Reputation Protection When It's Needed Most

Litigation. Bad Press. Political Attacks.

Let's Get You Through the Rough Waters

Advantage: Clear Mission

The Class Five mission is to provide best-in-class strategy development and execution of reputation risk management and litigation support strategies by working hard, exceeding expectations, and treating people with courtesy.

Advantage: Hands-On Experience

From Capitol Hill to board rooms and courthouses, Class Five delivers decades of hands-on experience in government service, political communications, and urgent communications consulting.

Advantage: Actionable Advice

We don't sell products, we solve problems. Class Five provides a 360-degree perspective and proven strategies unchained to tactics or services. By offering best-in-class service to handle high-profile, complex urgencies, we work to win in the court of public opinion.

Experience & Judgement

Erick Mullen

With thirty years of government service, political consulting and strategic public affairs work in Washington, DC, Erick Mullen is an experienced insider who doesn’t waste time guessing. Erick spent the ‘90s on Capitol Hill learning how to succeed inside the Beltway from legendary members of the House and Senate. There he won the U.S. Capitol Police Service Award for meritorious acts in 1994. In 2002, he was selected by a bipartisan committee of the House and Senate to produce the historic Joint Session of Congress at Ground Zero in New York City to commemorate the first anniversary of the attacks on 9-11.

Launching Mullen & Company in 2003, Erick used quantitative analysis to rethink political campaign strategy away from the cultural trends ("that's how it's been done') to rational approaches ("how do we use what we have to build what we need to get what we want?"). Mullen & Co. delivered winning political strategies and pioneered narrowcasting and was an early adopter of digital advertising on Google and Pandora. Mullen & Co. expanded into corporate public affairs and litigation communications as the world came to grips with the speed and permanence of internet search tools and their impact on reputation management.

In 2013, Mullen & Co. folded into Mercury Public Affairs where Erick joined as a Managing Director. He developed and honed his one-of-a-kind value proposition by providing clients with a tactically agnostic, 360-degree perspective. Today, his practice area at Class Five Strategies is the swirling crosscurrents of litigation, publicity, and politics. Erick is hired to manage urgent situations that have implications on the reputations of top brands, luminaries, high-net-worth individuals, and family offices.

In his off hours, Erick serves on the Board of Trustees of the Lowell School and the Board of Directors of Plastics Free America. He is a member of the John Carroll Society, the Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels, the Society of Sons of the American Revolution, and the University Club of Washington, DC.

LDA Registered
FARA Registered

Strategy & Tactics

Reputation Management

Your reputation is everything. Let us help you protect and enhance your reputation with our proven digital reputation management strategies built on years of experience.

Threat Assessment

Your search engine results page is a permanent part of your reputation these days. Our team will work closely with yours to evaluate your situation to determine your risk level and a path forward. We will work to verify the sources of public criticism and unmask bots, and paid agitators who may be behind your troubles.

Media Engagement

We will do the research and work closely with you to develop and execute a strategic media relations plan that tells a better story and gets them in front of the right audiences.

Policymaker Education

Policymakers respond poorly to both mysteries or neglect. You can rely on our experience and judgment to help you navigate the rough waters on Capitol Hill, the Administration and state capitals from Alaska to Puerto Rico.

Thought Leadership & Content Marketing

Our team of content marketing experts will help you create and distribute high-quality content that drives traffic to your website and positions you as a thought leader in your industry.