Private equity firms were once thought to be highly secretive, almost mysterious. That reputation really doesn't serve the industry well. At the same time, the competition is intense. So many in the industry have realized that they have some pretty pressing public relations needs. PR for private equity funds, and hedge funds for that matter, can be lumped into two categories according to PR Week: M&A-related communications and on-going programs, everything from brand to strategy to local PR. So for the New York-based PR industry, this represents another stream of business. I would think that overseas deals would require a strong PR component--given some of the controversy.

For more:
- here's the article from PR Week