How to balance PR and legal concerns in a crisis

Legal and PR professionals often collaborate during times of crisis, making it crucial for the two to work in harmony when serving a client.

The reality is that crises do not discriminate against the types of entities they harm, and the resulting legal and reputational damages are difficult to forecast. To that end, organizations can, and should, stay ahead of a crisis by formulating comprehensive response plans under the guidance of legal and PR practitioners who are experts at protecting clients through communication.

Creating and navigating an effective crisis communications plan requires finding the right balance between legal and PR priorities which can pose challenges. A common misconception is that PR professionals are too quick to publicly admit fault and apologize, whereas legal professionals too often stonewall the public. In reality, many companies have found success with compatible legal and PR teams—and have mitigated disastrous crisis outcomes.

Here are practical considerations that every legal or PR specialist should share with their counterpart when working with the same client on developing a successful crisis communications strategy:

Legal pros’ advice to PR pros