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Crisis management lawyers
Crises are rarely straightforward. Each situation is unexpected and impactful, whether you're facing a threat, disruption, scrutiny or financial loss.
Unplanned, unpredictable situations have the power to impact you or your business' performance and reputation in a severe way, as well as both personal and professional relationships. We offer clear and objective advice before, during or after a crisis has occurred, providing strategic solutions to help you deal with any situation.
Response and recovery
How you handle a crisis is often more important than the crisis itself. It is critical to act quickly and take hold of the situation. Our global crisis management team combines skilful planning, careful analysis and collaboration to help you avert any potential crisis and/or limit its severity.
We will construct a bespoke team to manage your situation, working with you around the clock to unpick the root of the crisis. Where necessary, we will partner with other professionals (PR, insolvency, investigation, psychology) to help you respond appropriately to your unique situation and remedy any harm done. Our priority is to offer strategic advice from every angle, across jurisdictions, to help you find a swift resolution.
Prevention and planning
Preparing for disruptive or unexpected emergency situations may seem challenging, but planning ahead will help to mitigate the impact of crises arising in the future, whether they affect your career, your reputation, your family or your business.
Establishing a crisis plan is the first step to protecting yourself or your business from future risk. We can review your existing position – conducting data audits, contract reviews, reputational assessments – to help you understand what's already out there and proactively plan ahead, from succession and tax structuring to building a crisis support team. We also offer tailored training to individuals, businesses and boards, to ensure that you are aware of any potential dangers and how to manage them.
No one knows when a crisis will strike but you can be ready when it does.
Providing clarity in crisis.
Managing a personal or professional crisis
[Amman Khan]
A crisis is an impactful time-critical, unexpected situation. Basically, you might be involved in a professional conduct situation at work, you may be involved in an internal investigation, there may be situations where your business is not doing well or struggling, and your stakeholders are questioning your ability to lead or your ability to make decisions. It might involve the destruction of personal or professional relationships or some type of personal crisis. Either way, it is a severe and far-reaching situation.
[Jo Sanders]
When you are facing a crisis, it can really feel like everything is escalating beyond your control and we've seen some incredibly skilled leaders and really successful businesses still find that being in that crisis situation is a very uncomfortable place to be. No matter what your position, it's very unlikely that you're going to have all of the answers. After all, we all hope that a crisis is a once in a lifetime or a once in a career situation. But, you know, we've probably seen something quite similar before and worked through it with our clients.
[Joseph Chu]
Each crisis will require a different approach and how you respond can be the difference between remedies and ruin. You need clarity to assess the situation objectively and you need support from the right people to put together a strategy that gives clear guidance on your next steps.
[Shashi Nathan]
In any crisis situation, it is imperative that one seeks advice as soon as possible. We can provide a tailored plan for your unique situation, bringing together experts and professionals from across all areas of crisis management to help you respond appropriately and this will mitigate any immediate or future risk to find a swift resolution. Knowing what steps to take is also key to managing any crisis and this will vastly improve your chances of coming away with your business, your brand, career and reputation intact.
Withers | Providing clarity in crisis
The three stages of crisis management
[Stephen Ross]
Business or personal crisis can happen to anyone, anywhere, at any time. But often how you tackle the situation is more important than the crisis itself. There are three stages to crisis management: response and recovery, evaluation and prevention. Understanding what you do in each situation can help you mitigate potential damage, but also put in place provisions to prevent future risk.
[Natalie Sherborn]
A crisis has the power to really seriously impact on you or your business's operations, its reputation and brand. The first 48 hours of a crisis are absolutely critical. It's really important to articulate a clear, coherent and accurate message. Once you've assessed the crisis and you've formulated your response plan, then you can start to think about what steps are necessary to best protect you, your business from further exposure. So that might be responding to malicious allegations or blackmail threat. It might be conducting an internal investigation or engaging with an external investigation. And of course, you might want to think about taking the lead and being the front runner in a dispute or some litigation. The quicker that you formulate your response plan, the better you are to overcome the crisis and best protect your reputation.
[Chenthil Kumarasingam]
Learning from a crisis can prevent similar situations arising in the future. What was the trigger? What were the key issues? Could anything have been done differently? Answering these questions can help you put provisions in place to mitigate future damage.
[Amber Melville-Brown]
The most important thing is to get your crisis management team on board as quickly as possible. That's your trusted advisers and your key stakeholders and decision makers who can implement the crisis management plan that we decide amongst us and can put out key messages to protect the organization and the individual's reputation in the event that a crisis does happen. Knowing the threats and opportunities out there is going to help you to deal with any crisis. So undertake a reputational audit or an online assessment so that you can know what information is out there in the public domain about you, about your organization, and about the issues that you may face.
