Law Firm Pulls Horribly Offensive 9/11 Flyer

By Bob Marshall 

The longer you stare at the above flyer for law firm Worby Groner Edelman & Napoli Bern, the worse it gets. You think your clients are pricks? Imagine doing work for these guys, who already made headlines for charging 9/11 victims over $1.75 million in legal fees, which they attributed to “expert costs.”

But, this story gets even worse the more you read about it, as Gothamist reported yesterday. Prepare to be sick to your stomach:

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  • The firefighter pictured on the flier, Robert Keiley, wasn’t actually a 9/11 responder.
  • But, he is an actual FDNY firefigher.
  • Keiley wasn’t even a firefighter yet during 9/11.
  • Keiley feels horrible about the flier debacle, telling the New York Post yesterday that he had loved ones die during 9/11 and said, “How can I look their families in the eye if they see this picture, thinking I’m trying to make money on their [loved ones’] deaths? They’d probably think I’m a scumbag.”
  • During the original photoshoot, Keiley was holding a firefighter’s helmet. That picture he’s holding was photoshopped in later.

The agency behind the flyer is Barker/DZP, which addressed the controversy in a statement saying,  “We hold all firefighters in the highest regard, and believe all New York City firefighters are heroes. While our mistake was entirely inadvertent, we understand why the ad has caused hurt, we regret its use, and we accept responsibility. Out of respect for all parties involved, Barker/DZP has voluntarily withdrawn from this assignment.”

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