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The next time a CEO crisis crosses your desk, don’t just brief your client on regulatory obligations or defamation thresholds, writes Amanda Lacey.
When a CEO or senior executive comes under scrutiny, whether for alleged misconduct, regulatory breaches, or personal indiscretions, lawyers are often the first phone call. But while legal protection is essential, the smartest legal advisers also understand the reputational game at play. And that game is won or lost inside the business, not just in the media.
No one can ignore the Coldplay cheating scandal that is unfolding on a world stage right now, and leaving aside personal reputation issues, as a strategic communications adviser who frequently works alongside legal counsel, I’ve seen firsthand how a lack of coordinated internal communication can escalate a manageable issue into a full-blown organisational crisis.
My message to lawyers: protecting your clients’ legal position is only half the job. The other half is helping them maintain internal trust, cultural integrity, and reputational control, especially when leadership is the source of the problem.
Silence may be legally safe, but reputationally dangerous
The default advice in most legal playbooks is to say as little as possible while facts are being established. While that protects legal exposure, it leaves a dangerous gap internally. Staff are left to speculate, rumours spread, and client-facing teams are caught off guard. All of this can erode confidence in the leadership and the business as a whole.
Lawyers are in a powerful position to shape early response strategy. Encourage your clients to communicate something to their employees quickly, even if it’s simply:
“We’re aware of the situation, we’re taking it seriously, and we’ll share more as we’re able.”
This signals control and integrity, without prejudicing legal outcomes.
Internal comms is a legal risk management tool
Reputation isn’t just about press coverage. It’s about people. What they believe, what they say, and what they do in response. A CEO in crisis creates anxiety. Left unmanaged, that anxiety leads to leaks, misalignment, and reputational damage far beyond the initial incident.
When you advise your client on crisis strategy, consider who they’ve communicated with internally, how consistently, and whether their people managers are equipped to manage questions. Involve internal comms as early as you involve PR or legal. In an ideal world, there would be a designated crisis team that includes all relevant parties.
If clients don’t have a communications lead or crisis team, recommend bringing one in. A strategic comms adviser can work with legal counsel to ensure messaging is accurate, defensible, and culturally appropriate and start to manage messaging.
Boards and execs need to lead from the inside out
As legal advisers, you understand fiduciary duty, governance, and director liability. But you also know that trust, especially in high-profile or regulated industries, is now a business asset.
When guiding boards through CEO crises, encourage a shift from containment to leadership. Protecting the legal position is one lens. Protecting the trust of staff, shareholders, customers, and regulators is another.
Make sure your clients are asking:
Lawyers who ask these questions position themselves not just as legal risk managers, but as trusted strategic advisers.
Poor internal comms creates external vulnerability
Too many organisations treat crisis comms as a media issue. But when employees are confused, worried, or disengaged, they become a much bigger reputational risk than journalists.
I’ve worked on situations where the biggest media leak came from a junior employee who didn’t know how to respond to client queries. Not malicious, just confused. This is why your clients must be advised to get ahead of the internal narrative.
An internal message doesn’t need to reveal everything, it needs to reassure. The right message, delivered early, can prevent further leaks, reduce legal risk, and show the business is taking appropriate steps.
Lawyers and comms advisers should work side by side
The best outcomes come when legal and communications work in tandem. Lawyers bring the rigour. Comms brings the emotional intelligence or the human element, protecting both the legal and cultural integrity of the business.
So, next time a CEO crisis crosses your desk, don’t just brief your client on regulatory obligations or defamation thresholds. Ask how they’re protecting trust on the inside.
Recommend a comms partner. Help them shape a message that’s legally sound and culturally strong.
This will not only help your clients navigate the immediate storm, but it will also enhance your value as a modern, strategic legal adviser who understands the real-world complexity of leadership and reputation today. If internal trust evaporates, there won’t be a corporate entity to protect.
Amanda Lacey is the founder of Popcom, a strategic communications firm that advises law firms, professional services, and C-suite leaders on reputation, media and internal communication.
