How to Build Effective PR Strategies During Class-Action Lawsuits

The combined value of the top 10 settlements across all areas of class action litigation set a record high in 2025, exceeding the $70 billion mark for the first time.  

Record settlements don’t happen by accident. They happen when cases are built carefully, narratives are managed effectively, and public pressure is maintained over the life of the case. Beyond the legal strategy, behind every landmark settlement, there is also a communications strategy running alongside it, reinforcing it, and amplifying it.  

The connection is causal: public narrative shapes the pressure environment in which settlements are negotiated, and the terms defendants are willing to accept are influenced by how badly a case is going in the court of public opinion.  

Understanding what makes litigation communications effective in a class-action context begins with understanding what makes class-action lawsuits fundamentally different from other legal proceedings. Litigation communications professionals know this better than anyone. 

Why Class-Action Lawsuits Demand a Different PR Approach  

Class action lawsuits are fundamentally different. They are, by their very nature, public. The plaintiffs are numerous. The harm alleged is collective. And the defendants are often household names.  

This means that a strong communications strategy is an integral part of how the case is won.  

In a typical private dispute, an adverse ruling is contained. In a class action, every development, from certification to discovery to settlement talks, can generate national headlines and shift public perception in ways that affect class member participation, defendant stock price, and the willingness of both sides to reach a negotiated resolution.  

The cases that demand the most robust crisis PR effort tend to involve: 

• Privacy and data breaches affecting millions of people 

• Employment matters 

• Environmental damage to a community 

• Discrimination or civil rights violations 

• High-profile corporations as defendants (Big Tech, pharmaceutical companies, major financial institutions, etc.) 

The Foundation: Choosing the Right Narrative Frame 

Regardless of the case type or which side you are on, the most consequential PR decision in any class-action communications effort is also the first step: how to frame the story.  

The framing that tends to resonate most broadly with journalists, the public, and potential class members falls into these categories, broadly: 

• David vs. Goliath – ordinary people standing up to a powerful institution 

• Systemic wrongdoing – this wasn’t an accident, it was a pattern 

• Public interest – this affects everyone, not just the plaintiffs 

The right framing provides reporters with a narrative thread they can return to at every stage of the case.  

The frame also needs to be set early. Once a dominant narrative establishes itself in a case, whether defendant-friendly or plaintiff-friendly, it becomes the lens through which every subsequent development is interpreted. Choosing the wrong frame at the outset, or failing to establish one at all, cedes that interpretive control to the other side or to the media itself.  

Targeting the Right Journalists – Not Just the Most Coverage   

With the narrative frame established, the next step is targeted media engagement, when appropriate.  

Effective crisis communications in class-action litigation prioritizes the right coverage from the right outlets over volume, regardless of which side of the lawsuit you are on. Broad coverage from undifferentiated outlets may raise awareness; coverage from the outlets that shape opinion among investors, regulators, and potential class members moves the case.  

Three distinct types of journalists play different roles in class-action storytelling: 

• Local media in communities directly affected by the harm are critical for humanizing the story. Their coverage builds emotional resonance and gives potential class members a reason to pay attention and participate. 

• Legal affairs reporters at major national newspapers are essential for establishing credibility. They lend authority to the narrative and signal to institutional audiences (investors, regulators, policymakers) about the legal merit of the case.   

• Investigative journalists who cover the relevant industry (technology, pharmaceuticals, financial services) bring deep context and often the most scrutiny. Their coverage can either strengthen the case’s public positioning or surface new vulnerabilities. For this reason, working with investigative reporters requires a different approach.  

A strong litigation communications strategy maps each of these journalist types to a specific objective, identifies the right spokespeople and materials for each, and sequences outreach so that coverage builds momentum and strategically advances litigation objectives, rather than offering a fragmented picture of the issues at hand. 

Sustaining the Narrative: The Long Game 

The initial filing generates coverage. Journalists write the first story. Then, for months or sometimes years, the case continues to move through the courts while public attention dissipates. Depending on which side you are on, that can be a good or a bad thing. 

Either way, effective class action litigation PR treats every major milestone as a media event: a class certification hearing, the emergence of new evidence, the beginning of settlement negotiations. Each of these moments is an opportunity to refresh the narrative, generate new coverage, remind potential class members that the case is alive and moving forward, and maintain the public pressure that drives settlements, or defend your position.  

Class member participation rates are also directly affected by sustained communications. Low participation can undermine the size and credibility of the class itself, which in turn affects the settlement value.  

This requires a long-term communications plan developed at the outset of the case, not improvised as events unfold. Done well, crisis PR in a major class action is a core strategic capability, one that directly influences outcomes in the courtroom and at the negotiating table. The communications plan should be in place before the filing date, fully coordinated with legal strategy, and built to run the full length of the case.