January would not be complete without our special issue on crisis communications. Topics include navigating crises in 2026, how power is shifting in PR proactive cyber preparation, GEO as the new crisis first responder, 2026 PR M&A predictions, and rise of the crisis pretenders.
The issue also focuses on the latest high-tech PR products and PR services for communications professionals. View online version of our Annual PR Buyer's Guide
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View interactive printed Jan. '26 Crisis Communications & PR Buyer's Guide Magazine |
Crisis as Strategy: Why Reputation is the Path to Resolution: Reputation isn’t a byproduct of crisis management. It must guide strategy. -- Gil Bashe, FINN Partners
Major Public Relations Crises of 2025 and What They Revealed: In 2025, reputational crises were less about isolated missteps and more about how quickly leadership, clarity and proportional judgment reacted under pressure. -- Ronn Torossian, 5W PR
Five Shifts Redefining Brand Communications: What worked for brands in 2025 won’t carry them forward into 2026. -- Anna Crowe, Crowe PR
Predictions for the PR M&A Marketplace in 2026: For public relations agency owners planning to sell, preparation and investment across several key areas will yield the highest valuations and exit terms in 2026. -- Rick Gould, Gould+Partners
The Year AI Went Bust: Artificial intelligence changed the world in 2025. Unfortunately, not all that change was for the better. -- Jon Gingerich, O'Dwyer's Sr. Editor
Good Riddance to 2025: Layoffs, agency consolidations, client spending cuts and massive AI-related disruptions upended the PR business in 2025. -- Kevin McCauley, O'Dwyer's Editor-in-Chief
5W Public Relations
469 7th Avenue, 8th Floor
New York, NY 10018
212/999-5585
Fax: 646/328-1711
[email protected]
www.5wpr.com
IG: @5wpr
Linkedin.com/company/5w-public-relations
Facebook.com/5WPublicRelations
TikTok: @5wpr_
www.5wpr.com/new
Additional Office: Miami, FL
Matthew Caiola, CEO
Ronn Torossian, Founder & Chmn.
Robert Ford, Managing Partner, EVP, Corporate & Crisis Communications
5W Public Relations (5WPR) is a top independently owned PR firm based in New York City. Since 2003, 5W Public Relations has partnered with public and private companies, high-profile individuals, and organizations across industries to deliver strategic communications that protect reputations and drive measurable business outcomes.
5WPR’s dedicated Crisis Communications and Online Reputation Management practice specializes in helping brands prepare for, respond to, and recover from high-stakes situations that can define public perception. Combining proactive crisis planning with rapid-response execution, the team manages media relations, stakeholder communications, and digital narratives to ensure clarity, consistency, and control during critical moments.
Beyond Crisis Communications and Online Reputation Management, 5WPR serves a broad range of industries, including Consumer Products, Food & Beverage, Beauty, Apparel & Accessories, Home, Travel & Hospitality, Technology, Entertainment & Sports, Nonprofit, Corporate Communications, and Digital & Social Media. With 200+ professionals, the agency offers an integrated, results-driven approach across PR, digital, and branding, helping clients connect with their audiences and grow their bottom line.
5W was honored as one of Ragan’s Top Places to Work in Communications and recognized on Digiday’s WorkLife Employer of the Year list. The agency’s campaigns have also earned top distinctions, including Consumer Product PR Campaign of the Year, Business-to-Business Campaign of the Year, and Travel & Tourism Campaign of the Year, among others.
AJB Communications
5 Conifer Lane
Avon, CT 06001
917/783-1680
[email protected]
www.ajbcomms.com/
Twitter: @ajbcomms
Linkedin.com/pub/andy-blum/7/689/47
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Andrew Blum, Founder and President
Andrew Blum has directed PR for professional services and financial services firms, NGOs, agencies, families and individuals, and other clients. As a PR consultant, and formerly as a journalist, he has been involved on both sides of the media aisle in some of the most media intensive PR crises of the past 30 years.
AJB Communications has handled a range of crisis PR and communications and reputation repair issues as well as high-profile cases, issues and clients, including:
• High-profile attorneys with clients facing legal, business and political-focused crisis PR problems.
• The son of a major real estate developer losing a lawsuit against a private school.
• The parent of one of the 20 children killed in the Sandy Hook mass shooting.
• “Man Bites Dog” press conference for a defendant in a high-profile New York City case whose conviction was overturned.
• The head of a private nursery school facing a divorce and a commercial lawsuit threatening to damage her reputation and the school.
• #Metoo men in the media spotlight.
• The criminal and civil cases of former CEO Richard Scrushy.
• The investigations and criminal cases of D.C. lobbyist Jack Abramoff (10,000 news stories written about him).
• The criminal trial of former presidential candidate John Edwards.
• Former NY Gov. George Pataki.
• Sarbanes Oxley.
• High-ranking U.S. intelligence official.
• Natalee Holloway.
• AIPAC spy case.
• Trans-Atlantic real estate fraud.
• Chapter 11 cases.
• Tobacco and oxycontin litigation.
• Hurricane Sandy and climate change issues.
• The VW emissions scandal litigation.
• New York State hospital closings.
• NY State judges pay case.
• 9/11 Memorials and foundations.
• London subway bombing.
• A professional services firm with a data leak during litigation.
• A professional services firm with a conflict administering a broker protocol for recruiting.
• Professional services firms putting clients in a bad light.
• Book authors dealing with online reputation issues.
• A plaintiff’s law firm which allegedly overbilled by about $1.5 million in a class action case using an attorney who was not licensed to practice law.
Ball Consulting Group, LLC
One Gateway Center, Suite 406
Newton, MA 02458
617/243-9950
[email protected]
www.ballcg.com
David A. Ball, President & Founder
Molly McKinney, Account Manager
Izzy Nickel, Account Manager
Crises seldom appear conveniently at 9 a.m. on a Monday. Even before a reporter calls out of the blue or a TV news van sets up out front, organizations need a trusted partner ready to step in to help minimize damage, maintain their reputation, and position them for future success.
Ball Consulting Group, LLC is an award-winning, full-service strategic communications firm that specializes in crisis communications, planning, and management.
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Founded in 2004 and based in the Boston area but with clients worldwide, we have helped lead organizations through many types of crises, including bankruptcies and closures, criminal misdeeds, cyberattacks, food and drug recalls, government settlements, lawsuits, labor strikes, layoffs, natural disasters, regulatory actions, and sexual harassment. We also help organizations communicate internally and externally through major organizational changes, including, in one recent case, a merger of five entities into one.
We have built a reputation for not only providing highly strategic guidance during challenging and complex crises, but also helping organizations identify weak points and prevent a crisis from ever occurring. We help clients prepare for any situation by creating a comprehensive crisis communications plan that names the crisis management team and the roles that each member will play in unforeseen situations, establishes communications protocols, and provides step-by-step guidance.
