NEW YORK (Feb. 29, 2016) – Communications veterans Spencer Baretz and Cari Brunelle today announced the launch of their new firm: Baretz+Brunelle. The former Hellerman Baretz Communications partners left HBC earlier this month to form their New York-based firm.

Baretz and Brunelle will continue their longtime work as corporate and crisis communications advisors to elite law firms, high-profile businesses and prominent individuals. The new firm also will pursue an aggressive growth strategy to build out its existing financial services and corporate transactional work.

The agency’s founders are widely recognized figures in public relations. Baretz, named a “Business of Law Trailblazer & Pioneer” by The National Law Journal and a “PR Agency Professional of the Year” by PR News, practiced corporate law at a major New York firm before co-founding HBC in 2003. Brunelle, a former broadcast journalist named “Crisis Manager of the Year” and one of the “Top Women in PR” by PR News, has more than 15 years of experience providing crisis communications counsel in high-profile legal cases and strategic communications services to major law firms and their clients.

Baretz and Brunelle bring with them an award-winning team that includes the remaining HBC staff in its entirety:

·       John Ford – Managing Director, Editorial Services

·       Jason Milch – Managing Director

·       Kelsey Nason – Managing Director

·       Jennifer Gronwaldt – Director

·       Molly McLeod – Director

·       Zinie Sampson – Director

·       Sarah Andries – Associate

·       Leora Kaplan – Associate

·       Jessica Klein – Associate

·       Poonam Jain – Director of Operations

·       All of HBC’s “Content Lab” writers

Nearly all of HBC’s clients have followed as inaugural Baretz+Brunelle clients, which include the leading global law firm for M&A; the world’s most prominent financial data and media company; and a top private equity firm. Also moving to B+B is HBC’s partnership with Bloomberg BNA – which provides an array of valuable content and marketing services to law firms and corporations through its Cross Platform Businesses division.

“Cari and I are absolutely thrilled to be working together under our new banner,” Baretz said. “The start of our new firm represents an opportunity to clarify our core values – empathy, intellectualism, creativity, teamwork and hard work—and to grow our team, and our offerings, in ways that will benefit our clients tremendously.”

“Spencer and I are so proud to be part of this team, and keeping our entire team intact makes this new adventure even more exciting for us,” Brunelle said. “We share a vision for our new agency and a commitment to our incredible clients, who inspire us daily. It’s an honor to continue to serve them.”

About Baretz+Brunelle

Legal, corporate and crisis communications advisors, Baretz+Brunelle protects and maintains the public images of law firms, high-profile businesses and prominent individuals. We help our clients achieve their business goals and influence market value by building targeted, strategic, high-impact PR campaigns. Based in New York, Baretz+Brunelle maintains offices in Chicago, Houston, Detroit, Charlotte and Richmond, Va. For more information, visit www.baretzbrunelle.com.