Unlike traditional reporters, Rene Perras has built his domain by giving lawyers a voice—while transforming legal journalism
Legal journalism is a $14 billion industry dominated by traditional media outlets that rarely give solo practitioners and mid-sized law firms the spotlight they deserve. Coverage is reserved for BigLaw mergers, high-profile cases, or scandals. The founders are building practices one case at a time, and the trial lawyer fights for ordinary people, but remains largely invisible.
Rene Perras doesn’t accept that. The Canadian-born journalist and CEO of CEPAC has spent over two decades dismantling the traditional gatekeeping model of legal journalism, one interview at a time. His approach is radical in its simplicity: instead of chasing sensational headlines, he champions the expertise of legal professionals through his flagship media brand, “Coffee with Q.”
Since founding CEPAC in 1987, Perras has evolved from a PR consultant into something far more disruptive—a legal news reporter who operates outside the traditional newsroom hierarchy. His “Coffee with Q” platform has become the go-to destination for in-depth interviews with trial lawyers, medical malpractice experts, personal injury attorneys, and legal innovators across North America. These aren’t puff pieces. They’re substantive conversations that explore legal strategy, consumer rights, and the business of law.
“The narrative around consumer justice lawyers has been controlled by American media corporations for too long,” says Perras. “Trial lawyers protect consumers, fight for justice, and hold powerful corporations accountable. But who’s telling their story?”
From PR Expert to Legal Journalism Pioneer
Perras’ journey began in Montreal, where he developed an early passion with communications and business efficiency. After founding CEPAC in 1987, he spent years working with law firms on SEO, digital marketing, and press release distribution through his involvement with KISS PR. But something was missing.
“I realized lawyers needed more than rankings and press releases,” Perras explains. “They needed a platform where their expertise could shine, where potential clients could see them as educators and advocates, not just service providers.”
That realization led to the creation of “Coffee with Q,” an interview-based media platform that has published hundreds of episodes featuring legal experts on topics ranging from negligent security to medical malpractice, traumatic brain injuries to nursing home abuse. Published on major platforms including Spotify, iTunes, YouTube, and distributed through outlets like Globe Newswire, Yahoo Finance, and regional news channels, the show has generated millions of impressions.
Unlike traditional legal journalism, which extracts quotes for pre-determined narratives, Perras gives his subjects the floor. Episodes run 20-40 minutes, allowing lawyers to explain complex legal concepts, share case insights, and educate consumers about their rights. The format has proven remarkably effective—not just for brand building, but by helping victims recover some of their lost quality of life through fair and just compensation.
The Model: Journalism as Legal Marketing
What sets Perras apart is his hybrid model. He’s simultaneously a journalist covering legal issues and a marketing strategist helping law firms build authority. This dual role has drawn both admiration and skepticism from traditional legal marketers.
“Some PR firms don’t understand what we’re doing,” Perras admits. “They see media coverage as a commodity to sell. We see it as a platform to educate and connect.”
The results speak for themselves. His interview with Joe Osborne, a Boca Raton medical malpractice attorney, was distributed across dozens of news outlets and generated significant engagement on social media. His coverage of South Florida medical pioneer Dr. Barry Burak’s traumatic brain injury treatments reached regional news networks across multiple states. His attendance at the Shades of Mass 2025 convention in Los Angeles, interviewing civil justice attorneys alongside Ben Crump, demonstrates his access to the highest levels of legal leadership.
Perras has also contributed to Entrepreneur magazine, where his article on manganese replacing cobalt in electric vehicle batteries showcased his ability to translate complex technical subjects into accessible journalism. That same storytelling approach powers his legal coverage.
Building the “Elite Medical and Healthcare Legal Professional” Series
One of Perras’s most successful initiatives is his “Elite Medical and Healthcare Legal Professional” series within Coffee with Q. This sub-brand focuses specifically on the intersection of healthcare and law—medical malpractice, personal injury medicine, traumatic brain injuries, and healthcare innovation.
“Personal injury law is about more than litigation,” Perras explains. “It’s about understanding medicine, treatment options, and how to advocate for catastrophically injured patients. Our series brings together the medical and legal experts who are changing lives.”
The series has featured interviews with Dr. Barry Burak on revolutionary TBI diagnosis and treatments, medical malpractice expert Joe Osborne on preventing medical errors, and negligent security attorney discussions on property owner liability. Each episode is meticulously researched and promoted across multiple channels, giving both the expert and the audience maximum value.
The Distribution Advantage
Perras’ background in digital PR gives him a distribution advantage that traditional journalists lack. Through his relationships with KISS PR and Brand Story Newswire, his interviews don’t just publish—they syndicate. A single interview might appear on Globe Newswire, Yahoo Finance, Manila Times, News Channel Nebraska, and dozens of regional news sites.
This distribution model transforms a 30-minute interview into a multi-platform content asset that lives permanently online, drives SEO value, and positions the featured attorney as a subject matter expert and thought leader. It’s journalism, yes—but journalism engineered for maximum impact.
The Critics and the Vision
Not everyone appreciates Perras’ approach. Some traditional journalists question whether interviewed subjects should have so much control over the narrative. Some legal marketing firms see him as competition. Some bar associations worry about the line between journalism and advertising.
Perras is undeterred. “I’m giving lawyers a voice they wouldn’t otherwise have,” he says. “I’m not manufacturing fake news or creating puff pieces. I’m conducting substantive interviews with real experts about issues that matter to consumers. If that threatens the status quo, so be it.”
His long-term vision is ambitious: to build Coffee with Q into the leading platform for legal journalism in North America, expanding beyond solo reporting to a network of legal news reporters covering different practice areas and geographic regions. He’s already brought on attorney and legal expert Jennifer Anton as co-host and legal news reporter, signaling his intent to scale.
“Ten years from now, I want Coffee with Q to be the first place consumers go when they need to understand their legal rights,” Perras says. “I want it to be the first place lawyers think of when they have expertise to share. And I want to have trained a generation of legal journalists who understand that law isn’t just about courtrooms and statutes—it’s about people.”
A New Visibility Infrastructure for Law Firms
What Perras has built isn’t just a podcast or a news site. It’s infrastructure. A new pathway for law firm founders to build authority, educate potential clients, and differentiate themselves in an increasingly crowded marketplace.
For lawyers who’ve spent tens of thousands of dollars on SEO, ads, and traditional PR with mixed results, the Coffee with Q model offers something different: an authentic platform where their expertise takes center stage, distributed through channels that build long-term credibility.
As legal marketing becomes increasingly commoditized, with AI-generated content and look-alike websites flooding the market, Perras’s interview-based approach stands out. It’s personal. It’s substantive, and it works.
Whether the legal journalism establishment will embrace his model or resist it remains to be seen. But for the trial lawyers, personal injury attorneys, and medical malpractice experts who’ve found their voice through Coffee with Q, Rene Perras isn’t just championing legal journalism, he’s reinventing it.
Learn more about Rene Perras and Coffee with Q:
- Visit: CoffeeWithQ.org
- Connect: RenePerras.com
- Featured in: Entrepreneur, Globe Newswire, Yahoo Finance, Manila Times
- Notable coverage: Shades of Mass 2025, National Trial Lawyers Summit 2022
- Interviews available on: Spotify, iTunes, YouTube
