Crisis Advisory Group

When crises threaten and time is of the essence, companies rely on Cahill’s Crisis Advisory Group for guidance in understanding and responding swiftly and appropriately.  Increased regulation and government investigations are likely to continue introducing sweeping changes and pose serious risk for companies and their officers and directors. Cahill is uniquely qualified to provide counsel to meet these challenges.
  
Cahill's Crisis Advisory Group is led by David N. Kelley, the immediate past U.S. Attorney to the Southern District of New York (who also co-chaired the Justice Department's nationwide investigation into the 9/11 attacks).  The group includes other former government attorneys and seasoned trial lawyers who have notable records of success in matters where effective response to federal and state government agencies, regulatory agencies, and international regulatory authorities is desired. 

Our practitioners are well versed in all aspects of modern investigations and are well qualified to provide you with legal and strategic advice in connection with an array of corporate crises. Members of our group also are well versed in working with selected public relations firms to help you to adopt a responsible media relations strategy.
 
Our experience includes representing clients in crises arising from securities and corporate governance issues, accounting improprieties, antitrust, insurance, international trade, congressional investigations, election law matters, libel allegations, employment disputes, class actions, products liability claims, tax issues and public policy law.

Our experience includes:

• Representation of numerous witnesses before Congressional committees on topics ranging from corporate scandals to regulatory initiatives affecting the capital markets.
• Representation of a leading global bank in multiple governmental investigations of tax shelter transactions.
• Defense of a national insurance broker in federal and state investigations arising from bribery of government officials by an officer, concluded with no charges filed against the company. 
• Representation of numerous Fortune 50 companies in criminal Grand Jury investigations of alleged antitrust violations.
• Representation of newspaper reporters in confidential source investigations as part of a civil Privacy Act case brought by Wen Ho Lee.  
• Obtained dismissal of all claims brought against a leading financial publisher in the multidistrict Enron securities litigation; also included work related to the investigation by the government’s Enron Task Force and the criminal trials of Ken Lay and Jeff Skilling. 
• Representation of two former WorldCom, Inc. directors in numerous federal and state actions filed on behalf of its shareholders, bondholders and ERISA plan participants. 
• Representation of underwriters in Enron, WorldCom, Refco and other notable parallel private and governmental proceedings.
• Defense of a Fortune 500 manufacturer in an SEC inquiry and private securities class action arising from widely publicized reports alleging insider trading by senior executives. 
• Representation of the audit committee of Homestore in its internal investigation of accounting improprieties and wrongdoing by senior executives. Our handling of the investigation was singled-out for praise by the United States Attorney General in a nationally televised press conference. 
• Representation of the second largest cable company in the U.S. in several nationwide subscriber class actions, which challenge its privacy policy, late fee billing practices and equipment charges, and also in separate contract disputes with several cable networks.
• Representation of financial services firms in governmental proceedings and parallel class actions involving alleged price fixing and securities law violations in OTC market making.