Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick, LLP

Shumaker actively protects the First Amendment rights of print, television and radio journalists, particularly for the major media outlets in Northwest Ohio.  An important part of our work is to provide these clients with proactive review of controversial materials before they take them public, helping to identify problems that could lead to subpoenas or litigation. We have extensive practical insight into the workings of print, broadcast and online media. We understand a reporter’s or editor’s point of view when weighing legal risks with privacy rights and the public interest.  We will help clients reach the right decisions to accomplish their goals prudently and economically.

What Makes Us Different

We understand that advance review of newspaper articles or broadcast news reports involves high-pressure, time-sensitive concerns that require immediate, yet thorough evaluation.  With our extensive experience in pre-publication and pre-broadcast review, Shumaker has the practical working knowledge of print and broadcast media to avoid potential problems. That includes asking the right questions to help clients substantiate expressed or implied claims in news reports, avoiding unintended innuendo, and advising on the likelihood of challenges.

Our Clients

• The largest radio group, and several of the major television stations in Northwest Ohio
• A national broadcast news network on issues involving the Northwest Ohio media market
• A major regional newspaper publishing and broadcast company with operations in several key Midwest and Eastern cities

Why You Benefit

Clients rely on us to help shape content to the best-practice policies, standards and guidelines of all media, and to answer any challenges by third parties. We work to ensure that both reporters and their editors understand the legal issues involved with controversial stories and to suggest risk mitigation strategies – recognizing always that the final decision to run a story rests with the client, after receiving sound advice.

Core Services

• Conduct pre-publication review
• Make and respond to open meetings, open court or open records requests
• Respond to subpoenas or other litigation-related concerns
• Advise on privacy and publicity rights and privileges and the likelihood of challenges
• Deal expeditiously with publication retraction and correction issues

What You Can Expect From Shumaker

Media clients can expect two things above all from us:  responsiveness and authoritative guidance.  We have the experience to give the kind of practical, effective advice that can avoid problems or offer a credible defense on even the most controversial stories. Our reputation for excellence as experienced media counsel means that our advice is respected by legal professionals and in the court of public opinion, as well as in the usual judicial arenas.

Representative Experience

• Worked behind the scenes with major Northwest Ohio media outlets, including non-clients, to coordinate efforts on opening court proceedings to the public.
• Handled Northwest Ohio issues for National ABC legal department, working with Toledo ABC affiliate.
• Obtained Ohio appellate precedent allowing TV cameras into state court courtrooms.

Our Commitment to Diversity

Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick, LLP is committed to attracting, retaining, and promoting individuals of diverse backgrounds to ensure that our firm reflects the clients we represent and our values of inclusion.  We believe that embracing differences in ethnicity, race, sexual orientation, age, socio-economic status, religion, and other characteristics, helps us consider the full range of perspectives our clients face and the goals they seek to achieve, allowing us to provide more creative, insightful, and complete guidance and counsel.  By affirmatively embracing and appreciating those differences, we create a supportive working environment at Shumaker for all individuals of the firm.

Diversity in Action

Shumaker's commitment to diversity is reflected in the following measures:

1. Creation of a Diversity & Inclusion Committee to coordinate and direct our diversity initiatives. Our committee is made up of partners (including at least one member of the Firm’s management committee), associates and administrative personnel.
2. Recipient of the 2013 Gold Standard Certification by Women in Law Empowerment Forum, which is given only to firms that have demonstrated that women represent a meaningful percentage of their equity partners, are involved in the highest leadership positions and have meaningful representation in the ranks of the firm’s most highly compensated partners. Shumaker was one of only 42 firms in the country to have received this prestigious award in 2013.
3. Creation of Shumaker’s Women’s Leadership Initiative, a firm-sponsored group dedicated to promoting, developing and fostering the potential of our female attorneys, helping them to navigate a path to a successful and satisfying legal career at the Firm, and to serve as leaders within the legal and business communities.
4. Membership and active participation in organizations that support diversity initiatives in our communities. Such organizations include, without limitation, racial, ethnic, disability, gender/LGBT and age initiatives.
5. Diversity in our hiring, advancement and leadership practices, for attorneys as well as staff members, including our Summer Associate Program.
6. Annual participation in the Toledo Bar Association’s Minority Clerkship Program.
7. Annual participation in the Ohio State Bar Foundation Law and Leadership Program, a program to establish a pipeline into the legal profession for disadvantaged students from underserved schools.
8. Membership in Partners in Education, a program in which our employees serve as tutors and mentors and provide ongoing financial support to area schools and students in need.
9. Cultivation of leadership opportunities among all attorneys and staff, recognizing the importance and benefit of diversity in leadership.
10. Firm-wide participation in periodic diversity education seminars or training programs.
11. Informal programs implemented firm-wide to enhance our awareness and understanding of the importance and benefits of diversity among our workforce and promote inclusion.