Crisis Management

We work closely with clients’ internal investigations teams through every step of the process, carefully addressing potential pitfalls, providing strategic and tactical advice and preparing reports and other investigation documents. The team includes lawyers and advisors with significant hands-on experience solving complex crises in high-profile settings.

Notably, our crisis management team includes those who have held senior positions across the government, including in the White House, Congress, U.S. Attorneys’ offices around the country, the Department of Justice (DOJ), Department of State, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Together, the lawyers utilize their collective knowledge and experience, as well as firmwide resources, including Akin’s nationally recognized practices in white collar defense, global investigations, congressional investigations, reputational recovery, commercial litigation, cybersecurity, privacy and data protection, and public law and policy. Our team also has established relationships with skilled public relations and communications practitioners and regularly partners with these professionals to guide and manage the implementation of media strategy.

Our crisis management lawyers have represented public companies, financial institutions, professional services firms, current and former government officials, C-suite executives, universities, and domestic and foreign governmental entities in high-stakes matters involving a data breach or security incident, systemic discrimination claims, complex sexual harassment, abuse and other misconduct claims, securities fraud, public corruption, campaign finance violations, professional misconduct and disaster relief.

Representative matters

• Conducted an independent audit and investigation of workplace culture, and policies and practices related to diversity and inclusion, on behalf of the special committee of the board of a public company.
• Advised a university’s board of trustees with respect to its obligations and fiduciary duties in connection with a high-profile matter involving mass sexual abuse and involving numerous pending investigations.
• Represented a major utility provider in crisis management related to an accident and the subsequent congressional oversight and investigation of underlying causes and safety practices.
• Represented multiple leading defense contractors in a number of investigations and congressional hearings scrutinizing allegations of fraud and waste in connection with Iraq-related contracts and conduct.
• Represented a drug compounding center in connection with House and Senate committee investigations related to a much-publicized outbreak of fungal meningitis.
• Represented an industrial manufacturer confronting litigation related to a highly publicized grand jury investigation arising from allegations that the company made false statements to the federal government in connection with the manufacturing and distribution of highway products. Akin represents the company in several related state attorney general investigations and serves as lead counsel coordinating the company’s legal strategy.
• Defended a prominent hedge fund portfolio manager in parallel criminal and SEC insider trading cases, and in related class action litigation, arising from the use of an expert network.
• Represented a leading financial institution in cross-border, multijurisdictional investigations of conduct in the spot foreign exchange (FX) market. This investigation was global in scope and required coordination with multiple regulators around the world, effective teamwork with co-counsel in Europe, Asia and the Americas, and attention to evolving and complex legal and compliance issues.
• Defended a multibillion-dollar hedge fund and its founder in a significant insider dealing enforcement proceeding by U.K. authorities that raised novel issues related to distinctions between U.S. and U.K. securities laws. This case attracted significant media attention and presented reputational and investor relations issues, as well as challenging questions arising from cross-border enforcement.