LEVICK Continues Rapid Expansion by Acquiring Purple Nation Solutions

WASHINGTON, March 3, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- LEVICK announced today the acquisition of Purple Nation Solutions, founded by renowned strategist and crisis manager, Lanny J. Davis and former Chairman of the Republican National Committee, Michael Steele. This acquisition comes on the heels of LEVICK's expansion of its Advocacy and Public Affairs Practice, which includes Capitol Hill veterans Rick Kessler and Mike Scrivner, as well as a Business Intelligence Unit, led by former National Security and Department of Defense professional Eric Lebson.

"Purple Nation Solutions is a natural fit for LEVICK because their approach perfectly embodies LEVICK's view of how to build consensus and communicate trust. This new team brings their bi-partisan, solution-oriented, trust-building approach to our Advocacy and Public Affairs Practice," said Mark Irion, President of LEVICK.

Lanny Davis will serve full-time as Executive Vice President for LEVICK. Lanny will work across all of LEVICK's practice areas, including crisis and litigation communications, as well as the firm's newly reshaped Advocacy and Public Affairs Practice. "Lanny has operated throughout his brilliant career at the nexus of law, media and politics," added Irion, "and will provide immense leadership not only to our lobbying and public affairs campaigns, but across every LEVICK line of business from protecting reputations in moments of crisis to capturing market opportunities." Mr. Davis will continue providing legal advice to clients through his existing law firm, Lanny J. Davis and Associates.

Michael Steele will continue to work with Lanny at LEVICK, serving as a Senior Strategist on state and local government issues. Irion stated, "As former Chairman of the Republican National Committee, and former Lt. Governor, there is nobody more capable than Michael Steele to navigate client's strategies through any state and local matter anywhere in the United States." Steele will continue his role as an MSNBC analyst and regular guest on a number of their programs.

A total of four Purple Nation Solution professionals will join LEVICK, including Eleanor McManus. McManus, who co-founded the firm with Davis and Steele, joins LEVICK as a Senior Vice President. Previously she served eleven years as senior producer of CNN "Larry King Live." Eleanor brings high profile media experience through her relationships with leading journalists in Washington and around the world. She will continue crafting high-level strategic communications campaigns for clients focusing on pro-active media relations, messaging, issue mitigation and crisis communications. 

Davis stated, "Merging with LEVICK is the perfect synergy for the concept that Michael Steele and I conceived achieving bipartisan solutions using law, media and politics. I have long been impressed with LEVICK's ability to manage some of the highest profile issues for their clients; and I am proud to be a part of the firm's expansion."

Steele added his enthusiasm for this new partnership, stating, "It's great to see LEVICK taking Purple mainstream."

Davis is one of the most sought after legal crisis managers in the country, and is joining one of the fastest growing communications firms in the country. He recently published, "Crisis Tales: Five Rules for Coping With Crisis in Business, Politics and Life." Davis represents individuals, countries and companies in high stakes global crises, litigation, government investigations, and issues management. As a legal crisis manager, Lanny has conceived, created and led strategies for clients over the years including Penn State University, eHealth, Macy's, the Washington Redskins, Martha Stewart, US Representative Charlie Rangel, former Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott, Whole Foods, Royal Caribbean, Starbucks, among many others.

Steele served as Chairman of the Republican National Committee (2009 – 2011). As chairman of the RNC, Mr. Steele was charged with revitalizing the Republican Party. A self-described "Lincoln Republican," under Steele's leadership the RNC broke fundraising records (over $198 million raised during the 2010 Congressional cycle) and Republicans won 63 House seats, the biggest pickup since 1938. Mr. Steele is a political analyst for MSNBC.

ABOUT LEVICK

LEVICK orchestrates integrated communications campaigns in the highest-profile global matters for companies and countries. The firm has received top honors in crisis, litigation, public affairs communications, as well as financial communications and online campaigns. LEVICK counselors have seen clients through the most intensely scrutinized events of our time, including the Gulf oil spill, the Wall Street financial crisis, the largest data breach in U.S. history, the Catholic Church crisis, hundreds of food and consumer product recalls, and bet-the-company litigation. Learn more of how LEVICK integrates disciplines to communicate trust more broadly www.levick.com.

SOURCE LEVICK