Qorvis

Qorvis is an international Washington, D.C.-based public relations, advertising, media relations and crisis communications firm.[2][3] It was acquired by the Publicis Groupe in January 2014, and became Qorvis/MSLGroup.[1]On December 31, 2022, Qorvis was sold by Publicis to a group led by long-time Qorvis executive Matt J. Lauer.[4]

Qorvis
TypePrivate
IndustryPublic relations, lobbying
Founded2000 (2000)
FounderMichael Petruzzello Doug Poretz
Headquarters
Washington, D.C.
,
United States
Key people
Matt J. Lauer (CEO)
ServicesMedia relations, crisis communication, opinion polls
Number of employees
80[1]
Websiteqorvis.com

Qorvis provides public relations (PR) representation on behalf of a range of public companies, financial services firms, sovereign nations, and wealthy individuals. During the late-2000s financial crisis, Qorvis represented Wells Fargo and AIG.[5][6][7]

History

Qorvis was founded in August 2000 through the merger of The Poretz Group (investor relations firm serving technology companies), The Weber/Merritt Company (a public affairs and grassroots specialist) and JAS Communications (a public relations and marketing communications agency).[8] Michael Petruzzello, former CEO of Weber Shandwick, founded the new PR firm and the managing director.[9]

Offering traditional public and investor relations services, Qorvis launched with 22 employees and revenues of approximately $14 million in revenues. In addition, the law firm Patton Boggs established a strategic alliance with the Qorvis and became its lead investor.[8] The CEO described the firm to PR Week as "in the gray area where technology, finance, public affairs and marketing converge".[10]

During the first six years, the firm added market and consumer research, media training and grassroots lobbying to its services, working for clients such as United Technologies, the Jim Beam liquor family and the Consumer Electronics Association. By 2006, the firm had 90 employees in two offices, billing approximately $23 million.[11]

In 2007, Qorvis extended its services of web design and advertising through the acquisition of boutique advertising agency Sparky’s garage.[12]

Relations with governments

In 2015 Government of Libya dropped its $1M one-year pact with Qorvis after an evaluation of performance of MSLGroup entity. [13]

Notable work

In addition to foreign governments, Qorvis' clients have included numerous corporations, non-governmental organizations and high-net-worth individuals.[14][15]

Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia first hired Qorvis to improve its image in the wake of the September 11 attacks, paying the company $14.7 million between March and September 2002.[23] Qorvis engaged in a PR frenzy that publicized the "9/11 Commission finding that there was 'no evidence that the Saudi government as an institution or senior Saudi officials individually funded Al Qaeda, while omitting the report's conclusion that 'Saudi Arabia has been a problematic ally in combating Islamic extremism.'"[24][25] Petruzzello told The Washington Post that the work was not about "lobbying" but "educating" the public and policy makers.[26]

In 2004, Matt J. Lauer, previously executive director of the U.S. Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy at the State Department, was hired by Qorvis to work on public relations for Saudi Arabia and other clients.[27] Lauer subsequently founded the group's Geopolitical Solutions (GPS) division, which went on to represent numerous foreign sovereign countries and corporations, including Yemen, China and Equatorial Guinea.[28]

In December 2004, the Federal Bureau of Investigation executed search warrants at Qorvis's offices as part of a criminal investigation into whether a pro-Saudi radio-ad campaign run by the firm broke federal law by not disclosing funds from the Saudi government.[29][30] No charges were ever filed.

The company was handed the lucrative lead role in shaping media coverage of the widely criticized Saudi-led attack on Yemen of 2015. This included the creation of the website operationrenewalofhope.com and helping Saudi officials gain access to US media.[31] One example of the latter is a Newsweek article in which the Saudi foreign minister claims that, far from "supporting violent extremism", his country has actually shown "leadership in combating terrorism".[32]

Qorvis has also been employed by Saudi Arabia to repair its image and reputation following the Kingdom's assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, receiving $18.8 million from October 2018 through July 2019[33] and signing three additional contracts with the Kingdom in spring 2019.[34]

In 2020, Qorvis was hired by the Saudi Arabian Human Rights Commission, for an annual fee of $684,000.[35]

