Former Paul Hastings and Freshfields communications leader strengthens LIMELIGHT’s media relations and thought leadership capabilities as the agency expands its law firm practice
NEW YORK, June 4, 2026 — LIMELIGHT, a growth communications firm serving professional services, legal services, technology, and B2B companies, today announced the appointment of Christopher Sumano as Account Director. Sumano joins from Paul Hastings, where he served as a communications professional supporting some of the firm’s most active practice groups, including Securities & Capital Markets, Real Estate, Energy & Infrastructure, Emerging Companies & Venture Capital, and Global Finance.
The addition of Sumano further strengthens LIMELIGHT’s roster of former in-house law firm communications professionals as firms face growing demand for strategic support around lateral partner launches, deal announcements, and thought leadership programs.
The appointment follows LIMELIGHT’s October 2025 hire of Arielle Lapiano, a former communications executive at Paul Hastings, as Senior Vice President to lead the agency’s growing Law Firm Practice. The two hires reflect continued expansion of LIMELIGHT’s law firm business and the agency’s deliberate investment in professionals with firsthand experience working inside the firms it serves.
“Law firm communications teams need agency partners who speak their language from day one,” said Kenny Gary, CEO and Founding Partner of LIMELIGHT. “Chris has run these programs from the inside at firms that set the standard for how Big Law communications should operate. That’s an enormous advantage for our clients.”
Sumano brings dedicated Big Law communications experience, having served in communications roles at both Paul Hastings and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer before joining LIMELIGHT. At Paul Hastings, he led external communications strategy for multiple high-profile practice groups, managing inbound and outbound media relations, reporter relationships, deal and matter news, thought leadership pitching, and the full lifecycle of lateral partner launches. He also assisted in developing leadership-level media preparation and training materials and created the firm’s daily internal news roundup. At Freshfields, he performed similar communications and PR functions with an emphasis on M&A, Securities & Capital Markets, and other transactional practices, and launched a quarterly internal newsletter for U.S. offices.
“Law firm communications is where we’ve seen some of our most consistent demand, and it complements the other parts of our business, where we represent legal vendors, service providers, industry organizations, and the legal and compliance functions of major companies,” said Erin Harrison, Chief Client Officer and Founding Partner of LIMELIGHT. “What we know about Chris is that he understands the pressures law firm communications and business development teams are under. That’s the starting point our clients need.”
Sumano added: “Law firm communications teams are juggling lateral launches, practice group visibility, thought leadership, deal flow, and leadership profiles, usually with real time pressure and high expectations from all sides. I’ve lived that. Coming to LIMELIGHT feels like the right way to take what I learned in Big Law communications and put it to work for firms that need exactly that kind of support, from someone who has been in the room.”
Sumano holds a B.A. in Journalism from SUNY New Paltz. Prior to his in-house communications roles, he gained communications agency experience at 202 Communications and Wall Street Communications.
About LIMELIGHT
LIMELIGHT is a strategic communications and marketing agency dedicated to the legal, technology, and professional services sectors. Led by former journalists and lawyers with deep experience across legal, financial, and professional services and the tech companies that fuel them, LIMELIGHT helps firms build brand authority and achieve sustainable growth through creative storytelling and industry expertise.
Based in New York, the agency offers a full range of growth communications services, including strategic planning, media relations, crisis communications, litigation PR, content development, survey research, digital marketing, and creative services. Learn more at www.limelightgrowth.com.
Media Contact
Emily Bricker
LIMELIGHT
emily@limelightgrowth.com