We take immense pride in our ability to bring a guiding hand, abundant experience, and confidential counsel to help organizations overcome crises and emerge stronger.
Bishoff Communications LLC
Offices in Greater Boston
P.O. Box #590207
Newton Centre, MA 02459
www.bishoffcommunications.com
617/573-0076
Janey Bishoff, CEO
617/593-5206
Bishoff Communications LLC is a senior, highly experienced crisis management and communications boutique. For more than 34 years Janey Bishoff has successfully handled dozens of local, regional and national crises for clients that range from small non-profit organizations to major institutions to top name national and international brands. These crises include situations such as accidents or crimes (including fatalities), sexual harassment, sexual abuse, leadership termination/transition, thefts, data breaches, communicable disease, food safety/food poisoning, environmental, litigation, HIPAA violations, mergers and acquisitions, financial mismanagement, lay-offs, governance issues, pickets/protests/strikes, disgruntled customers, compliance/regulatory/licensing issues, union issues, and more.
Working in close collaboration with an organization’s top leadership, their legal teams and other external advisors, Janey Bishoff is a trusted advisor often recommended by the client’s outside legal counsel.
In addition to crisis response, Janey helps organizations develop and activate realistic crisis plans and playbooks for real-world situations with practical guidance on identifying the most likely crises and negative scenarios that could impact a company.
Although rarely needed, either for a larger team or back-up, Janey utilizes a small cadre of top senior crisis managers she knows and trusts who are based up and down the East Coast.
Blue Highway Advisory / Blue Highway Global
601 Pennsylvania Ave. NW,
Suite 900
Washington, D.C. 20004
[email protected]
703/957-8428
www.bluehighway.us
www.bluehighwayglobal.uk
Maria Stagliano, SVP, Crisis and Corporate Communications
Malcolm Taylor, EVP, Investigations, Risk and Threat Assessment
Ian Christopher McCaleb, Founder and Principal
Meet Blue Highway Advisory (BHA): An award-winning, rapidly expanding crisis management, strategic consultative, and international, high stakes public relations firm aimed at breaking away from the conventions and norms of a saturated consultancy sector. We’re here to do good work for good people. We don’t over-complicate, we don’t overpromise, and we don’t overprice.
The differentiator, or the “why” of Blue Highway Advisory, answers this question:
What defines a true “crisis” firm, when we live in a time that will be unavoidably remembered as a lengthy era of societal, cultural and political crisis?
Blue Highway is decidedly not a standard crisis communications and management organization. Rather, we are constructed to meet the challenges of this complicated era through our recruiting, and not necessarily by catering to select industries or sectors.
We strive to meet the demands of an ever-changing media and legal landscape, and we stay ahead of new trends and forced changes. From crisis and litigation communications, to hyper-localized digital and media strategies, and assisting the most complex long-form, investigative pieces—as well as proudly housing the only hard-nosed Creator’s Rights Practice in the world—we treat our clients as colleagues. Not transactions.
Our carefully selected people start all strategic thinking processes with one, simple premise. “People start problems, and people fix problems.” All the tech tools in the world, many of which we use, and many more of which we have created on our own, aren’t going to fix anything unless human intelligence, analysis and ingenuity are directly brought to bear in service of all client needs.
And here, we may be the most counterintuitive crisis firm on the planet.
Our team includes veterans of the Department of Justice, international intelligence services, major global strategic and law firms, and veterans of Tier One international newsrooms. And to a person, we’ve seen what doesn’t work in this business as cold tech gives way to warm human touch.
Blue Highway Advisory operates with a presence in the United States, United Kingdom and South Africa. Our sister firm, Blue Highway Global (BHG), specializes in Open-Source Investigations (OSInt), digital research, forensics and safety, agent vetting, Know Your Customer (“KYC”) and supply chain protocols with an unmatched global reach.
Both work hand-in-glove in support of our crisis matter clients and their legal counsel, as unimpeachable, verifiable investigative information is the “gold key” to resolving the thorniest reputational situations, and often, much faster and much more thoroughly than standalone communications campaigns.
Boardroom Communications, Inc. (DBA BoardroomPR)
1776 No. Pine Island Rd., #320
Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33322
954/370-8999
[email protected]
www.boardroompr.com
Locations: Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Orlando, Tampa and Naples
Julie Talenfeld, President
Don Silver, COO
Todd Templin, Executive Vice President
Eric Kalis, Senior Vice President
Michelle Griffith, Vice President
Ashley Kearns, Vice President
When a crisis hits, the way you respond can make all the difference. At BoardroomPR, we specialize in helping businesses and individuals navigate high-pressure situations with confidence and strategic precision. Whether it’s a PR nightmare, a social media firestorm, or an unexpected corporate challenge, our expert crisis management team is here to protect your brand, mitigate risks, and restore public trust.
For almost four decades our team of former print and broadcast journalists and crisis management pros act swiftly to assess the situation, develop a clear action plan, and implement communication strategies that keep your reputation intact. We provide 24/7 support, proactive damage control, online reputation management (ORM) and media relations expertise to ensure you stay ahead of the narrative. Our team works closely with you to craft transparent messaging, handle media inquiries, and implement recovery strategies that turn challenges into opportunities.
Bospar
Located in every major U.S. city, including San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C. and Chicago.
[email protected]
www.bospar.com
Curtis Sparrer and Chris Boehlke, Co-Founders & Principals
Tom Carpenter, Principal
Joseph Krasinski, Chief Financial Officer
Denyse Dabrowski, Senior Vice President
Paula Bernier, Chief Content Officer
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Bospar believes the most effective crisis communications stop crises before they happen. That’s why we built Audit*E, our proprietary visibility AI platform designed to identify and correct misinformation before it spirals into reputational damage.
Audit*E continuously audits how brands appear across AI search engines. If inaccurate narratives emerge, such as when our client RealSense was falsely declared “dead” by AI systems after its Intel spinout, Audit*E can pinpoint the sources, flag the errors and guide corrections. Misinformation is neutralized before it triggers a media, investor or customer crisis.
When a crisis does occur, Audit*E ensures your approved, accurate messaging is surfaced by AI engines when stakeholders seek answers, so speculation or wrong information doesn’t fill the void. This AI-driven layer of defense complements Bospar’s human-led crisis expertise.
Bospar has successfully guided clients through layoffs, cybersecurity breaches, technology failures and bankruptcy. We act fast, developing response strategies, securing executive approvals, deploying holding statements and monitoring media, internal sentiment and social channels in real time.
Our crisis services include 24/7 counsel, crisis strategy, spokesperson communications and media training. We provide audience outreach, threat assessment, employee communications, media monitoring and reputation management, now strengthened by Audit*E’s preventive intelligence.
Collected Strategies
121 East 24th Street, 10th Floor
New York, NY 10010
212/379-2072
www.collectedstrategies.com
Scott Bisang, Jim Golden, Jude Gorman, Ed Hammond, Nick Lamplough and Dan Moore, Partners
Collected Strategies is an independent advisory firm providing trusted, strategic communications counsel to companies and their Boards of Directors, C-Suite executives and IR/PR leaders. Founded on the principle that the best advice comes from the deepest relationships, we seek to work with clients as perpetual partners, offering senior-led counsel on the full range of special situations, ongoing IR and PR and media issues that companies encounter.
Based in Manhattan’s Flatiron neighborhood, we provide pragmatic advice and actionable ideas to clients, tailoring solutions to support them throughout the business lifecycle. From private funding initiatives, IPO preparations and transformative transactions through shareholder activism defense and financial restructurings, we leverage our deep experience and unique perspective to help our clients navigate today’s ever-changing media and investor landscape.
CrisisResilient 365
www.crisisresilient365.com
[email protected] &
[email protected]
Stephanie Craig, CEO
CrisisResilient 365 gives organizations something they rarely have before a crisis: clarity. The platform delivers a precise understanding of how ready your leadership team actually is, and a customized plan to close the gaps before they become headline news.
The approach is straightforward and fast. A 20-minute diagnostic evaluates your leadership team’s readiness across the dimensions that matter. Crisis experts translate the results into a bespoke crisis communications plan with practical, high-value recommendations aligned with your business goals. Leadership teams receive a focused briefing to align decision-makers, and monthly crisis simulations keep skills sharp.
Built from decades of advising Fortune 500 companies and senior government leaders, CrisisResilient 365 combines corporate rigor, political discipline, and real-world crisis experience. It’s proactive, affordable, and designed for organizations that need readiness they can defend to their board—not another binder that collects dust.
DDR Public Relations (DDRPR)
444 Bedford Rd., Suite 201
Pleasantville, NY 10570
914/747-2500
[email protected]
www.ddrpr.com
Dawn Dankner-Rosen, President
Mackenzie Maher, Account Supervisor
Susan Nagib, Creative Director
DDRPR is an award-winning integrated communications and marketing firm with a senior-led approach across consumer/lifestyle, health, real estate, nonprofits, B2B, and professional services. With over 35 years of experience, we have guided countless clients through high-stakes, reputation-defining crises and challenges while managing corporate reputation through earned media relations, integrated marketing, branding, and value-driven communications.
Our Crisis Management Preparedness Plans serve as essential manuals for addressing unforeseen events that can threaten strategic goals and reputations. These plans identify potential risk scenarios, detail effective strategies, and outline actionable recommendations including ready-to-use templates for press releases and social media posts, enabling Crisis Teams to respond quickly and effectively.
Central to our approach is “360-Degree Communications,” which ensures consistent messaging across all channels and allows us to control the narrative. During crises, we engage media, stakeholders, employees, and community leaders while closely monitoring social media, online chatter, media, and news outlets to quickly address and prevent misinformation.
Guided by our core principles—Respond, Recover, and Grow—DDRPR not only mitigates crises but also transforms them into opportunities to increase brand awareness, build brand authority, and enhance public perception. Through community engagement, strategic messaging, and ongoing issues management, we empower organizations to recover and thrive post-crisis, reinforcing our commitment to effective reputation management and strategic communication.
DGA Group
1900 K Street, NW
Washington, D.C. 20006
202/759-5100
www.dgagroup.com
Prem Kumar, President
Deborah Scott, Partner & Head of EMEA
Adam Cubbage, Partner & Head of Americas
Melissa Kresse, Chief Content Officer
DGA Group is a global advisory firm that helps clients protect—and grow—what they have built in today’s complex business environment. We understand the challenges and opportunities of an increasingly regulated and interconnected world. Leveraging the experience and expertise of Albright Stonebridge Group, a leader in global strategy and commercial diplomacy, and a deep bench of communications, public affairs, and government relations consultants, we help clients navigate and shape global policy, reputational, and financial issues.
Our team of experts has extensive experience advising boards and management teams on the most complex and high-stakes reputational issues and crises of the last decade. We excel in helping clients navigate the intersection of geopolitical risk, regulatory challenges, and reputational threats, ensuring their brands, valuations, and operations remain resilient. From cybersecurity breaches and government investigations to financial disclosures and environmental activism, we work to mitigate risks and reduce negative political or legal consequences. By safeguarding credibility, strengthening key relationships, ensuring business continuity, and protecting corporate value, we enable clients to remain agile and secure in an unpredictable global landscape.
To learn more, please visit dgagroup.com.
Edelman
250 Hudson St., 16th Floor
New York, NY 10013
212/768-0550
Fax: 212/704-0117
www.edelman.com
Edelman is a global communications firm that partners with businesses and organizations to evolve, promote and protect their brands and reputations. Our 6,000 people in more than 60 offices deliver communications strategies that give our clients the confidence to lead and act with certainty, earning the trust of their stakeholders. Our honors include the Cannes Lions Grand Prix for PR; Advertising Age’s 2019 A-List; the Holmes Report’s 2018 Global Digital Agency of the Year; and, five times, Glassdoor’s Best Places to Work. Since our founding in 1952, we have remained an independent, family-run business. Edelman owns specialty companies Edelman Intelligence (research) and United Entertainment Group (entertainment, sports, lifestyle).
Emergency Management External Affairs Association
779 Scotch Way
West Chester, PA 19382
571/264-4423
em-eaa.org
Linkedin.com/company/emeaaorg
Bob Jensen, President
Dan Stoneking, Vice President
Founded in October 2023 by former senior officials of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Emergency Management External Affairs Association (EMEAA) mission is to connect, embrace, promote and enhance the national and international emergency management, external affairs and crisis communications community of professionals.
In little more than two years the association has forged important partnerships with leading crisis management and communications organizations across the globe and provided members and the general public with a wide variety of on-line training courses, best practices, networking opportunities and regular webinars with crisis communications, emergency management/resilience and homeland security industry thought leaders and subject matter experts.
EMEAA is now engaging with and leveraging the collective expertise and ideas of crisis and corporate communications practitioners, public information officers and other interested communicators and executives to best serve its members, stakeholders and communities, businesses and individuals impacted by disaster.
Please visit EMEAA’s website and LinkedIn page to learn more about the association and the benefits and opportunities of its low-cost annual membership, and consider joining this important and growing global community of communicators dedicated to professional growth, making a positive impact and doing great things!
FGS Global
909 Third Ave.
New York, NY 10022
212/687-8080
www.fgsglobal.com
Alexander Geiser, Global CEO
Winnie Lerner, CEO, North America
Faeth Birch, CEO of UK, Middle East, and Asia
Brigitte von Haacke, CEO of Europe
FGS Global is the world’s leading stakeholder strategy firm, with approximately 1,400 professionals around the world, advising clients in navigating critical issues and reputational challenges. FGS was formed to offer board-level and C-suite counsel in all aspects of stakeholder strategy—including corporate reputation, crisis management, and public affairs and is also the leading force in transaction and financial communications worldwide.
FGS offers seamless and integrated support with offices in the following locations: Abu Dhabi, Amsterdam, Beijing, Berlin, Boston, Brussels, Calgary, Chicago, Dubai, Dublin, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, Houston, Kingston, London, Los Angeles, Munich, Paris, Riyadh, San Francisco, Shanghai, Singapore, South Florida, The Hague, Tokyo, Toronto, Vancouver, Washington, D.C., and Zurich. The firm is headquartered in New York.
FGS is consistently ranked a Band 1 PR firm for Crisis & Risk Management and for Litigation Support by Chambers and Partners. For the second year, FGS was ranked #1 Global M&A PR firm by Deal Count and Value in 2024 by Mergermarket.
French/West/Vaughan
112 East Hargett St.
Raleigh, NC 27601
919/832-6300
www.fwv-us.com
Rick French, Chairman & CEO
David Gwyn, President / Principal
Natalie Best, Chief Operating Officer / Principal
French/West/Vaughan (FWV) is the Southeast’s leading public relations, public affairs, advertising and digital media agency, a distinction it has held since 2001. Headquartered in Raleigh, N.C., and founded in April 1997, FWV has received 40 Global or National Agency of the Year honors over the past 28 years. Its crisis communications practice area is ranked 4th in the country.
FWV is one of the nation’s go-to agencies for issues management and crisis counseling work, having protected the reputation of high-profile individuals and public figures, institutions, Fortune 500 companies and associations. For more than a quarter century, we have prepared, guided and supported our clients through challenging, unpredictable and even unprecedented times, including environmental and workplace incidents, injuries or loss of life, ethical violations, leadership transitions and cyber attacks. Our experience ranges from technology, healthcare, agribusiness, consumer goods, sports organizations, food and beverage companies and law firms—each with its own unique challenges and issues.
Recent crisis communications work includes:
• Supported international biotech leader on response strategies following multiple FDA warning letters. FWV executed media relations, stakeholder communications and worked with the FDA to negotiate and redact portions prior to publication.
• Assisted a global pharmaceutical company when an employee embezzled millions of dollars. FWV conducted executive media training, drafted media statements and engaged local, regional and financial press.
• Developed a crisis communications plan for the bottling and distribution partner of one of the world’s most recognizable consumer beverages.
• Managed the aftermath of one of the largest commercial fires in the history of a large Southern metropolitan area. Handled media, media training and social media support.
• Provided crisis communications and media training for executives of a large senior living facility conglomerate accused of negligent behavior by its employees.
• Worked with a national poultry company accused of environmental contamination facing class-action lawsuits. FWV provided media training, conducted media relations and developed a strategic public relations and advertising plan.
• Managed premature disclosure of confidential information that threatened to disrupt state economic incentives and negatively impact a company’s share price.
• Ongoing work with the organizing bodies of Western sports properties handling rodeo-related animal rights vs. animal welfare issues.
• Consulted and counseled multiple professional sports leagues, including Major League Soccer (MLS), the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) and National Football League (NFL), as well as associated franchises.
In addition to its extensive crisis and issues management experience, FWV’s passionate team of expert storytellers works with many of the world’s leading companies and brands, including ABB, Eaton, LG Energy Solutions, Carolina Panthers, Proximo, Teen Cancer America, Regional Transportation Authority of SE Michigan and the N.C. Department of Transportation, just to name a few.
FWV is the parent company of fashion and lifestyle PR firm AMP3 (New York City), pet and animal health practice FWV Fetching; and Prix Productions, a feature film and documentary production company. FWV employs more than 140 public relations, public affairs, social media, advertising, digital marketing and content creation professionals across its five offices nationwide.
FTI Consulting
555 12th Street, NW, Suite 700
Washington, D.C. 20004
[email protected]
202/302-5832
FTIconsulting.com
FTIcommunications.com
Linkedin.com/company/fti-consulting
X.com/FTIConsulting
Facebook.com/FTIConsultingInc
Instagram.com/lifeatfti
YouTube.com/@FTIConsultingInc
Myron Marlin, Senior Managing Director, Head of Americas, Crisis & Litigation Communications
Tom Becker, Senior Managing Director, Crisis & Litigation Communications
Meredith Griffanti, Senior Managing Director, Global Head of Cybersecurity & Data Privacy Communications
Evan Roberts, Senior Managing Director, Co-Leader of Americas Cybersecurity & Data Privacy Communications
Jamie Singer, Senior Managing Director, Co-Leader of Americas Cybersecurity & Data Privacy Communications
Brian Grove, Senior Managing Director, Energy & Natural Resources; Crisis & Litigation Communications
As the leading global expert firm for organizations facing crisis and transformation, FTI Consulting works with the world’s leading corporations, law firms and private equity firms on business critical and high-stake issues.
With offices in every major financial center and nearly every corner of the world, FTI Consulting’s market-leading crisis and litigation communications team designs and executes impactful communications programs for clients managing complex challenges —whenever they arise. Combining global reach with local knowledge and industry-specific expertise, we help business leaders anticipate and manage crises, navigate disruption, safeguard reputation, preserve permissions to operate, articulate their brand, stake a competitive market position, and seize opportunities.
The team of more than 50 communications experts based in Washington D.C., New York, Chicago, Atlanta and Houston has jointly worked on more than 1,000 crises across a variety of industries and sectors. Issue coverage includes government investigations, operational disruptions, safety threats, cybersecurity incidents, workplace misconduct, and high-profile litigation and regulatory actions.
G&S Integrated Marketing Communications Group
New York | Chicago | Raleigh | Milwaukee | Waterloo
www.gsimc.com
www.gscommunications.com
www.morganmyers.com
Steve Halsey, Chief Growth Officer, [email protected]
Anne Green, CEO
G&S Integrated Marketing Communications Group fuels transformation for innovative brands through two specialized agencies: G&S Business Communications and MorganMyers, a G&S Agency. We deliver strategic communications, public relations, branding, digital marketing, creative and advertising, and reputation management solutions for businesses shaping the future.
G&S Business Communications simplifies complex, high-stakes topics through B2B2C storytelling that drives commercial outcomes. The agency partners with Fortune 500, mid-market, and emerging companies across five industries: Agribusiness, Healthcare & Wellness, Home & Outdoor Living, Industrial & Advanced Manufacturing, and Professional Services.
MorganMyers builds, promotes, and protects food and agriculture brands, fostering demand and trust from field and farm to food and fork. With deep category expertise, the agency helps organizations move with confidence from where they are to where they want to be.
As an independent, midsized group, we pair agility with senior-level counsel and data-driven strategy. Our PROI Worldwide partnership extends our reach across 65 countries and 165 cities, providing in-language and in-time-zone communications support through trusted global partners.
Both agencies help clients strengthen reputation readiness through AI-enabled message management, GEO optimization, and modern crisis communications frameworks built for supply-chain, science-led, and regulated industries.
Learn how we help brands tell their stories and drive business growth at www.gscommunications.com and www.morganmyers.com.
Gladstone Place Partners
485 Madison Avenue, 6th Floor
New York, NY 10022
212/230-5930
[email protected]
Gladstoneplace.com
Linkedin.com/company/gladstone-place-partners
Steve Lipin, Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Lauren Odell, Partner and Chief Operating Officer
Vanessa Esparza, Partner, People and Administration
Felipe Ucrós, Partner
Gladstone Place Partners is a strategic and financial communications firm headquartered in New York. We specialize in advising companies at critical moments when communications can make a significant difference in achieving core objectives. We are a highly focused and experienced team with a broad range of backgrounds, including business leaders, communications professionals, finance professionals, and former journalists.
With global capabilities, our diverse team is designed to meet the evolving strategic communications needs of leading companies’ C-suites, boards of directors, and chief communications officers. Clients seek our counsel on a range of matters, including mergers & acquisitions, crisis situations, corporate reputation and strategic positioning, IPOs and spinoffs, global trade and supply-chain matters, cybersecurity, shareholder activism, quarterly earnings announcements, and corporate governance communications.
Our multidisciplinary team is focused on independent advice and confidentiality, enhancing our ability to help our clients navigate layered and critical matters.
Gladstone Place Partners strives to build long-term, trusted relationships by delivering the highest quality work product, paired with uncompromising ethics, integrity, and judgment.
Our founder and CEO, Steve Lipin, has spent over 30 years at the intersection of the corporate world, Wall Street, and the media as a leading financial journalist and top communications strategist.
H/Advisors Abernathy
230 Park Avenue, 23rd Floor
New York, NY 10169
212/371-5999
www.abernathy.h-advisors.global
Carina Davidson, Interim CEO
([email protected])
Michael Hotra, Co-President, Head of Washington, D.C. Office ([email protected])
Sydney Isaacs, Co-President, Head of Houston Office ([email protected])
H/Advisors Abernathy specializes in advising CEOs, board directors and senior executives on effective stakeholder communications and engagement. For over 40 years, the firm has been entrusted by clients across sectors to help build, protect, and enhance their reputation, overcome challenges, and seize new opportunities. Coming from diverse careers including public relations, journalism, legal practice, corporate finance and investment banking, our expert advisors counsel corporate decision-makers and provide our clients with diligent hands-on service. Our multi-disciplinary team offers relevant expertise in financial communications, capital raising initiatives, IPOs, activist preparation and defense, M&A advisory, profile raising, litigation, Government investigations, crisis matters, issues management, public affairs, policy advocacy, stakeholder management, digital strategy, thought leadership and other special situations initiatives.
H/Advisors Abernathy operates from offices in New York, Los Angeles, Houston, San Francisco, Chicago, and Washington, D.C. and is a core member of H/Advisors, strategic communications experts dedicated to enhancing reputation and building trust to fulfill ambitions. Founded in 2001, H/Advisors employs 1,500+ multi-disciplinary experts in 40+ offices across Europe, America, APAC and the Middle East.
For more information, please visit abernathy.h-advisors.global.
Follow H/Advisors Abernathy on LinkedIn: Linkedin.com/company/h-advisors-abernathy.
ICR
685 Third Ave., 2nd Floor
New York, NY 10017
646/277-1200
[email protected]
www.icrinc.com
Thomas Ryan, CEO
Don Duffy, President
Established in 1998, ICR partners with public and private companies to execute strategic communications and advisory programs, and manage complex transactions and corporate events to enhance long-term enterprise value and corporate reputation. The firm’s highly-differentiated service model, which pairs capital markets veterans with senior communications professionals, brings deep sector knowledge and relationships to hundreds of clients across more than 20 industry groups. With more than 400 team members, ICR is one of the largest and most experienced independent communications and advisory firms, maintaining offices in New York, Connecticut, Boston, Baltimore, San Jose, London, and Beijing. Learn more at icrinc.com. Follow us on LinkedIn and on X at @ICRPR.
Infinite
1450 Broadway, 7th Floor
New York, NY 10018
www.infiniteglobal.com
LinkedIn.com/company/infiniteglobal
Additional offices:
San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington, D.C., and London
Jamie Diaferia, CEO
Zach Olsen, President
Isabel Podda, Global COO
Jesse Dungan, Executive Vice President
Ryan McSharry, Director, Head of Crisis & Litigation (UK)
Infinite is a strategic communications firm, offering an integrated approach to building and defending the reputations and brands of knowledge-intensive businesses across professional services firms, finance, technology, and other business-to-business organizations.
With a track record spanning over 25 years, our clients trust Infinite to provide the experience, skills, and insight to help drive their brands forward, and mitigate, defend, or repair reputational damage where required.
Infinite’s diverse, international team of professionals combine decades of domain expertise in our clients’ industries, with a strategic approach that integrates PR, digital strategy, content creation, and crisis and litigation strategy to help organizations gain and maintain a reputational advantage.
Our crisis and litigation communications specialists are renowned for managing complex and challenging reputational issues, often involving active litigation, regulatory or political pressure, cybersecurity incidents, and heightened scrutiny from the media and public. These consultants are available 24/7 to respond to any emergent matter.
In addition to our six offices in the U.S. and UK, we work with a global network of trusted agencies in 18 strategic markets around the world, able to support any client regardless of their time zone or reputation management needs.
Ink Link Marketing
4846 Sun City Center, #262
Sun City Center, FL 33573-6281
305/631-2283
[email protected]
www.inklinkmarketing.com
Kimberly Miller, President
Brianne Barbakoff, Vice President
Ink Link Marketing is a full-service public relations and marketing firm specializing in strategic communications for restaurants, hospitality, franchising, and consumer brands. Founded in 2012 and headquartered in Tampa, the agency provides national support to clients seeking to build, protect, and strengthen brand reputation. The firm offers crisis communications and issues management services, including crisis preparedness, media relations, strategic messaging, spokesperson training, media monitoring, and real-time response support. Ink Link Marketing works closely with leadership teams to develop clear internal and external communications, manage emerging issues, and mitigate reputational risk during sensitive or high-pressure situations. Additional services include public relations, influencer programs, promotions, social media strategy, and event support, helping brands maintain visibility and credibility before, during, and after critical moments.
Jasculca Terman Strategic Communications
325 W. Huron, Suite 603
Chicago, IL 60654
www.jtpr.com
Jessica Smith, CEO & Managing Partner
Lauren Foley, COO & Managing Partner
Holly Bartecki, Executive VP
Rick Jasculca, Chairman & Co-Founder
Jim Terman, Vice Chairman & Co-Founder
For more than 40 years, Chicago-based Jasculca Terman Strategic Communications (JT)—an independent, women-led firm has provided trusted crisis planning, issues management and rapid-response counsel to corporate, nonprofit and public-sector organizations across the U.S. and internationally. We have advised clients through hundreds of high-stakes, rapidly evolving issues and crises, ranging from environmental and safety incidents, product recalls and data breaches to labor disputes, litigation, leadership transitions, public health emergencies and reputational threats driven by mainstream and social media.
JT helps clients prepare before a crisis strikes through customized crisis communications planning, including realistic scenario development, message frameworks, stakeholder mapping and ready-to-use templates.
When a crisis occurs, our senior team is available 24/7 to step in immediately—providing strategic counsel; developing clear, credible messaging; preparing and supporting spokespeople; coordinating closely with legal and operational teams; and managing proactive and reactive communications in real time.
JT’s crisis experience spans healthcare systems and academic medical centers, manufacturers, food and consumer brands, financial and cultural institutions, K-12 school districts and universities, nonprofits and government entities. We have specific expertise supporting organizations in unionized and highly regulated industries.
Across every engagement, JT’s focus is protecting trust, safeguarding credibility, and helping leaders communicate with clarity and purpose when it matters most.
Joele Frank, Wilkinson Brimmer Katcher
22 Vanderbilt Ave., 18th Floor
New York, NY 10017
212/355-4449
[email protected]
www.joelefrank.com
Linkedin.com/company/joele-frank
One California St., Suite 1800
San Francisco, CA 94111
415/869-3950
Joele Frank, Managing Partner
Matthew Sherman, President
Andrew Brimmer and Daniel Katcher, Vice Chairmen
Eric Brielmann, Michael Freitag, Barrett Golden, Eric Kaplan, Jonathan Keehner, Tim Lynch, Jamie Moser, Aaron Palash, Leigh Parrish, Adam Pollack, Aura Reinhard, Jed Repko, Meaghan Repko, Andrea Rose, Arielle Rothstein, Joe Sala, Mahmoud Siddig, Andrew Siegel, Sharon Stern, Kelly Sullivan, Ed Trissel, Partners
Joele Frank is a strategic communications firm that enables clients to take control in key moments of challenge and opportunity—from bet-the-company situations to the ongoing execution of long-term business goals, and everything in between. For more than 25 years, we have guided companies through high-stakes moments with clarity and confidence, differentiated by our deep experience, creative thinking, and a relentless focus on results.
Our industry leadership has been recognized with seven Agency of the Year honors from PRovoke Media, five Firm of the Year awards from The M&A Advisor, the #1 ranking in The Deal’s U.S. M&A league tables since 2013, and the #1 ranking in Bloomberg’s shareholder activism defense league tables since 2019. Our expertise includes best-in-class teams across financial sponsors, governance, digital, and design that work seamlessly alongside client service teams to deliver tailored solutions that drive creativity and results.
KARV
370 Lexington Ave., Suite 2001
New York, NY 10017
212/333-0275
www.KARV.global
Andrew Frank, Founder and President
Eric C. Andrus, Executive VP
KARV is a globally recognized strategic advisory and communications firm based in New York City, specializing in sophisticated corporate and financial communications, crisis and personal reputation management, litigation support and public affairs. The KARV philosophy is simple—we accomplish the goals set by our corporate, government and non-profit clients all over the world, through an extensive network and an unbiased approach to solving problems.
KARV is led by a team of talented professionals with wide-ranging global experience in a variety of industries: finance, media, energy, consumer goods and services, technology, healthcare, gaming, entertainment, government and non-profit sectors and more.
We offer clients the broad spectrum of relationships that we have cultivated over many years: legal, lobbying, financial advising, management consultancy, technology, risk management/business intelligence, and other in-house or outside advisors. Through these relationships, KARV brings a balanced and comprehensive approach to issues management and strategic counsel to our clients in high-stakes situations.
Many firms offer talent and experience; however, few offer talent, experience, and worldwide relationships. This is what sets KARV apart as we deliver custom-tailored strategic and communications counsel that helps clients move forward in unpredictable times.
Kekst CNC
1675 Broadway, 30th Floor
New York, NY 10019
212/521-4800
www.kekstcnc.com
Jeremy Fielding, Co-Chief Executive Officer
Bernhard Meising, Co-Chief Executive Officer
Many companies and institutions around the world will confront unforeseen events that may well alter their future, pose unprecedented challenges, and potentially define their reputation for years to come.
What is required in these circumstances is an expert, experienced strategic communications partner to work with senior management and a Board of Directors to develop and execute the necessary integrated communications strategies to gain the trust and confidence of key stakeholders in this era of accelerated change.
Kekst CNC is ideally equipped to help global business and institutional leaders address these challenges ... as well as their opportunities. For over 50 years, our team of more than 300 experienced professionals in 15 locations around the world has partnered with leading organizations of all sizes to: articulate new business strategies and a vision for success; explain an enterprise transforming event and its significance; help navigate complex business challenges or crises; build support among key stakeholders; and, work to strengthen and protect our clients’ credibility, reputation, and brand.
As trusted advisors, Kekst CNC’s professionals bring to client engagements high energy, sound judgment and expertise on such high stakes matters as: M&A, shareholder activism and governance, crisis communications, restructurings, regulatory investigations / resolutions, litigation support, complex investor relations, IPO communications, issues and reputation management, leadership transitions, cyber security, employee engagement, public affairs, as well as digital and social communications—providing exceptional counsel and execution supported by objective insights, based on access to proprietary research, data and analytics capabilities.
Kith
Consulting for Crisis, Reputation, and Strategic Resilience
Headquarters: National footprint (U.S.)
www.kith.co
Stephanie Craig, President and CEO
Bill Coletti, Founder and Senior Advisor
Jeff Blaylock, VP, Client Services
Kith is a crisis advisory firm that helps organizations withstand disruption, protect their reputation, and sustain growth. We operate at the intersection of reputation protection, business continuity, and corporate strategy, advising leaders on the decisions that matter most when stakes are high and time is short.
Founded on the principle that resilience is strategy, we go beyond crisis communications and equip senior executives, boards, and communications leaders with clarity, confidence, and a repeatable decision-making system that performs under pressure.
Executive-level crisis guidance without the noise.