Bahrain

Qorvis is the agency of record for the Kingdom of Bahrain. According to Foreign Agents Registration filings with the Department of Justice, Bahrain's government pays Qorvis $40,000 per month to manage the government's communications strategy and image in the United States in face of civil protests.[36][37][38] In August 2011, it was widely reported that Qorvis wrote press releases on behalf of Bahrain's government, defending its crackdown on Doctors Without Borders.[39][40] Qorvis employee Tom Squitieri has written articles critical of the protesters that have appeared in The Huffington Post and USA Today.[41] Qorvis assists in organizing delegations of individuals who represent the government's point of view. These delegations often criticize opposition to Bahrain's monarchy.[42]

Qorvis was criticized by human rights groups for representing rogue governments such as Bahrain.[43][44]

In early February 2011, three of Qorvis's partners left the firm[45] disgruntled by compensation; however, they later attributed it to the company's controversial work with foreign governments. A former employee was reported as saying, "I just have trouble working with despotic dictators killing their own people."[46] During the Arab Spring uprisings in 2011, executive vice president Seth Thomas Pietras said, “Our clients are facing some challenges now.... But our long-term goals — to bridge the differences between our clients and the United States — haven’t changed. We stand by them.”[44]

Controversies

Given that Qorvis has represented the country of Saudi Arabia since the September 11 attacks, the company has been accused of helping to whitewash that country's record on human rights.[47][48]

The writer Ken Klippenstein obtained leaked documents from Qorvis, which show the company pitching the private company Caliburn on a propaganda video, which intended to improve the reputation of its Homestead, Florida shelter for "unaccompanied alien children."[49][50]