[Stephen Ross]
No one knows when the crisis will strike, but seeking early advice is what you need to do to mitigate potential damage. But also help you find a swift resolution.
Withers | Providing clarity in crisis
Financial disruption and disputes
[Chris LaVigne]
We're experiencing a period of global disruption. This is particularly true in the financial markets and much of it's intentional, emerging FinTech businesses or challenging traditional financial models. Decentralized finance ecosystems are cutting out the middleman.
Digital assets are presenting significant but potentially volatile investment opportunities. And within this world of change comes inevitable risk and much of its unpredictable, but we can be prepared for it.
And any financial business could be impacted from high growth companies to long established financial institutions. And what can be a booming success one day can come crashing down overnight, causing major disruption in leaving businesses and investors in key stakeholders in a fight or flight moment.
[Shaun Leong]
When facing a financial crisis, you need to know that you are working with people who can offer commercial and pragmatic solutions, that your team knows your business and situation well, and can react and respond immediately when you find yourself in hot water.
And that's where we are at. Whether it's securing a worldwide injunction to freeze the seal of a rare nft, representing one of the world's largest digital asset marketplaces in court, or advising investors in the next major bank or cryptocurrency exchange, collapse. We have been there and succeeded.
[Henry Farris]
In these situations, time is of the essence. We will help you to respond quickly and decisively to protect your investment, your business, and your assets, where the worst has happened.
We will help put together a plan to deal with the crisis and that plan will set out a clear route to achieving the best outcome. So wherever you are in the world, we will help you deal with the crisis both locally and globally.
Crisis situations
Financial crisis
When you or your business is struggling financially, it can seem like there is no way out. Cashflow problems can lead to breakdown of business and personal relationships, redundancies, professional liabilities being called into question and potentially insolvency and/or bankruptcy.
Many businesses, and business leaders, face challenging financial issues over their lifespan. Dealing with the situation head on is key to success. We can provide clear guidance and advice to help you make important decisions on behalf of your business. This could be preparing a business continuity plan; negotiating with investors, creditors and/or stakeholders; considering the sale of assets; merging or restructuring the business; or simply understanding your duties and how to weather a crisis.
Professional conduct
As a senior leader, having your professional conduct or business credibility questioned can have severe and far-reaching consequences. It can lead to temporary leave, investigation, regulatory scrutiny, reputational damage or breakdown in personal relationships. This can feel daunting, embarrassing and isolating.
Understanding your options and seeking advice early will help you mitigate risk and navigate a challenging course. Our crisis management team has decades of experience advising senior executives at FTSE 250 and S&P 100 businesses and can advise on all aspects of professional conduct. Working together, we will manage relationships with employers and, where necessary, the media to defend your hard-earned reputation and use the law to redress unfair treatment.
Technology, cybersecurity and staying safe
Data is one of the most important assets for any business or individual. How it's used, stored and protected is paramount to business success and personal privacy.
Knowing what data you own, managing it correctly and protecting it from risk or attack is the first step to preparing for any crisis. We can advise you on data protection plans and policies and conduct data audits. We can also work with you to put a process in place for how to deal with a data crisis.
A data breach is one of the most significant threats to any business operating in today's world. It can negatively impact your customer and stakeholder relationships, damage your reputation, put you at financial risk, and can even lead to business ruin. If you face an information, technology or cyber crisis, we will put together a bespoke team and immediate action plan to prevent further damage and enact steps to help you deal with the situation and mitigate future risk. If your own personal data is compromised, we can help you to understand what has happened, check that the data controller is meeting its obligations and help you to minimise the consequences of a data breach.
Relationship breakdown and the fallout
Crises come in many forms and often have an adverse impact on your relationships, both personal and professional. Whether you no longer see eye-to-eye with your business partner, can't stand running the family business with your relatives or your choices have led you to separate from your partner, the fallout of these situations need careful consideration.
Our crisis management team is adept at advising individuals through complex relationship breakdown, whether that's disputes amongst shareholders, contractors, suppliers, families or partners. We draw on our varied experience to provide tailored advice to your unique situation, helping you manage all aspects of business or private relationship fallout sensitively.
Macroeconomic or geopolitical issues
We face more challenges than ever before in our rapidly evolving world – political and economic instability, environmental and social impact, natural disasters, business and human rights violations – and any one of these can lead to significant organisational, reputational, personnel and financial crisis for businesses or individuals.
Managing catastrophic, unprecedented events is challenging but we can help you assess the situation in real time and deploy a crisis management strategy that will guide you through unexpected issues. This could involve how you or your business responds to a natural disaster, how sanctions impact you or your business or working with you to develop your corporate policy and governance landscape.
