NEW YORK: James Grant, VP of The Michael Russell Group, is leaving the firm to launch his own PR firm called James Grant PR.
Grant led the New York office for The Michael Russell Group. His new firm will handle marketing, publicity, and celebrity outreach for nonprofit organizations, films, and documentaries. Grant will bring over all his New York-based clients from The Michael Russell Group as well as his PR team. Clients include United Cerebral Palsy of New York City and The Loreen Arbus Foundation. Publicists Matt Flynn and David Tomassi will join James Grant PR as well as two other employees.
“The timing was just right because at the moment the firm has no bi-coastal clients. The split was amicable and I would love to work on future projects with Michael,” Grant said.
Russell and Grant worked together at Orion Pictures where Russell was VP and Grant was the West Coast publicity director. Grant is also a former journalist. He worked for People, In Style, Entertainment Weekly, and as West Coast Bureau Chief of Life magazine. He made the move to The Michael Russell Group two years ago when he was approached to run the New York office.
"We still plan to work with James on a project-by-project basis," Russell said.
Aside from his existing clients, Grant also signed HOK's New York office, a global architectural firm that specializes in planning and design, as a client.
“I would love to expand what I do to include new areas. I'm really interested in the corporate and nonprofit area” Grant said.
Going forward, Grant added he will take a conservative approach to new business and will first make sure his current clients are fully serviced.
