Paul Nathanson
Partner
Paul Nathanson has three decades of years of experience in strategic communications. His focus is on reputation management, litigation communications support, message development and implementation, public affairs policy analysis, media relations and strategic counseling services for a range of U.S. and international clients. He assists clients in formulating effective arguments and ensures that clients’ views are heard and understood by their target audiences, including Members of Congress, policymakers, shareholders, the news media and the public.
Paul has managed comprehensive strategic and crisis communications planning and response programs for a range of clients in the fields of consumer products, energy and natural resources, manufacturing, finance and health industries. Paul has provided crisis communications and media training to a range of corporate CEOs and other senior executives, trade association leaders and non-profit heads. He also has managed litigations communications support programs for numerous prominent, nationally known legal cases.
Paul also has extensive experience in managing strategic communications and public affairs campaigns related to international trade. He has provided grassroots, stakeholder relations and public relations support to clients on high profile issues, including Section 201 232 and 301 tariffs, and numerous anti-dumping and countervailing duty cases on products ranging from Canadian piglets to quartz countertops.
Prior to joining PRG, Paul spent 15 years as a partner at a public relations agency, where he headed the firm’s Washington, D.C. office and managed strategic communications programs for corporations, trade associations, foreign governments and international donor agencies both in the U.S. and in the former Soviet Union. In addition, he has managed multi-million dollar donor-funded privatization and economic reform programs overseas, and market entry and reputation management programs for domestic and international private sector clients.
Paul began his career in the non-profit sector, where he served for seven years as a vice president for a non-governmental organization, directing democracy-building programs around the world, including election monitoring, technical assistance to legislatures and international conference management in Central America, Asia, the former Soviet Union, and Central and Eastern Europe.
Education:
M.A., International Affairs, The George Washington University, 1987
B.A., International Relations, Boston University, 1985
Noteworthy:
Alumni Spotlight, Boston University’s Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies, 2018
Known For: Providing strategic communications, crisis communications, litigation communications and media training support to U.S. and multinational corporations and trade associations.
Interesting Career Note: Paul organized a conference in 1990 in Sofia, Bulgaria on “The Proper Role of an Intelligence Agency in a Democracy” at a villa of former Bulgarian dictator Todor Zhivkov. The conference was attended by the Directors or Deputy Directors of all the intelligence services of the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. The Albanian Director of Intelligence had his car stolen during the conference.
Fast Fact: A native of Chicago, Paul uttered the phrase “wait till next year” when the Cubs are mathematically eliminated from the baseball playoff race each year up until 2016, when he fulfilled a life-long dream and attended a World Series game at Wrigley Field.
Affiliations:Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies at Boston University, Dean’s Advisory Board, 2018 – Present
Camp for All Kids Board of Directors, Chair, 2011 - 2017, and Board Member, 2009 – 2017
American Jobs for America's Heroes, Advisory Council, 2012 – 2017
Publications/Speeches:
“Washington Update,” Forming our Future Leadership Conference, Precision Metalforming Association, Huntington Beach, CA March 2023
“Key Political and Economic Risks that Companies in the Metals Supply Chain,” American Metals Supply Chain Institute Conference: Risk Mitigation in Turbulent Times, June 2022
Update on Congressional Efforts to Reform Section 232, AIIS Steel Con, April 2019
“Advocating for Your Industry’s Cause and Understanding,” Associations: 2020 and Beyond, New York, NY, June 2015.
“Regulations: What to Expect from the New Administration and Congress,” Forming Our Future: PMA’s Leadership Conference and Annual Meeting, March 2017.
“Steel Trade and Steel Consumers,” 25th Annual Tampa Steel Conference, Tampa, FL, May 2014.
“Post Election Analysis: How the Results Impact U.S. Manufacturing,” FABTECH, Las Vegas, NV, November 2012.
“How Companies Can Prepare for the Consumer Product Safety Database,” American Apparel & Footwear Association Product Safety Seminar, Hollywood, CA, May 2011.