References
  1. Jennifer Nycz-Conner (January 10, 2014). "Publicis Groupe acquires Qorvis Communications". Washington Business Journal. Retrieved January 12, 2014.
  2. "Qorvis Communications, LLC". O'Dwyer's Public Relations Firms Database. Retrieved February 18, 2013.
  3. "Agency Report Card". The Holmes Report. Retrieved February 28, 2013.
  4. Larkin, Ewan; Ruderman, Jess (January 3, 2023). "Qorvis completes management buyout, splits from Publicis Groupe". www.prweek.com. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
  5. Roddy Boyd (March 3, 2011). Fatal Risk: A Cautionary Tale of AIG's Corporate Suicide. John Wiley & Sons. pp. 129–. ISBN 978-1-118-08429-8. Retrieved February 6, 2013.
  6. Pearlstein, Steven (October 27, 2006). "A PR Firm That Actually Knows How to Relate". Washington Post.
  7. Casey, Bernadette (February 13, 2013). "Davos Roundtable: Global emergence". PRWeek. Retrieved February 28, 2013.
  8. "New Communications Firm -- Qorvis -- is Launched; Patton Boggs Signs on As Strategic Partner and Investor" (Press release). Business Wire. August 9, 2000. Retrieved March 17, 2013 – via thefreelibrary.com.
  9. Judy Sarasohn (March 30, 2000). "Special Interests: Shandwick's 'Dynamic Force' Resign". The Washington Post.
  10. Carolyn Myles (August 14, 2000). "Petruzzello rebounds in DC with $14 million PR dream team, Qorvis". PR Week.
  11. Steven Pearlstein (October 27, 2006). "A PR Firm That Actually Knows How to Relate". The Washington Post. Retrieved March 17, 2013.
  12. Qorvis Communications (Report). The Holmes Report. October 30, 2007. Retrieved March 17, 2013.
  13. "PR News | Libya Axes Qorvis' $1M PR Pact - Mon., May 4, 2015".
  14. "Qorvis at a Glance". Qorvis Communications. Retrieved December 8, 2011.
  15. "Case Studies". Qorvis Communications. Retrieved December 8, 2011.
  16. McCauley, Kevin (September 19, 2011). "Qorvis Client Sentenced". O'Dwyer's Blog.
  17. Park, Kristi (October 3, 2008). "The FDA hires a PR firm, creates a public relations nightmare for itself". Bizmology. Retrieved December 8, 2011.
  18. Bogardus, Kevin (December 6, 2011). "Palestine rep finds closed doors". The Hill. Archived from the original on January 10, 2012. Retrieved February 12, 2013.
  19. Bandow, Doug (February 6, 2005). "A sweet deal for the sugar industry". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved December 8, 2011.
  20. Edge, Marc (January 30, 2013). "Media Wars in Paradise". The Tyee. Retrieved February 12, 2013.
  21. Grimaldi, James (October 30, 2011). "Efforts against Equatorial Guinea official shows challenge for U.S. in foreign corruption cases". The Washington Post.
  22. Lynch, Colum (June 24, 2010). "Can K Street save Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo's good name?". Foreign Policy. Retrieved December 8, 2011.
  23. Gerstein, Josh (December 20, 2004). "P.R. Effort By Saudis Sparks Justice Probe". The New York Sun. Retrieved December 8, 2011.
  24. Kurlantzick, Joshua (May 7, 2007). "Putting Lipstick on a Dictator". Mother Jones. Retrieved August 22, 2007.
  25. Shenon, Philip (December 5, 2002). "Saudis Face New Problem With Publicity". The New York Times. Retrieved December 8, 2011.
  26. Judy Sarasohn (March 21, 2002). "Saudi Arabia a 'Fascinating Client' for Qorvis". The Washington Post.
  27. Sarasohn, Judy (October 14, 2004). "Special Interests". The Washington Post. Retrieved February 19, 2013.
  28. Halvorssen, Thor (May 19, 2011). "PR Mercenaries". The Huffington Post. Retrieved May 19, 2011.
  29. Horwitz, Sari (December 9, 2004). "FBI Searches Saudi Arabia's PR Firm". The Washington Post.
  30. Gerstein, Josh (December 21, 2004). "Saudi Account Caused a Row At Patton, Boggs". The Sun.
  31. Fang, Lee (December 1, 2015). "Inside Saudi Arabia's Campaign to Charm American Policymakers and Journalists". The Intercept. Retrieved December 2, 2015.
  32. Abel bin Ahmed al-Dubeir (February 3, 2016). "The Saudis are fighting terrorism, don't believe otherwise". Newsweek. Retrieved February 8, 2016.
  33. Reinhard, Beth; O'Connell, Jonathan; Hamburger, Tom (July 10, 2019). "In the aftermath of Khashoggi's killing, Saudi influence machine whirs on in Washington". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 17, 2019.
  34. Ahmed, Akbar Shahid (October 9, 2019). "Khashoggi's Murder Should Have Made Saudi Arabia A Pariah. 7 Men Made Sure That Didn't Happen". HuffPost. Retrieved October 9, 2019.
  35. ALQST’s (Free) Advice To The Saudi Human Rights Commission: Defend Human Rights, Not The Saudi Authorities, July 2, 2020, ALQST
  36. Elliot, Justin (August 8, 2011). "D.C. firm inks lucrative public-relations contract with Bahrain". Salon.
  37. Baker, Aryn (November 29, 2011). "Disappearing Dissent: How Bahrain Buried Its Revolution". Time. Retrieved December 8, 2011.
  38. Wearing, David (February 21, 2013). "The Regime in Bahrain Needs to Drop the PR, and do its Homework". HuffPost Students. Retrieved February 28, 2013.
  39. Gladstone, Rick (August 5, 2011). "Relief Group Stops Work in Bahrain After Raid". The New York Times.
  40. McEvers, Kelly (August 9, 2011). "Doctors Without Borders Targeted In Bahrain". NPR.
  41. Silverstein, Ken (December 7, 2011). "How Bahrain works Washington". Salon.
  42. Elliot, Justin (February 28, 2012). "Bahraini 'Reformers' in Washington, Courtesy of American Spinmeisters". ProPublica.
  43. Garcia, Tonya (August 9, 2011). "Qorvis Working with Bahrain's Ruling Family to Improve Image". PR Newser. Retrieved December 8, 2011.
  44. Lichtblau, Eric (March 1, 2011). "Arab Uprisings Put U.S. Lobbyists in Uneasy Spot". The New York Times.
  45. Plumb, Tierney (March 11, 2011). "CEO says Qorvis still growing, despite recent partner exodus". Washington Business Journal. Retrieved February 28, 2013.
  46. Baram, Marcus (March 25, 2011). "Lobbyists Jump Ship In Wake Of Mideast Unrest". The Huffington Post.
  47. "PR firm 'helping Saudi Arabia whitewash its human rights record'". The Independent. March 17, 2016. Retrieved September 20, 2019.
  48. ""Supplemental Statement Pursuant to the Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938" (PDF). fara.gov. Foreign Agents Registration Act. p. 12. Retrieved 3 October 2017" (PDF). Foreign Agents Registration Act. April 5, 2015. Retrieved October 3, 2017.
  49. "Saudi-Linked Lobby Group Pitched Film to Humanize Child Detention Camp". TYT Network. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
  50. "Guess We'll Never Get To See 'Baby Jails: The Movie' Now". Wonkette. September 9, 2019. Retrieved September 19, 2019.

38°54′21.64″N 77°2′27.29″W

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