Lawyer ads in 2020 are talking less about Roundup, more about coronavirus

By John O’Brien

WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) – Personal injury lawyers cut their spending on Roundup advertising by more than half in the first two months of 2020.

Figures amassed by X Ante and Kantar Media CMAG show that lawyers and referral firms spent an estimated $4.5 million in ads seeking clients who used Roundup –  a weedkiller alleged to cause cancer that has been the subject of massive verdicts – even as the federal government supports the defendants.

Since the huge figures started rolling in, Roundup advertising has dominated lawyer-ad spending, research by X Ante has shown. The company specializes in researching the marketing of lawyers in mass torts.

An estimated $12.1 million was spent on Roundup ads in November and December in close to 69,000 spots. The number of Roundup ads decreased to 34,881 in January-February.

Meanwhile, lawyers searching for business are touting their abilities to handle problems the coronavirus poses in the legal community. For example:

-Memphis, Tenn., firm King Gray encouraged area residents affected by the pandemic to “ring the King”;

-Steidl & Steinberg of Pittsburgh offered to help those hurting financially;

-Thav Gross of Michigan made a similar appeal, calling themselves “the experts in financial crisis”; and

-Breyer Law Offices of Phoenix is telling the area, as part of a series of spots, that they will help possible personal injury plaintiffs get their cases going quickly – “that’s what we’re going to do for our community”;

There is no specific field of coronavirus litigation yet. Businesses can both face litigation for not protecting customers and sue insurance companies for coverage.

Cruise companies are among those facing the earliest litigation, and a Dallas lawsuit made headlines when it blamed the pandemic on China and asked for more than $20 trillion.

As for established mass tort fields, one of the biggest risers in lawyer advertising in January and February was Essure litigation against Bayer. The birth control device is the subject of thousands of lawsuits claiming it migrated and punctured internal organs.

Lawyer ad spending increased from $407,330 in November-December to $1,254,330 in January-February, X Ante says. The number of ads went from 825 to 4,747.

Ads over Zantac also went up, having just started late last year. Companies that produced it and generics are accused of using a carcinogen in their drugs.

Nearly $3 million was spent on 11,588 Zantac ads in January-February Zantac, X Ante says.

Spending on talcum powder ads was consistent, increasing from $4.8 million in November-December to $5,255,580 in January-February.

Ads for breast implant clients went way up, from $68,960 in January to $323,750, X Ante’s figures show.

From Legal Newsline: Reach editor John O’Brien at john.obrien@therecordinc.com.