Holland & Knight Launches Risk and Crisis Management Team
WASHINGTON (June 10, 2015) – Holland & Knight announced today that it has formed a Risk and Crisis Management Team to advise clients facing high-stakes, high-profile crises that pose significant threats to their businesses and reputations.
The team is comprised of litigators, government relations professionals and crisis communications specialists from across the firm who have extensive experience counseling U.S. and multinational companies in nearly every industry on how to respond to crisis situations and the legal, policy and media challenges they present. It is headed by Rich Gold, the leader of Holland & Knight's Public Policy and Regulation Practice Group, and John Hogan, the chair of the firm's Litigation Section.
"Whatever the cause of the crisis in question—a high-profile lawsuit, serious accident, government investigation, product recall, data breach, transportation crash, insider criminal conduct or other serious challenge—our team is prepared to act immediately," said Mr. Hogan. "Our coordinated approach to crisis and risk management combined with our depth and breadth of knowledge in this area sets us apart from other law firms."
"Holland & Knight's new Risk and Crisis Management Team integrates the firm's capabilities in enforcement actions, civil and criminal litigation, government affairs and crisis communications, areas in which we have decades of experience and exceptional bench strength," said Mr. Gold. "By doing so, we have enhanced our ability to quickly bring together all of the necessary resources to implement forceful and smart strategies to help our clients prepare for, respond to and emerge from a difficult situation in the strongest possible position."
Mr. Gold cited the firm's in-house crisis communications team as a key differentiator due to their deep background and knowledge of communications, including years of experience with the media. "They are true communications professionals, not lawyers or policy professionals turned communicators," he noted.
Holland & Knight's Risk and Crisis Management Team includes former members of Congress, a former director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, a former chief of staff to the U.S. attorney general, a former U.S. attorney, a former Securities and Exchange Commission chief trial counsel, a former acting general counsel of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, a former National Transportation Safety Board general counsel, former in-house chief privacy and compliance officers, and former military officers.