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Wikipedia wars a PR disaster

The Wikipedia wars between law firms is making the job of PR professionals that much harder, as they are forced to spend more time monitoring legal blogs and other online sources in order to do…

user iconLawyers Weekly 20 May 2010 SME Law
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The Wikipedia wars between law firms is making the job of PR professionals that much harder, as they are forced to spend more time monitoring legal blogs and other online sources in order to do some damage control.

According to Above the Law, certain firms have been having some fun and manipulating the Wikipedia entries of other firms to give them a negative spin - an online battle that Wikipedia calls an "edit war". And apparently these Wikipedia wars have been getting out of hand, leading to the Wikipedia "bosses" having to order an end to them.

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Global firm Latham and Watkins is one firm which has fallen victim to an edit war, according to Above the Law, after some unfavourable additions were made to the firm's page regarding the layoffs occurring at the firm. To end the war, the Wikipedia bosses had to lock down the page and left a little note that warned: "If you have come here to edit about layoffs, think twice. Edits must be factually verifiable and neutral. If you are connected to this company in any way we advise you not to touch it."

Other firms that have had to clean up their page in damage control include K&L Gate which had its Wikipedia entry replaced with "hires people who slaughter innocent women and shatter lives" - not such a good spin for the firm. Another target of a disgruntled 'editor' was international firm Covington & Burling after someone kept linking the firm's page to skulls and bones and the Illuminati.

And unfortunately Australian law firms have also been subject to the legal Wikipedia wars. Blake Dawson received an unfortunate link to a 1980s porn star with the same name, which had a less than desirable effect on the firm's rebranding process.

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