Gary Lawson - Scott Griggs Email Exchange
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From:
Griggs,Scott[mailto:scott.griggs@dallascityhall.com]
Sent:
Thursday,July25,20133:27
PM
To:
Lawson,Gary
Cc:
Tettament,Richard;JoshuaMond;Tolson,Linda;GeorgeTomasovic
Subject:
Re:
DPF
AttorneyClientPrivilegedandConfidentialRumorregardingMikeSnyder
Gary:Thankyoufortheemailandinformation.Iunderstandfromyouremailthatneitheryounoranymember
of
theSystem,includingRichard,wereaware
of
MikeSynder'sactionsandMr.Synderactedalonewithoutconsultation
of
theSystem.Pleaseletmeknow
if
mytake-awayisincorrectorinerror.Richard
&
George:IrecommendtheSystemenditsrelationshipwithMikeSynder,
if
wehaven'tdonesoalready.Ialsorecommend,asamatter
of
policy,thatweformulateaclearandpositivePRpolicyonthismatter.Pleaseadvise.Regards,ScottOnJu125,2013,at11:41AM,"Lawson,Gary"<Garv.Lawson({l)strasburger.com>wrote:
Scott,RichardhasforwardedtobothJoshandmeyouremailinquiryregardingMikeSnyderbelow.Asyoumayalreadyknow,Richardhasbeenandstillisinyearoldmother.Shehadtwodaysago.with
hiS.
IjustreadapostattributedtoMikeSnyder'suseofascreennamethatGaryJacobsonforwardedtoRichard.IbelievethismightbethepostGaryJacobsonorSteveThompsonmusthaveforwardedtoyouaswell?Itread,
"The
bully
inthisequationhasbeentheNesher'scarefullycraftedPRcampaignthroughsurrogateslike
Mayor
Rawlings,TomLuce(whotookthe
siefe
of
theNesherinstead
of
beinganindependentgobetween)...
MikewasclearlynotprofessionalorrespectfulinhiscommentsonMayorRawlingsorTomLuce'sengagementinthesematters.
f
(~~
.,
~
r-
-
WhilethatpostobviouslyreflectsMike'sfrustrationbothwiththeveryonesidedpresentationofthereflectionissueinboththeDallasMorningNewsandDMagazine(then,andstilltoday)andtheinexplicableunwillingnessoftheNashertoenterintoanysortofdialog,itwasunprofessionalofMikeSnydertomentiontheMayorandTomLuce.IthinkeveryoneassociatedwiththeSystemrecognizesthatlikemostmetropolitanareasaroundthenationtoday,Dallashasonlyonemajornewspaperandthisverypowerfulnewsoutlethasbecomeanoracleforonesideinthisissue.IthinkyouwouldagreethattheDallasMorningNewshasnotgiventhePensionSystemafairpublichearing;theyarenotengaginginmerejournalisticreporting,butratherarestronglyengagedinopinionshaping?Wealsomustrecognizethatifthisdisputefindsitselfplayedoutinacourtoflaw,anyjurypoolwillnodoubthavebeeninformedbythemessagethemediahasshaped.Noamountofvoirdirewillbesufficienttoweedouttheprejudicessowedbythemediahere.Itrusttoothatyourlegalopinionisnotunlikemine;thattheSystemandMuseumTowerhavenotviolatedthepropertyrightsoftheNasherandthebuildinghasnotcreatedanactionablenuisance,whichwouldleadacourttofindMuseumTowerandtheSystemliabletochangetheglassskinofMuseumTower?Thatbeingsaid,itisnotonlyproperfortheSystemtodefenditselfinthemedia,toattempttogetoutthefactualinformationaboutthescienceandhistoryoftheproperty,aboutRayNasherbeingfirstofferedthelandwhichisnowthesiteofMuseumTower,andtheNasher'sattempttoconvincetheCitytocondemnthesiteaswell,butprobablynecessaryasgoodstewardsoftheSystem'sassetstotryandgetthisinformationouttoturnpublicopinionsandtherebyincreasethe
valueoftheSystem'sassetofMuseumTower.
AsapatentlawyerIamsureyouagreethattellingtheSystem'sengineeringstory,showingtheNasher'sroofforwhatitis,a
patented
engineeringsolution,
not
aworkofart,andthatallengineeringgoesthroughenhancements,especiallyinlightofboththesinglenewspapercitywehave,andthefactthattodayevennationsarebroughttotheirkneesbysocialmedia(e.g.Egypt),engaginginputtingoutabalancedpositioninthatmediumisessential.ItisthusjustandfairfortheSystemtohaveavoiceintherealmofblogging,notonlytohelpattempttoshapepublicopiniontoinfluenceNasherto"trytheoculisolution",aswellaspublicofficialslikeMayorRawlings,whohasonmorethanoneoccasiontriedtoinfluencetheoutcomeinfavoroftheNasher'srequestedchangetoMuseumTowerortosellthebuildingtoahighlyregardedrealestate
developer(bothofwhicheffortsareincompletederogationofthefiduciarydutyyouandeachboardmemberareobligedtouphold),butalsotoassurethatifthereisatrial,theSystemhasahopeofseatingajustandunbiasedjurypoolwithouthavingtoaskforachangeofvenue.Theelectronicpostingbypoliceofficers,firefightersandbypersonsengagedbyMikeSnyder,was,wehavecometonowlearn,perceivedbyMikeasthewaythattheSystemcould,inlightofasinglenewspapercity,balancethehugenegativecommentarybothbytheDallasMorningNewsandDMagazine.NooneattheSystemorinmyfirmorotherwisewereawareofthesewordsuntilaftertheywerepublicandwehadnoideathatMikehadusedascreenname,althoughtheuseofpseudo'namesseemsmorecommonthennotnotonlyinmostblogsbutcertainlyonbothsidesofthispublicdebate.Further,Scott,thefactthattheDallasMorningNewstracksdowntheidentityofpersonwhopostsanonymously,asmanypeopledoincommentingaboutmatters,especiallyonesthemediathemselvesputintoplay,isfranklyquitechilling.SomemightsuggestthattheDMNviolatesitstrustwiththepublicwhenitascertainstheidentityofanyblogger?But,theirconductbecomesmoreshockingwhentheyfurthertakethosenamesandgotoyou,agovernmental
official,
aCityCouncilMemberandamemberoftheBoardofTrusteesoftheDallasPoliceandFirePensionSystem,andcomplainthatusingascreennamebysomeonewhoinsomecapacityisworkingfortheSystemwaswrongful.Isn'tthisanegregiousattempttochilltheSystem'srighttopubliccommentary?HavetheyaskedtheNashertoidentifyifanyofthepro-NasherblogsworkfortheNasher?Ifpeopledon'thaveanimpliedtrustwithnewspaperandothermediaoutletsisn'tthatalmostasfrighteningasthefederalgovernment'scaptureofallphoneconversationsortheChinesegovernmentcrackdowninTiananmensquare?Iamsurethatifyouexamineblogsyouwillseethatalargenumber,perhapsthemajorityofpeopledon'tidentifythemselves.Thatisthenatureofthatmedium.WealsohavesuspicionbaseduponcertainreportedtrendsthatrepresentativesoftheNasherthemselvesandpersonsworkingfortheDallasMorningNewsmaybecommentingontheirownblogstohelpgeneratebothcontroversyandtraffic.Thattoo,Iguessisthenatureofthatmedium.
GaryLawson
,
Strasburger&Price,LLP•901MainS
treet,
Suite4400,Dallas,TX75202•Office214.651.4307
cell
469.964.8500
•Fax2
14.659.4045
