Companies experiencing cyber incidents such as intrusions, ransomware attacks, or data breaches must respond swiftly and effectively. These events can disrupt operations, expose or deny access to sensitive information, and often trigger legal reporting obligations as well as scrutiny from regulators and law enforcement authorities. In such situations, it is critical to have sophisticated legal counsel to help manage the crisis, understand what happened, ensure compliance with legal requirements, and protect the organization’s assets and long-term interests.
Crisis Management Leadership
We assist clients in managing crises to minimize operational disruption, legal risk, financial loss, and reputational harm. Our services include:
- Advising on incident response efforts in collaboration with IT, public relations, and crisis management teams.
- Developing and implementing tailored strategies to address specific threats.
- Managing internal and external communications to mitigate reputational risks.
- Executing a plan to gather the facts and evidence to establish what happened.
- Identifying legal obligations and risks.
- Reporting to, and interacting with, legal authorities.
Advising on Legal Reporting Obligations
Cybersecurity incidents often trigger legal obligations at federal and state levels. We help organizations:
- Assess whether an incident requires reporting under laws such as the Cyber Incident Reporting for Critical Infrastructure Act (CIRCIA), state data breach notification statutes, or industry-specific regulations.
- Ensure timely and accurate disclosures to regulators, stakeholders, and affected individuals.
- Help to address compliance with industry standards, such as NIST or ISO frameworks, and regulatory expectations in sectors such as finance, healthcare, and critical infrastructure.
Internal Investigations
When a cybersecurity incident occurs, understanding its scope, cause, and implications is crucial. Â We assist organizations:
- Conduct internal investigations to assess the nature and extent of the incident while acting to preserve privilege.
- Collaborate with technical experts to gather and analyze digital evidence.
- Advise on reporting findings to stakeholders, regulators, and law enforcement authorities.
Reporting to and Interacting with Authorities
Engaging effectively with regulators and law enforcement officials benefits from experience and an understanding of legal and procedural issues. We provide guidance to help organizations:
- Communicate effectively with agencies such as the FBI, the Department of Justice (DOJ), state law enforcement agencies, and sector-specific regulators.
- Manage voluntary disclosures and responses to subpoenas and investigative demands.
- Defend against potential enforcement actions or litigation arising from cybersecurity incidents.