Non-Executive Director of the Jersey Competition and Regulatory Authority

Business operates in an increasingly regulated environment. Interacting with regulatory authorities can be a complex and challenging process for clients. Communications with regulators need to be transparent, honest and timely. It is important to build a relationship of trust with regulators to ensure favourable outcomes, by demonstrating a commitment to compliance and ethical behaviour. This includes responding promptly to requests for information or documents and disclosing any information about relevant activities. Regulatory authorities also have the power to enforce laws and regulations, so it's important to understand their strategic objectives, modes of working and guidelines. This session will consider the perspective of regulators and how best to work with them.

Corporate communications - Part One: Thought Leadership

Session led by Michael Gonzalez, Senior Vice President, Clarity Global

Corporate communications is an essential part of Public Affairs Advocacy and has two core functions: proactive stakeholder engagement and reactive issues & crisis management.

This first session will look at the primary role of proactive stakeholder management to communicate key company messaging, thought leadership issues and company news to target audiences to reach a number of goals such as influencing policy, trigger buyer decisions, raise brand awareness, attract talent or raise awareness of a particular issue across industry and society. Core activities that fall under the function include Point of View creation, social media campaigns, messaging development, corporate news syndication and media & presentation coaching.

In an increasingly competitive environment, it’s critical to establish company positioning and thought leadership views that are both authentic and unique. This session will cover the key elements of creating an impactful comms strategy and you will be able to put theory into practice with an engaging team-based workshop.

Corporate communications - Part Two: Crisis and Issues Management

Session led by Michael Gonzalez, Senior Vice President, Clarity Global

The second session will focus on the role of crisis and issues management. In an increasingly polarised world where companies are under 24/7 scrutiny from multiple stakeholders, having an effective crisis management strategy is essential. It is central to protecting the reputation of the organisation, the safety of people, share price and even sometimes corporate survival. Developing a strategy involves two parts. Firstly, preparing the organisation for any eventual crises through an in-depth workshop and simulation exercise. Secondly, ongoing crisis management - through media relations and stakeholder engagement - of the crisis should it happen. This session will consider how corporate comms can support law firms and their clients. It will cover the key elements of creating an effective crisis management strategy and you will be asked to create your own plan in an engaging team-based workshop.

If you have any questions about the course please do not hesitate to get in touch at [email protected].

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