Crisis Response

Band 1 in Crisis Management. - Chambers Crisis & Risk Management, 2024

In an era of real-time reporting, social media, and a 24-hour news cycle, companies face more acute reputational and legal risks than ever before.

Boards of directors and officers of the world’s leading corporations turn to Kirkland’s Crisis Response Practice Group to provide the experience and skills needed for mitigation and proactive engagement during these modern times of legal and reputational crisis. Using our SWAT team approach, we move swiftly to help companies navigate what can quickly develop into enterprise-level risk issues, providing tailored advice for each situation. We are recognized in the industry for our creativity and keen understanding that legal communications strategy is a key component of overall legal strategy in helping clients meet their individual goals.

Crises don’t happen in a vacuum, and they don’t just happen in Washington, D.C. —legal risks are often nuanced and complex, and key stakeholders can span the globe. Backed by our world-renowned litigation, restructuring and corporate practices, our crisis response team includes numerous former senior enforcement officials on both sides of the aisle, from the U.S. DOJ, the SEC, the White House, and the FTC, and we can operate seamlessly in the state attorney general enforcement community as well. Our roster includes top civil litigators, restructuring advisors, and transactional attorneys who handle some of the most complex matters in our industry. By leveraging the extensive experience of our global partners across the Firm, Kirkland provides a holistic, deep bench of attorneys with the most relevant knowledge to help guide our clients in the most critical times.

No matter the origin of the crisis, our full-service Crisis Response practice works hand-in-hand with clients to advise on a wide range of issues, often complex and overlapping, including for example:

• Federal and state criminal and regulatory investigations;
• Congressional inquiries;
• Complex civil litigation and class actions;
• State attorney general actions;
• Workplace misconduct investigations;
• Product liability, safety concerns and recalls;
• Data breaches and cybersecurity incidents;
• Infrastructure and construction accidents;
• Environmental oil, gas and chemical releases; and
• Hostile takeovers and investor activism.

In addition to advising companies in the midst of an active crisis, we routinely counsel clients on proactive strategies ahead of time on “clear days” to identify, review and mitigate potential crises, including by creating response plans which can provide grounding and structure in the critical early hours of a crisis. Our experience spans myriad industries and regulatory bodies, providing us with extensive knowledge to advise on enhancements to compliance procedures and programs aiming to reduce future exposure and risks.