McCaleb’s range of experience bridges international journalism, law, investigations, reputational recovery and management, and strategic, litigation and crisis communications
Washington, D.C. – Mercury, a leading global, bipartisan public strategy firm, announced today that Ian Christopher McCaleb, whose work as a legal sector advisor and litigation communications specialist has been recognized by Chambers and Partners and Lawdragon, has joined the firm as a Managing Director.
McCaleb is credited with devising a legal sector advisory model that has assisted some of the world’s most prominent law firms, at the executive and management committee levels, address high-stakes internal matters affecting their practices, partner populations and operations.
“Ian’s reputation as a trusted advisor to some of the world’s most influential law firms preceded his arrival at Mercury,” said Kieran Mahoney, Mercury CEO. “His experience as a top-tier television journalist, a senior Department of Justice spokesman and counsel, a U.S. intelligence community advisor, and the chair of a prominent public relations firm’s litigation communications practice make him a formidable addition as a communications strategist for a variety of legal and reputational matters.”
McCaleb’s breadth of knowledge has been accumulated through nearly two decades of experience as a national and international reporter specializing in legal affairs, law enforcement, politics, legislation, terrorism and conflict and the U.S. defense and intelligence establishments. He has worked for premier news outlets including CNN, the Fox News Channel, United Press International, McClatchy Newspapers and Congressional Quarterly. He is also a successful entrepreneur who formed and operated his own consultancy, chaired a major communications firm’s litigation communications practice and helped one of the world’s largest law firms establish its strategic communications offerings.
In the U.S. government, McCaleb served as Senior Spokesman for the Criminal Division at the Department of Justice and Senior Counsel to the Division’s Assistant Attorney General, and was a U.S. national intelligence specialist. He honed a unique reputation as a predictive media analysis expert when he was the sole media consultant to the Information Review Task Force (IRTF) – the multi-agency analytical body assembled to assess damage to the U.S. military and federal agencies after the 2010 leak of classified government data to WikiLeaks.org. This work gained him a National Meritorious Service Award in 2011.
McCaleb spent seven years at the Fox News Channel, concluding his tenure as a senior producer covering the Justice Department, the Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. intelligence community. He joined Fox after three years as the Chief Political Correspondent for CNN.com, where he covered the 2000 presidential election. In this position, he also led all of CNN.com’s Washington-based coverage of the 9/11 attacks.
“Mercury has an unrivaled reputation as one of the world’s most sought-after and most respected problem-solvers,” McCaleb said. “All of my previous paths have led me right to this tremendous opportunity. I’m beyond excited to have the privilege of calling Mercury my professional home.”
McCaleb will be based in Mercury’s Washington, DC office, but his work will span Mercury’s entire U.S. operation, and he will also work at regular intervals in London, where he lives part-time.
About Mercury
Mercury is a high-stakes, bipartisan public strategy firm. The firm provides a comprehensive suite of services that includes federal government relations, international affairs, digital influence, public opinion research, media strategy and a bipartisan grassroots mobilization network in all 50 states. Our firm is not just led by top talent — we distinguish ourselves by having senior talent deeply engaged in each project from start to finish, a promise we keep to clients. The firm has an established global presence, with U.S. offices in Washington, DC, New York, California, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Florida, and Tennessee, as well as international offices in London and Mexico City. Mercury is a part of the Omnicom Public Relations Group.
About Omnicom Public Relations Group
Omnicom Public Relations Group is a global collective of three of the top global public relations agencies worldwide and specialist agencies in areas including public affairs, marketing to women, global health strategy and corporate social responsibility. It encompasses more than 6,300 public relations professionals in more than 370 offices worldwide who provide their expertise to companies, government agencies, NGOs and nonprofits across a wide range of industries. Omnicom Public Relations Group delivers for clients through a relentless focus on talent, continuous pursuit of innovation and a culture steeped in collaboration. Omnicom Public Relations Group is part of the DAS Group of Companies, a division of Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE: OMC) that includes more than 200 companies in a wide range of marketing disciplines including advertising, public relations, healthcare, customer relationship management, events, promotional marketing, branding and research.
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