Crisis Communications
Between the arrest and indictment of Illinois Governor and former prosecutor Rod Blagojevich and the arrest and charges against New York City attorney Marc Dreier of Dreier LLP, this hasn't been a good week for high profile lawyers. Which prompts an key question: when an attorney within your firm is on the wrong side of the law, what should you do as their marketing or PR representative? It is an important question and, unfortunately, an increasingly common dilemma. Have any PR pros been through this type of scenario?
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First and foremost in any crisis situation, make obtaining the facts your number one priority. Speaking out of turn or caving to pressure from media to provide information you don’t have will not only be a disservice to your client, but can ruin your credibility with the media as well. It’s also very important to communicate with the key circle of decision-makers at your firm; do they want to speak on behalf on the tarnished attorney? And if so, what is the firm’s message? A unified front is critical when providing any statement, which should always come from a single spokesperson.
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