THOUGHT LEADERSHIP
Eye of the storm: General Counsel take the lead in crisis management
Crisis management
Preparing for and managing crises
With potential sources of corporate crises multiplying in a more complex social and regulatory environment, General Counsel (GC) are taking on a broader role.
Our new report,Eye of the storm: General Counsel take the lead in crisis management, explores how cyberattacks, ESG issues, class actions and artificial intelligence are changing the game for GC and how they can prepare for and manage unwelcome events.
The report is based on comments made by GC from a range of Australia’s largest listed companies and Ashurst. The GC were gathered at a roundtable event in Sydney in November 2023 convened by the Ashurst Leadership Centre in partnership with Legal 500.
Key insights
- With a unique and central position, GC are often the first port of call for the board and a key internal coordinator when a crisis arises.
- If a crisis occurs, GC should take time to gather accurate information and consider how the issue could play out over the longer term.
- GC can help the company prepare by creating playbooks based on a wide range of potential scenarios.
- Cultivating the right culture can help prevent issues turning into crises.