We can represent you in litigation and arbitrations should a dispute become contentious and help you mitigate reputational risk and manage the outcome.
Leadership and boardroom challenges
When a corporate crisis hits, businesses need to react quickly to a multitude of complex issues, many of which could risk damaging their brand and reputation. Whether you're on the board of directors or an executive officer, how you respond to a crisis will be watched carefully by regulators, prosecutors, customers clients, stakeholders and, more often than not, the media. This can put your business under immense pressure and managing your actions carefully is paramount.
Our global crisis management team have advised many successful businesses and leaders through sensitive, complex and often critical situations to find an appropriate resolution. We will work collaboratively with you to manage your reaction and response, mitigate damage caused by litigation or investigation, minimise the impact on stakeholder relationships and, overall, help you to protect your business' reputation.
Situational crisis
What do you do if you're caught in a crisis that wasn't of your making? If you're the victim of a crime, a witness in an investigation, in a new business where you have uncovered skeletons in the closet then you may be involved in a situational crisis.
These circumstances are often not instigated by you but, nonetheless, you find yourself caught in the crossfire, where your own reputation, family, business and career could all be called into question. Whatever situation you find yourself in, it is important to seek advice to manage your position, personal relationships and professional reputation. We will help you understand the context of your involvement and work with you to navigate the steps ahead to minimise the impact on your personal life and/or career.
Corporate client
Represented and engaged pre-publication on behalf of client in respect of whom misinformation had been provided to a magazine with a wide reach, engaging urgently before the press deadline to correct misinformation, assisting the reporter and magazine and ensuring that the readership was not misled.
Director of a premier league club
Advising a director at a premier league football club during an internal investigation carried out by his employer.
Director of a premier league club
Advised a director of a premier league club on potential criminal and regulatory breaches, criminal and civil enforcement actions that could be taken by HMRC and FIFA following allegations published by an investigative journalist.
Emerging e-payments company
Provided strategic crisis management advice to an emerging e-payments company, including managing adverse media coverage and issuing cease and desist communications to the offending media outlets.
Harassment and defamation
Urgently advising a client in respect of harassment, slander and online libel damaging our client’s professional reputation and business.
International organisation
Provided urgent and extensive crisis management and pre-publication advice and assistance, media engagement and communications advice across a number of international jurisdictions and time-zones, to an international organisation in respect of enquiries by two major American newspapers of record, and advising in respect of other media enquiries.
Leading international crypto company
Acting for a leading international crypto company, which came under significant media pressure from the press and other stakeholders as a result of recent crypto markets turmoil. Assisted with communications to the media and stakeholders to ensure some stability, leaving our client to focus on managing the risks caused by the crypto volatility and overall commercial/press strategy going forward. Subsequently, investors have alleged a sophisticated criminal fraud by way of a "Ponzi" scheme, triggering a police investigation. We are now engaged to advise the company in respect of the criminal investigation and any proceedings that may follow.
National consultancy business
Representing the founders and directors of a national consultancy business in relation to allegations of furlough fraud arising during the pandemic. We supported the client through the whole crisis in all of its phases as one joint team encompassing advice on white collar defence and investigations, data protection, reputation management, tax and employment.
UHNW individual
Representing an ultra-high-net-worth individual facing investigation into international dealings. Our crisis team is advising on the core aspects of the investigation, in particular around business dealings.
Global healthcare company
In response to a crisis situation involving a large-scale product liability issue, we were called in to advise our client on all aspects of the case including responding to mass class action civil claims filed by victims; mediation, settlement and compensation; forensic investigations in cooperation with authorities; criminal defence advice in relation to charged individuals, and strategic, legal advice regarding communications with media and political stakeholders.
Emerging e-payments company
Provided strategic crisis management advice to an emerging e-payments company, including managing adverse media coverage and issuing cease and desist communications to the offending media outlets.
Top commodity trader
Represented Singapore listed top commodity trader in an investigation for suspected false and misleading statements and breaches of disclosure requirements.
UHNW individual
Advised a client in respect of inaccurate and damaging worldwide publications, engaging with mainstream media and social media platforms to provide accurate information and seek clarifications and corrections. Provided litigation support and litigation advice concerning the disclosure of attorney privileged and confidential information..
Leading ESG engineering company
With the COVID-19 pandemic presenting unforeseen obstacles to our client's expansion plans, causing them to reach a crucial crisis point, we devised the strategy in a complex, cross-border dispute between Singapore and Hong Kong, which involved a SG$25 million claim against our client's business partner.
