Law Suits & Crisis Management: Handling Potential Public Relations Disasters

Breakfast Seminar
8:30 – 10 am

Japanese companies doing business in the United States must anticipate and plan for public relations disasters. The recent negative publicity surrounding Bridgestone, Mitsubishi Motors and other Japanese corporations makes clear that these problems can plague even the best-run companies. Japanese firms are also attractive targets for lawsuits, such as products liability claims, which can result in negative public relations. This program brings together public relations and legal experts with substantial experience representing Japanese firms in PR and legal crises. Questions such as how to cope effectively with the media during a crisis; how to design and implement an effective crisis management program; how to hone crisis management skills; and how to minimize threats of lawsuits are explored. This program should be of particular interest to in-house counsel, corporate communications staff and senior managers. Includes continental breakfast.

Speakers
Hironobu Shibuya is Special Advisor to the Executive Director of UNICEF. Previously, he was President of Pacific Basin Partners, Inc., a strategic communications and development consulting firm. As President/CEO of Dentsu Burson-Marsteller, he helped establish a joint venture between Japan’s largest advertising/communications agency and the largest PR agency in the United States.

Albert J. Tortorella, Managing Director, Corporate/Financial Practice at Burson-Marsteller, is widely regarded as the foremost expert on crisis management in the United States. He pioneered the crisis management techniques that have safeguarded the reputations of some of corporate America’s largest companies.

Robert M. Peak, a partner at Reboul, MacMurray, Hewitt, Maynard & Kristol, specializes in representing clients in trial, pre-trial and regulatory proceedings involving product liability and telecommunications matters. He has extensive experience in general commercial litigation, and has represented Mitsubishi Motors and Chrysler Corp., among others.

John T. Herbert is Vice President of Human Resources, Strategy and Policy at Pfizer Inc. Mr. Herbert has had a diverse career in general law and litigation, business operations management, labor relations and employment law and human resources management.

Moderator
Philip M. Berkowitz, Partner, Salans Hertzfeld Heilbronn Christy & Viener

Tickets: $15, Japan Society members $10.