In an ever-evolving world where unforeseen challenges can arise at any moment, crisis management is a very important process and strategy for every in-house counsel.
Last month, K&H partner Halsey Knapp presented a Strafford webinar on the topic of Crisis Management for In-House Counsel: Data Breaches, Social Media Attacks, Natural Disasters, Investigations. Halsey had the honor of collaborating with Michael Dockterman, partner at Steptoe & Johnson LLP on this intriguing topic. Together, they explored essential strategies for effective crisis management and discussed the importance of developing a proactive plan, identifying potential liabilities, navigating the PR fallout and ensuring business continuity.
Throughout the presentation, Halsey and Michael shared the following key strategies and recommendations for effective crisis management:
- Prepare & Build Trust: Knowing your clients and understanding their constituencies helps you tailor a crisis management plan. Establishing trust between in-house counsel and clients is crucial for an expedited and comprehensive crisis management response.
- Identify Target Constituencies: Crisis scenarios vary, and identifying the affected parties is crucial for a tailored response. Tailoring your approach to each constituency ensures effective crisis communication.
- Design a Comprehensive Plan: Having a well-thought-out plan that addresses the concerns of key stakeholders is essential. Practicing and rehearsing the plan in advance increases preparedness.
- Reputational Risks & Urgency: Public opinion moves swiftly, and sometimes reputational risks demand more urgency than financial considerations. Established trust with clients enables an accelerated response when required.
- Transparency & Accountability: Debunking the notion of hiding information is vital. Being the authoritative public source of information and staying engaged ensures accountability and responsible crisis management.
- Craft a Persuasive Narrative: Shaping a persuasive narrative is crucial when dealing with the media. Trial lawyers are skilled in creating effective opening arguments and can help present the facts convincingly.
- Honesty is Key: The message to the public or the community must be genuine and true. Falsifying information can be detrimental and undermine trust.
Trust, urgency, and transparency are the pillars of successful crisis management. Balancing the need to be accountable with potential risks when coming forward is an art that every in-house counsel must master.
The time to deal with a crisis is before it starts.
Missed this webinar? Watch a recording of the 90-minute CLE, Crisis Management for In-House Counsel: Data Breaches, Social Media Attacks, Natural Disasters, Investigations here.
