A corporate crisis may be difficult to prevent, but the response to the events and strategic advice will mitigate the short- and long-term consequences to the organization. Companies require proper planning and the trusted advice of experienced professionals to navigate a crisis.

Dechert serves as a trusted business adviser to clients facing complex, high-profile crises. We have advised on some of the largest and most complicated events in the last three decades. Our deep bench of experienced lawyers guides our clients through adversity, handling crises such as cybersecurity attacks, ransom negotiations, government raids and investigations, company threatening product recalls, employee theft and malfeasance, senior management scandals, workplace harassment allegations, shareholder activism and hostile takeovers, geopolitical crises, natural disasters, OFAC sanctions, terrorist attacks, and more.

Our global crisis team provides the leadership and steady oversight not only to proactively navigate the criminal, civil, and regulatory issues that may result, but on all aspects of the crisis – from communicating with stakeholders and the media to advising on steps to avoid future liability. From the boardroom to the courtroom to the court of public opinion, Dechert’s team will be with you from the very start, helping to devise and implement crisis and communications plans to mitigate short-term and long-term risks.

Our crisis management team also counsels clients on crisis prevention. We are focused on the design, implementation, and enforcement of sound risk management measures, including drafting emergency response plans, policies, and procedures. We conduct in-house training sessions, including mock regulatory inspections and interactive exercises. Our advice is centered around minimizing risk, encouraging the early detection of potential problems, and identifying subtle issues. We also work with clients to ensure they have adequate insurance coverage in the event of a crisis.

Our international team includes former U.S. Attorneys and numerous Assistant U.S. Attorneys, a former Chief Privacy Officer of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Associate Counsel and Special Assistant to the President in the White House Counsel's Office, former senior lawyers from government agencies such as the SEC, DOJ, FTC, and OCC, and former prosecutors from the SFO, FCA, and CPS in the UK, as well as top-ranked, seasoned litigators, cybersecurity experts, and corporate strategists. Drawing on this experience, we guide major corporations, their boards and audit committees, and senior leaders through their most sensitive, potentially explosive matters to avoid adverse business and reputational impact.

Our Crisis Management practice is led by a diverse group of partners at Dechert who bring unique, top-of-the-market experience across varied disciplines and regions. In recent years, we have led clients such as Apollo Global Management, Airbus SE, Flo Health, Fox News, Johnson & Johnson, Purdue, Takata, HSBC, State Farm, Apple, Carnival Cruise Line, and the audit committees of Wal-Mart, Diageo, Pride International, and Qualcomm through high-profile events that threatened to irrevocably damage their brands.

Crisis management is embedded in our approach to client service across a range of practice areas, including: