James F. Burke

Critical incidents continue to increase and evolve both in frequency and severity. These incidents expose businesses, schools, workplaces, events, houses of worship, and virtually any other entity where people gather to massive reputational and financial harm. Whether these incidents claim lives, cause injuries, damage property, are a hoax, or are thwarted prior to physical harm, the lasting impact can cause irrevocable harm to individuals, businesses, and communities alike. We can no longer regard these events as uncommon occurrences. By partnering with Wilson Elser, you can ensure that you are prepared to handle the fallout from a critical incident.

Wilson Elser has responded to and helped manage the fallout from hundreds of critical incidents, including, but not limited to, active shooter, pipeline explosions, catastrophic trucking losses, building collapses, natural disasters, and mass casualty events that result in vast reputational and financial exposure. We recognize that each event is unique and requires an immediate response and thorough investigation in order to develop a strong strategy and establish the best defense.

Our Critical Incident Response Team is comprised of several attorneys who draw on decades of experience in law enforcement and can guide you through each step of the process. The Critical Incident Response Team’s vast investigative and legal experience puts us in a unique position to gauge potential risk and liability for our clients, all while working under the protection of attorney-client privilege.

Once notified of an incident, Wilson Elser will deploy a “go team” comprised of attorneys and investigative personnel. As our client, you will have boots on the ground immediately to take proactive measures to preserve crucial evidence, interview witnesses, liaise with appropriate experts, assist with public relations, guide you through interviews, and formulate strategies designed to mitigate financial and reputation harm.

Our approach to interacting with victims and their families is one of compassion and empathy. This approach can have a significant impact on reducing the severity of claims or in some instances, resolving claims without costly litigation. Through a wide range of partners, our Critical Incident Response Team has the ability to connect victims with counseling services, family assistance, and other resources to ensure their needs are met. We will also work with our clients to provide and facilitate training, assist with risk identification, and create an action plan in order to mitigate our clients’ exposure to potential future incidents.