Posted on: Saturday, October 16, 2004
UH consultant fee $275 an hour in Dobelle case
| • | UH consultant's claimed duties in Dobelle Case |
By Jim Dooley
Advertiser Staff Writer
A public relations consultant hired after the University of Hawai'i fired UH president Evan Dobelle in June charged $275 per hour and performed 294 hours of service, UH lawyer William McCorriston said yesterday.
The university and McCorriston declined earlier this month to provide any details of the $89,742 bill submitted by Richard Zwern of the firm QSR-Pacific Inc., saying that because he worked for McCorriston's private law firm, Zwern's billings were confidential "attorney work product."
Yesterday McCorriston released a list with 36 entries describing jobs Zwern performed between June 25 and Aug. 10 in the aftermath of Dobelle's termination in June.
Dobelle's ouster cost the university about $1 million in fees from lawyers hired by the Board of Regents to negotiate a settlement and fees for his attorneys. Regent Kitty Lagareta has said the legal bill, which includes $290,000 paid to Dobelle's legal team, and an estimated $750,000 due to UH lawyers, enabled the university to avoid at least $4.5 million that would have been paid if Dobelle had been fired without cause and his contract paid off.
Dobelle's three-year presidency ended with his Aug. 14 resignation, and after an agreement that rescinded his firing "for cause."
McCorriston said some of Zwern's work would not be disclosed publicly because it was "intimately related to the legal work product for the mediation and litigation matters."
This work, McCorriston said, involved helping the UH lawyers "prepare the Dobelle mediation case as well as to prepare for litigation should the mediation fail."
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| UH consultant's claimed duties in Dobelle Case
Here is the list, in the language provided to The Advertiser, of non-legal matters Zwern worked on: Media review and background; follow-up (Dobelle attorney's) news conference; develop communications strategy; develop overall strategy. (June 25). Review of media coverage and analysis; conferences and meeting; review voluminous background documents. (June 26 & 27). Communications strategy consultations; national news coverage database; conference re (Honolulu Star Bulletin reporter Craig) Gima (June 28) Follow up media coverage contingencies (June 29). Develop media lists for joint statements (June 30). Revise draft press statement (July 1). Conference; develop work plan (July 9/10). Review steps and define deliverables (July 10). (University consultant) Atwell comments on Dobelle and performance evaluations, work out sound bite concepts; article re July 15th meeting public notice and posting (July 13). Atwell, Western Association of Schools and Colleges report review; preparation of message flow depending on scenario; summary of Dobelle's actions leading to erosion of trust; develop alternative platform theme for potential discussion. (July 13). Review status and prepare next steps regarding review/replay to Board of Regents options and associated PR plans (July 14). Attend Board of Regents meeting; develop media statement for release; work with (University spokeswoman) Carolyn Tanaka re distribution of release; review news coverage re Opinion Dynamics, Dobelle's sabbatical; develop action steps (July 15). Media analysis and follow-up (July 17). Media coverage review. (July 19). Coordinate response to media with C. Tanaka; recommendations regarding law firm compensation issue (July 19). Drafted potential statements; reviewed voluminous documents (July 21). Developed press statements re: action taken by Board of Regents; work with (Tanaka) to distribute statement; worked with (Tanaka) re media inquiries; additional changes to Board of Regent meeting press statement drafts; telecom re Board of Regents actions and communications needs (July 22). Review documents and analyze (July 23). Media strategy for BOR meeting (July 26). Comprehensive media planning in preparation of mediation settlement (July 27). Contingency planning in connection with possible (Dobelle attorney Rick) Fried pre-emption; prepare multiple statements for BOR spokespersons; develop and refine key messages; prep detailed action plan for 7/29 including roles, responsibilities for internal and external communications; conduct media training session (July 29). Ongoing media liaison; secure Advertiser Op-Ed placement multiple negotiations with (Advertiser Editorial Page Editor Jerry) Burris (July 30). (Advertiser reporter Beverly) Creamer re: insurance clarification (July 31). News coverage and follow-up (July 31). Prepare message points for media campaign; Office of Information Practices request (August 2). Review office of Information Practices decision letter; prepare OIP transmittal letter/press release draft for use by UH; media follow-up re: status of compliance and timetable. (Aug. 3). OIP compliance (Aug. 4). Reviewed media coverage of mediation settlement; continued public relations management of OIP issues; media relations planning, strategy, and next steps (Aug. 5). Media coverage review; possible media interest in donor and contribution issues (Aug. 6). OIP 8/6 decision and review (Aug. 7) Revise plans to include source documents release; ongoing media liaison (Aug. 8). OIP issues and matter relating to document release and media interest/coverage of same (Aug. 9). Prepare statement for use by UH in companion news release; conferences with Tanaka re: logistics planning, statement revisions (Aug. 10). |
