By DONNA BALANCIA
CFLJ Editor

     New media and innovative marketing played a critical role in Barack Obama's victory over John McCain in the 2008 Presidential Election.  Through the use of email, text messages and automated telephone dialers, President-Elect Obama’s team made a powerful call to action.
      "The texts, emails and YouTube allowed Obama to go directly to the individuals, bypassing the filtered message of traditional media,” said Carol LoCicero of Thomas & LoCicero of Tampa.

    Thomas & LoCicero specializes in media law, Internet technology law, and advertising, promotions and marketing law.
     “There are law firms that can use that technology and law firms can win more clients.”
      Obama gained momentum by corralling the support of a range of people across the nation, with particular emphasis on those who use new media tools, said Thomas & LoCicero attorney Jim McGuire.
     "Barack Obama did a great job to develop a community of people who communicate with each other, and that's a powerful tool," McGuire said. "I don't know about you but I got emails, and texts almost on a daily basis from the campaign and they also used these communications for fundraising."
     McGuire said that the technology effort may have swayed those who may not have gone to the polls. And while it may seem the appeal of texting and emails may be for the young, the campaign work did the trick.
     But did the campaign run the risk of alienating those older folks who don't use new media?
     "No,” McGuire said. “I think that it helps broaden the audience. It gives you more in the arsenal, it gives you more buzz.”
     But caution should be taken, however, because the same new media that helped raise Obama to the White House, can hurt those who may not be as savvy.
     "Think about Sarah Palin's interview with Katie Couric,” McGuire said. “Because of the presence of the Internet and Youtube, the cycle of the story went on for days longer that it would had it been solely broadcast on television.
     "It's like a viral video,”  he said.  “There was a video of Kobe Bryant leaping over a swimming pool filled with black snakes. That was created, but it left a strong impression.”
     LoCicero said she thinks there could be many ways for firms to ethically advertise their services through the new media.
     “There must be a way to put out the buzz for a law firm by creating a non traditional advertising effort,” she said. “For instance PI firms, bankruptcy lawyers, firms that are representing individuals involved in foreclosure. Those types of attorneys can benefit from pushing a message broadly -- and in many cases more cheaply -- to people they want to target.”
     “With all that’s available to us today, there is a lot a law firm can do,” LoCicero said.  “Today, a Web site can go far beyond what traditional media could ever do in the past."

Sandra Sovinski has opened Innovative IP LLC, a new Central Florida intellectual property boutique located in New Smyrna Beach.  The firm focuses on patents, trademarks, copyrights, go to innovative-ip.net or call toll free 800-729-5541. The mailing address is PO Box 217 New Smyrna Beach, Fl 32170.

Claudia F. Haines has joined Dean Mead in Viera in an of counsel capacity. Haines represents clients in the area of business/corporate law with an emphasis on business combinations and divestitures, corporate governance, business contracts, the legal and business issues unique to technology start-ups, and business negotiations, including informal dispute resolution.

Stiles, Taylor and Grace, a 50-person law firm with offices in five Southeastern cities, has merged with Joyner & Jordan-Holmes, a four-attorney Tampa firm. Arthenia Joyner and Clark Jordan-Holmes will be shareholders in Stiles, Taylor & Grace, which remains the firm’s name. Joyner is a Democratic state senator from Tampa.

Laurie Beechner and Jennifer Englert have formed Beechner & Englert, PL at 3564 Avalon Park Blvd. E. Suite 1 #266, Orlando 32828. The firm will focus on civil litigation, as well as a general civil practice, on the east side of Orlando, including business law, contract disputes, real estate, family law, estates and trusts, and children’s rights. They can be reached at (407) 512-4394.

Sachs Sax Caplan has relocated its Boca Raton office to The Atrium in the Arvida Park of Commerce at 6111 Broken Sound Parkway.

Robert Bonanno, Jr., has formed The Bonanno Firm in Tampa. He will concentrate on personal injury and wrongful death cases, involving automobile accidents and slip-and-falls. He can be reached at (813) 314-2148 or at rbonanno@bonannofirm.com.

Richard Coaxum, Jr., has joined Ruden McClosky in Orlando as of counsel. Coaxum concentrates his practice in the areas of government law, complex commercial litigation, land use, commercial contracts, and utilities.