COVID-19 Crisis Management Issues

The global emergence of COVID-19 is putting an unprecedented strain on companies and organizations. Incidents of disruption and crisis across every industry and business are happening faster and cutting deeper than ever before. All of these challenges threaten to compromise an organization’s legal, financial and reputational standing—and necessitate real-time engagement. At Manatt, we know that the right strategy is simultaneously immediate and grounded in deep industry knowledge and legal experience.

Key Issues to Consider

Enhancing the Crisis Management Plan
The Issue: The “new normal” for organizations struggling with the appropriate response to the coronavirus will incorporate a wide range of legal and regulatory issues. The most effective plans will map needed actions to the attendant risks, put in place a strategy to mitigate each one, and then execute the resulting multipart program via engagement with the full breadth of external and internal stakeholders. How Manatt Can Help: Our professionals work with organizations to identify and assess their threat universe and to establish and implement an effective crisis management plan. We also can provide facilitated after-action sessions to identify potential gaps and seams in executing crisis management plans and work with our clients’ stakeholders to develop and operationalize enhancements to the strategy.
Preparing a Strategic Response
The Issue: Organizations must have an effective governance program in place to avert and mitigate risks presented by COVID-19 and to prepare for, respond to and recover from the financial, structural and possibly reputational fallout of this pandemic. How an organization responds to and manages disruption may have an impact as great as or greater than that of the original challenge on the organization’s reputation and bottom line. How Manatt Can Help: We assist clients by coordinating comprehensive communications strategies to engage with policymakers, courts, regulators, government agencies, the press, and external and internal stakeholders, and by providing public policy, legal and compliance assistance to assess and limit regulatory enforcement and litigation risk.
Addressing Regulatory and Compliance Shortfalls
The Issue: The complexity of the regulatory environment in the United States and abroad compels organizations to ensure they establish comprehensive compliance programs that affirmatively and systematically address potential compliance risks. The increased risk of significant enforcement activities threatens organizations with serious consequences in the event of regulatory and compliance failures. How Manatt Can Help: Manatt has a keen understanding of the challenges organizations face when implementing and enhancing effective compliance programs that address not only what an organization may do, but also what it should do. Our team regularly assists clients in designing compliance solutions that allow their business to be innovative and entrepreneurial and in compliance with the law.
Governance and Board Advisory Assistance
The Issue: Boards and their committees must ensure that the right structure and protocols are in place to provide the appropriate insight into the risks associated with COVID-19 in order to exercise reasonable oversight and prevent, detect and resolve potential regulatory, compliance or legal concerns. How Manatt Can Help: Manatt works with boards to strategically respond to and recover from a consequential incident or crisis and engage with internal and external stakeholders. Our priority is to help clients build and maintain best-in-class corporate governance, limit their exposure, and protect their financial and reputational interests.


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