Major telecommunications firm
Represented a major telecommunications company and its Chief Executive Officer in litigation in respect of alleged wrongful termination of employment, and alleged defamation.
UHNW individual
Provided strategic communications advice in response to threats by hostile third parties, including in the drafting of reactive Q&A, key messages, key responses, reactive statements, communications to third parties associated with our client.
Corporate client
Represented and engaged pre-publication on behalf of client in respect of whom misinformation had been provided to a magazine with a wide reach, engaging urgently before the press deadline to correct misinformation, assisting the reporter and magazine and ensuring that the readership was not misled.
Director of a premier league club
Advising a director at a premier league football club during an internal investigation carried out by his employer.
Director of a premier league club
Advised a director of a premier league club on potential criminal and regulatory breaches, criminal and civil enforcement actions that could be taken by HMRC and FIFA following allegations published by an investigative journalist.
Leading international crypto company
Acting for a leading international crypto company, which came under significant media pressure from the press and other stakeholders as a result of recent crypto markets turmoil. Assisted with communications to the media and stakeholders to ensure some stability, leaving our client to focus on managing the risks caused by the crypto volatility and overall commercial/press strategy going forward. Subsequently, investors have alleged a sophisticated criminal fraud by way of a "Ponzi" scheme, triggering a police investigation. We are now engaged to advise the company in respect of the criminal investigation and any proceedings that may follow.
National consultancy business
Representing the founders and directors of a national consultancy business in relation to allegations of furlough fraud arising during the pandemic. We supported the client through the whole crisis in all of its phases as one joint team encompassing advice on white collar defence and investigations, data protection, reputation management, tax and employment.
UHNW individual
Representing an ultra-high-net-worth individual facing investigation into international dealings. Our crisis team is advising on the core aspects of the investigation, in particular around business dealings.
Senior Executive
Acting for a former senior executive of an organisation facing a number of separate externally led internal investigations into allegations of misconduct resulting in a referral to the police for formal investigation.
High-profile, UHNW family
Represented members of an ultra-high-net-worth high-profile family regarding fraud allegations and the legal and reputational issues arising as a result of the criminal allegations and worldwide freezing order obtained against them.
Private equity fund and international entrepreneur
Acting for a private equity fund and an individual accused of mismanagement of an investment. The investor, which is a State, utilised its own judicial tools and aggressive media briefings to generate its own narrative before any formal proceedings were commenced. We have assisted our clients in providing strategic legal advice regarding contractual claims, libel, asset freezing, and extradition risks.
High net worth individual
Following the "Downing Street Party Gate Scandal", we supported an individual who found themselves caught up in the media coverage and investigation. Our support included drafting response documents to the investigation, intervening to prevent the individual being wrongly identified in an official report and correcting misinformation about their involvement.
Harassment and defamation
Urgently advising a client in respect of harassment, slander and online libel damaging our client’s professional reputation and business.
International organisation
Provided urgent and extensive crisis management and pre-publication advice and assistance, media engagement and communications advice across a number of international jurisdictions and time-zones, to an international organisation in respect of enquiries by two major American newspapers of record, and advising in respect of other media enquiries.
Food industry client
Provided urgent and extensive 24-hour crisis advice and assistance to client unwittingly embroiled in high-profile event requiring regulatory, political, reputational employment, media, criminal and crisis management advice.
Food production company
Provided litigation support, advice and assistance to a food production company which was engaged in a cross-border, multi-jurisdiction dispute. We advised on false and damaging allegations, their impact on reputation and brand when reported in various jurisdictions, crisis management and communication issues to deliver proper and accurate messaging to staff, customers and financial institutions.
International manufacturing and distribution company
Advised an international business engaged in litigation, on media and communications related issues, including urgently and across a number of international jurisdictions and time-zones; preparing communications playbook of reactive statements for internal use with employees, external facing communications for professional associates, customers and industry colleagues, and reactive media statements concerning the litigation.
Private family
Advised a private family in respect of the publication and broadcast of images of its school-aged children who were unexpected witnesses to an upsetting event. Through careful negotiation with the broadcaster obtained removal of the images.
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In your corner, when it really counts
Resolving crypto, business and family disputes globally. We are with you when you need us most.
International dispute resolution
Banking turmoil
Whether you are a financial institution or professional navigating global financial markets, the challenges you face have never been greater. We can help protect your interests.
Our team
Shashi Nathan
Partner | Singapore
Joseph Chu
Partner | Hong Kong
Stephen Ross
Partner | London
Jo Sanders
Partner | London
Natalie Sherborn
Partner | London
Amman Khan
Partner | Los Angeles
Amber Melville-Brown
Partner | New York
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