Crisis? What crisis?
There was plenty of interesting discussion at last week’s Lombard Street dinner for the Winmark chief legal officer programme. The network had been examining crisis management strategies where legal issues are centre stage (the Costa Concordia comes to mind). So the messages given to the delegates were clear — never admit liability for what has happened and never speculate about the cause.
But saying nothing can also be a foolhardy path — endless repetitions of “no comment” win few friends in the media or among the public. So let me pass on this carefully crafted gem of a “no hostages” get-out quote. “We deeply regret that this has happened and will leave no stone unturned in establishing the cause ... we are doing everything we can to assist those affected. The question of compensation will be determined by the official investigation.”
The formula is so neat that I have incorporated it into daily life. Forgot to buy the wife’s muesli at Waitrose? “We deeply regret that this has happened...” The effect is instant.
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School trip-up
Law firms, in my experience, are always quick to clam up when things go wrong. Good news is usually trumpeted abroad. But there are exceptions. This week, for example, Hogan Lovells has apparently helped to pay for girls from Elizabeth Garrett Anderson School to go to the White House in Washington as part of the “essential relationship” hoopla. Hogan Lovells in London, however, played very coy about the trip, denying all knowledge. Probably wise. Saying anything might put them at risk of extradition to El Paso for some trumped-up breach of US national security.
Quand?
Also with lips tight shut is the London office of the French firm Gide Loyrette Nouel — about the details of its sponsorship of the Oxford French Law Moot 2012. It’s an interesting event, with the student “mooters” arguing a problem of French private law before a “tribunal” to be chaired by Maître Alain Lacabarats, the president of the 3rd Division of the Court of Cassation.
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The vital missing detail in the grand announcement was the moot’s date. This month? Next month? A phone call revealed that, despite its sponsorship, no one at Gide has a clue when it’s happening. Not quite a crisis. But certainly a limitation.
Pennies from heaven
Look out for three brave lawyers — Fran Eccles-Bech (executive director, Manchester Law Society), Maria Patsalos (Mishcon de Reya) and Anne Waldron (ex-Baker & McKenzie, now a mentor) — who are skydiving to raise money for Breakthrough Breast Cancer. Each of them needs to raise £20K by the June Jump Day. For more, go to breakthrough.org.uk/ breakthrough_booby_birds/