Corporate Crises

Corporate crises present significant challenges. Businesses may need to rapidly respond to critical commercial, legal/regulatory, HR and reputational issues. Their actions may be the subject of intense media and political scrutiny, and they may need to act while the facts are still unfolding.

In such crisis situations, businesses need quick, decisive and strategic legal advice from experts who have been there before. 

Our lawyers have advised on the most complex, challenging and high profile corporate crises to have occurred in Ireland in recent years. We work with Irish and international corporate clients to do everything possible to protect their business and reputation.  We have extensive experience in designing and executing the legal elements of a strategy to respond to a crisis, complementing the business objectives and addressing issues such as:

  • Helping manage key stakeholder relationships including regulators, suppliers, shareholders and customers whilst ensuring that our client's legal privilege is preserved
  • Aligning the business's communications strategy (including with the media, the markets or the authorities) and ensuring that required disclosure obligations are met, alongside media communications which are required for commercial and business reasons. The strategy must meet the urgent business need to respond while balancing competing obligations/risks including; market disclosure, defamation, confidentiality, data privacy, regulatory and employment issues and due process rights
  • Providing legal advice on corporate governance issues relating to the management of the response to (and investigation of) the crisis
  • Investigating matters as quickly and cost-efficiently as possible, including managing data (via our Data Projects Group), while respecting the rights of those involved and ensuring that the investigation is robust so as to reduce the risk of legal challenge
  • Preparing for and defending any related civil, criminal, regulatory or employment litigation
  • Assisting with managing any human resources fallout
  • Advising on steps to reduce the risk of the crisis recurring and regaining the confidence of stakeholders
  • Providing training on how to deal with a crisis before it occurs

Experience

  • Volkswagen

    on all aspects of the diesel emissions issue.

  • The Football Association of Ireland

    on complex issues and multiple investigations concerning the Association's financial affairs.

  • Leading financial institutions

    resolving tracker mortgage investigations by the Central Bank and cross border money laundering investigations involving the Central Bank, the Criminal Assets Bureau and law enforcement agencies in other jurisdictions.

  • The former Chairman of Ireland's largest media organization, INM

    on corporate governance allegations relating to an acquisition considered by INM and an alleged data breach (all denied).

  • NAMA

    on a high profile protest by homelessness campaigners seeking to occupy significant commercial premises.

  • Large Irish companies involved in the construction industry

    dealing with investigations by the tax authorities.

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