We help organizations make better decisions, faster. Our Crisis Readiness Framework helps organizations define what a crisis is, establish governance that works, and create decision pathways that prevent internal confusion and external missteps.
Clarity + Trust = Strategic Speed.
This is our operating theorem. When leaders understand their roles, trust processes, and anticipate reactions, they gain the speed needed to mitigate damage, protect reputation, and maintain business momentum.
Advisors who’ve been in the room.
Kith brings more than 20 years of experience guiding Fortune 500s, tribal nations, higher-ed institutions, and financial services organizations through high-stakes situations. Our work spans reputational crises, regulatory issues, workplace conduct matters, physical incidents, operational failures, sovereignty questions, and complex multi-stakeholder events.
Longacre Square Partners
44 West 37th Street, 6th Floor
New York, NY 10018
[email protected]
www.longacresquare.com
Greg Marose, Managing Partner
Dan Zacchei, Managing Partner
Longacre Square is a communications and special situations advisory firm that is differentiated by our high-touch and senior-led advisory model with unique experience representing companies and investors in hundreds of transformative events, transactions, capital raises, crises and contested situations. As a full-service consultancy, our capabilities span strategic communications, investor relations, corporate governance advisory, capital markets planning and transaction support, litigation, media advisory, and crisis management.
Longacre has been ranked #1 for IR/PR advisors on Bloomberg’s shareholder activism league tables since the firm’s inception and handled more special situations and activism campaigns than any strategy firm in 2024 and currently has over 87 representations through 1H 2025. The firm advises a global clientele from its New York City, Dallas-Fort Worth, Washington D.C., Tampa and Toronto offices with clients ranging from top, global enterprises to smaller, privately owned corporations.
Marx Layne & Company
31300 Orchard Lake Rd., #100
Farmington Hills, MI 48334
248/855-6777
[email protected]
marxlayne.com
Michael Layne, President
Michael Szudarek, Partner
Michael Odom, Senior Vice President
Lana Mini, Vice President
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Marx Layne brings more than 35 years of expertise in navigating high-stakes crisis communications. Trusted by top national law firms, we guide clients through the intense media and stakeholder scrutiny that accompanies their most challenging moments.
Our seasoned professionals have successfully managed a wide range of critical issues, including employment disputes, industrial accidents, fatalities, foodborne illnesses, environmental crises, boycotts, strikes, corporate fraud and cyber breaches. We operate around the clock, offering 24/7/365 support to help clients respond decisively and strategically.
Our senior team collaborates closely with legal advisors, law enforcement, and municipal leaders while keeping executives fully informed as situations unfold. We provide comprehensive media training for company spokespersons, crafting key messages and ensuring delivery aligns with the organization’s values and objectives.
Leveraging proprietary software, we monitor social media sentiment in real time and offer actionable guidance to safeguard and manage your brand. Whether in response to media inquiries, social media dialogue, internal and external communications, supplier relations and community relations our team acts swiftly to deploy tailored responses that protect reputation and mitigate damage.
From privately held companies to Fortune 500 corporations, Marx Layne excels in creating proactive, integrated crisis communications strategies to navigate every phase of a crisis—before, during, and after it occurs.
Montieth & Company
685 Third Avenue
27th Floor
New York, NY 10017
646/437-7602
www.montiethco.com
Montieth M. Illingworth, CEO & Global Managing Partner
Perry Goldman, Global Senior Director
Katarina M. Garner, Global Senior Director
Montieth & Company is a global specialist communications consultancy that helps organizations achieve influence, realize their ambitions and solve their most critical communication problems. We provide a comprehensive set of management advisory and marketing communications services and solutions that evaluate and manage reputational risk and protect stakeholder relationships.
Montieth & Company’s flexible, integrated, and budget-efficient cross-border business model and multi-lingual capability enables us to reach into over 25 media markets via our hubs in New York, London, and Hong Kong, and through our affiliates around the world.
We are recognized globally for our issues and crisis management and litigation PR expertise. This work includes crisis planning, strategic counsel, media relations, and stakeholder communications support on the full range of civil and criminal matters from business disputes to regulatory and law enforcement actions. We are frequently hired by law firms to help advise their clients on the critical issues concerning CEO conduct, corporate governance, intellectual property and patent litigation, bankruptcy and restructuring, M&A, compliance across global jurisdictions, cybersecurity, and contract conflicts, etc. We have advised on many of the most high-profile, headline issues, crises, government and court actions in the world.
Montieth & Company enables clients to assess and strengthen brand visibility in generative AI environments, including large language models (LLMs), as audience discovery shifts beyond traditional search. Our AI-powered solution measures and ranks brand profile, the effectiveness of all content, and evaluates customer and client sentiment and engagement. We also have a proprietary AI-enabled reputation management system that conducts a predictive analysis of an anticipated crisis and its impact on stakeholder opinion. This is a vital tool for issues and crisis planning and management.
MP&F
611 Commerce Street, Suite 3000
Nashville, TN 37203
615/259-4000
www.mpf.com
Instagram: mpfcomm
LinkedIn: mpfcomm
Facebook: mpfcomm
X: mpfcomm
Jennifer Brantley, Managing Partner
Kate Chinn, Partner
Mary Elizabeth Davis, Partner
Knight Stivender, Partner
MP&F is a full-service agency with offices in Nashville, Knoxville and D.C. Our team brings nearly 40 years of excellence and experience in advertising, marketing and public relations to the clients we serve. We are the largest locally owned communications firm in Tennessee and one of the largest in the Southeast. MP&F is wholly women-owned—certified by WBENC as well as the Governor’s Office of Diversity Business Enterprise. Our approach to crisis scenarios has influenced companies of all sizes across Tennessee and nationwide. Although every crisis is unique, one piece of advice from us stays the same—be honest and be prepared. Our team is fast, reliable, thoughtful—and above all, we think ahead. When a crisis occurs, we quickly provide: strategic counsel, media statements, talking points for senior leadership and staff, support with employee communication, website and social media copy, media and social media monitoring, and media outreach.
Padilla
1101 West River Parkway
Suite 400 (Headquarters)
Minneapolis, MN 55415
612/455-1700
PadillaCo.com
Chris Werle, Senior Vice President
24-hour emergency hotline
(1-877/PR-ER-911)
Crises can come from any direction, and each one represents a moment of truth for your brand and your reputation. Fortunately, the Crisis Communications + Critical Issues Management Team at Padilla can guide you in everything from preparation and critical issue mitigation to crisis management. We help our clients perform at their absolute best on their very worst day by showing them how to maintain control in the midst of chaos.
That work begins before the crisis strikes. First, we help our clients measure their level of exposure and preparedness with a deep Risk Analysis and Preparedness Assessment. Based on that analysis, we develop plans and programming to address and mitigate the primary threats facing the business as well as tailored simulations designed to stress test an organization’s crisis protocols, decision-making and communications effectiveness.
