Carl Whitaker

As President of Whitaker Communications, Carl Whitaker advises law firms, non-profits and other professional services organizations on the design and implementation of marketing and client development programs. With 25 years of law firm and consulting experience, Carl provides focused, practical advice on marketing and communications planning, positioning, website development, public relations, and client retention and development.

Carl has extensive experience developing strategic marketing initiatives for law firms at the firm, office, industry and practice group levels. He was Director of Marketing at Morrison & Foerster, a 1,000 lawyer international law firm, from 1992 to 2003. His deep understanding of the law firm environment and the legal marketplace, especially in California, provides clients with a competitive edge in the design and implementation of their marketing plans.

Carl also advises non-profit organizations on communications issues, including media relations, the creation and editing of organizational newsletters, development of websites and print collateral, and overall communications strategy. He has worked with the Pangaea Global AIDS Foundation since 2003, where he has been responsible for developing and implementing strategies to increase public awareness and visibility of Pangaea’s work, building and managing relationships with partners and donors, and providing leadership for development efforts.

With over 12 years of public relations experience, Carl has developed and executed local and national public relations plans for a wide range of law firms and legal industry and practice groups. He has special expertise in the area of litigation public relations and advises lawyers on case-specific public relations strategies. He has advised and supported law firm leaders in internal and external communications related to sensitive business operations, such as acquisitions and mergers, downsizing, office closures and financial disclosures, as well as high-profile cases.

Over the years, Carl has created and implemented numerous law firm market research programs, focusing on key clients, alumni, and industry-specific groups. He has planned and executed law firm meetings and retreats, multi-day client events, and seminars. Carl also has significant experience with national and global advertising and branding initiatives. While Director of Marketing at Morrison & Foerster, he was responsible for the successful rollout of award-winning advertising campaigns involving multiple languages and cultural issues.

With an extensive background in both marketing and information resources, Carl provides clients with expert guidance in the development of effective websites. He leads an experienced web development team, which provides a full range of design, development, and editorial services. He has also created a number of innovative web-based communications programs designed to update internal and external audiences on key legal and management issues.

Carl received a Bachelor of Arts, with Distinction, in 1973 from Sonoma State University and his Masters degree in 1977 from the School of Library and Information Science at the University of California, Berkeley.