Environmental Law: Summer Program & Section Council Meeting

Council Meeting: 12:45–1:45 p.m.
Program: 2:00–4:00 p.m., followed by hors d’oeuvres and beverages, 4:00–6:00 p.m.
Location: Michigan Wildlife Conservancy Bengal Wildlife Center, DeVlieg Conservation Hall, Bath, MI
RSVP to parks.maryanne@gmail.com

Crisis Mode—What Do You Do When It All Hits the Fan?

Crisis situations are addressed by a broad team of individuals with varied skill sets. Hear from folks who have dealt with high-profile crisis situations and learn about effective (and ineffective) coordination and response. Presentations by four distinguished presenters who have seen firsthand (and sometimes climbed out of) the trenches, followed by questions and panel discussion.

• Scott Sinkwitts is corporate counsel at Consumers Energy Company with experience and perspective on effective crisis management. He will present Crisis Mode in the Fortune 500. CMS Energy Corporation, parent company of Consumers Energy Company, is ranked #429 on the 2018 list of Fortune 500 companies. How Consumers Energy Company organizes, reacts, and responds in a crisis is scalable to any business, large or small—from Wall Street to Main Street. Legal counsel throughout the crisis, whether in-house or outside counsel, is key in a successful outcome. A real world example of crisis response will be highlighted.

• Daniel Cherrin is founder of North Coast Strategies, where he works closely with companies and their attorneys to manage risk, prepare and avoid a crisis, or work with a client through a very difficult situation while repairing their reputation. Dan will present OffGuard, The Field Guide for Protecting Your Reputation in wake of a Crisis and will identify key points and principles of responding to a crisis, gleaned from years of real world examples.

• Tom Heiden is a partner at Latham & Watkins and the global chair of the firm's Product Liability, Mass Torts, & Consumer Class Actions Practice. Tom has tried cases arising from catastrophic industrial accidents (including the tragic Ford-Rouge Powerhouse explosion), served as lead trial counsel in more than 5,000 personal injury toxic tort suits in Mississippi, and has successfully defended toxic tort cases in California, Illinois, Michigan, and Nebraska. Tom will present Real Lessons from the Trenches of the Gulf Oil Spill Litigation and will compare and contrast the response to the gulf spill to Ford's response to the 1999 Ford powerhouse explosion to illustrate what works and what doesn't in responding to a crisis situation.

• Herschel Fink specializes in representing news organizations, media, and entertainment companies, and high-profile personalities in a broad range of First Amendment, news gathering, and intellectual property issues. He is legal counsel to USA Today Network’s six Michigan newsrooms, including the Detroit Free Press, which he has represented for 35 years. Having worked both as a journalist for major media outlets and as a lawyer representing them, Herschel will provide insight into the role played by media in crisis situations and valuable pointers on how best to engage with media.