Padilla is a full-service agency that transforms brands and organizations through strategically creative communications. Our work across deep areas of sector expertise in agriculture and environmental sciences, food, beverage and nutrition, health, technology and financial services, is consistently recognized by industry partners such as the PRWeek Awards, PRovoke IN2 SABRE Awards and PRSA Anvil Awards, among others. Padilla operates in seven cities across the U.S. through its family of brands, which includes, SHIFT (performance communications), FoodMinds (food and nutrition affairs) and Joe Smith (brand strategy). As an AVENIR GLOBAL company and a founding member of the Worldcom Public Relations Group, the agency provides services to clients through 115 offices worldwide. Transform with Purpose at PadillaCo.com.
Peppercomm
Instagram: @peppercomm
Twitter: @peppercomm
Facebook: Peppercomm
LinkedIn: Peppercomm, a Ruder Finn Group company
www.peppercomm.com
Jacqueline Kolek, Co-President
Maggie O’Neill, Co-President
Rob Duda, Senior Vice President
Danielle Montana, Senior Vice President
Paul Merchan, Senior Vice President
Steve Cody, Founder
At Peppercomm, our crisis communications team, Team Meridian, has strong experience, from product recalls and executive upheavals to environmental incidents and complex social issues. We take a proactive approach to crisis preparedness and issues mitigation, paired with swift, strategic support to protect reputations and reduce potential damage.
We build and deploy response frameworks and constituent matrices to identify, evaluate and monitor emerging issues before they escalate. The team leverages cutting-edge LLM and AI-powered platforms to provide advance warning, real-time monitoring and actionable analytics during critical, time-sensitive situations. Through crisis simulations and planning, we prepare clients to manage unexpected challenges while remaining calm and decisive under pressure.
With 24/7 support, Team Meridian manages media inquiries, delivers real-time message updates, communicates with key stakeholders, counters misinformation and produces detailed tracking reports to measure the scope and escalation of any situation.
Drawing on decades of cross-industry experience, we help clients act quickly and clearly. Our work includes guiding higher education institutions through shifting political climates and policy changes, and supporting a top accounting firm during one of the most high-profile criminal financial fraud trials of the last decade, delivering real-time monitoring, message development and crisis scenario planning.
Pietryla PR & Marketing
1449 S. Michigan Ave. STE 13307
Chicago, IL 60605
312/612-0283
[email protected]
www.pietrylapr.com
Linkedin.com/company/pietryla-pr-&-marketing-llc
Christine Wetzler, President and Founder
Pietryla PR & Marketing is a boutique consultancy that helps mid-market B2B companies protect their reputations and communicate with clarity when it matters most. The firm blends two decades of senior-level experience in regulated industries, packaging and manufacturing, and fast-moving operational environments with a practical, steady approach to crisis and issues management.
Its crisis communications work ranges from investor-facing situations, such as Regulation A+ offerings to operational disruptions, product failures, leadership transitions, regulatory inquiries, and reputation-sensitive business decisions. The team develops crisis playbooks, real-time response strategies, stakeholder messaging, and executive guidance that help clients act quickly with confidence. Pietryla PR also supports recovery communications, helping brands stabilize their narrative and rebuild trust through data-driven multichannel strategies global customer engagement programs and thought leadership that strengthens long-term credibility across markets.
Recent work includes crisis preparedness toolkits, multi-stakeholder messaging systems, and rapid-turn communications support for B2B companies facing supply chain challenges, investor scrutiny, and emerging regulatory pressures. The firm’s background in case-based storytelling helps clients communicate with precision in moments where accuracy and speed are critical.
Public Communications Inc.
Partner in The Worldcom Public Relations Group
161 N. Clark St., Suite 2050
Chicago, IL 60601
312/558-1770
[email protected]
www.pcipr.com
Jill Allread, APR, Fellow PRSA, CEO
Craig Pugh, APR, President
When a crisis strikes, clients trust Public Communications Inc. (PCI) to provide calm, thoughtful, strategic solutions and the results that matter most. We partner with organizations to navigate unexpected challenges, safeguard reputations, and restore stakeholder confidence. From crisis prevention to reputation management and recovery, we are beside our clients when they are most vulnerable every step of the way. We aim to empower organizations and institutions to emerge from a crisis even stronger than they were before.
With decades of experience, PCI has managed crises for healthcare organizations, government agencies, nonprofits, businesses, and conservation groups. We believe every organization is unique, and our programs must be customized accordingly. Whether facing cultural shifts, natural disasters, labor disputes, or organizational changes, we deliver tailored strategies that mitigate risks, restore trust and public confidence, and position our clients for long-term success.
PCI’s senior counselors are specialists who work with clients to develop crisis plans that can mitigate problems when they occur. Based on decades of experience, we create messages and strategies that help clients navigate crisis challenges. We also provide media and spokesperson training and executive coaching to ensure leaders communicate effectively in high-pressure situations. Our 24/7/365 availability means clients can rely on us for rapid response and ongoing support whenever and wherever they need it.
Clients trust PCI to manage crises and deliver peace of mind and measurable outcomes when they matter most.
Reevemark
521 Fifth Ave., 27th Floor
New York, NY 10175
212/433-4600
[email protected]
www.reevemark.com
Follow Reevemark on LinkedIn and Twitter
Brandy Bergman, CEO & Founding Partner
Hugh Burns, Paul Caminiti, Delia Cannan, Renée Soto, Founding Partners
Pamela Greene, Nicholas Leasure, Adam Shapiro, Partners
Reevemark is an elite strategic communications firm that helps clients own the narrative and influence the outcome of their most sensitive and high-stakes moments. Our customized strategies deploy tailored messaging through traditional, digital and social channels and leverage cutting-edge tactics and strong media relationships, enabling clients to maximize their likelihood of success in adversarial situations.
Reevemark provides media and investor relations counsel on bet-the-company matters ranging from high-stakes litigation, crises, brand, and reputational issues, to restructurings, activism, and transactions.
Given the legal and IR backgrounds of our principals, the firm is uniquely positioned to help companies address litigation issues and crises while managing business and reputational risks.
Reevemark is led by experienced professionals who have guided public and private companies of all sizes and industries through challenging, value-determinative issues for decades. We provide direct and insightful counsel, develop top-quality written and digital content, and engage with key stakeholders, including the media and investors.
Reevemark has been recognized by Chambers and Partners for litigation support and crisis communications, The Deal as top global bankruptcy communications advisor, Bloomberg as a top ten global shareholder activism defense advisor and Business Insider for crisis and financial communications.
Clients Include: WP Engine, H.I.G. Capital, Main Street Sports Group/FanDuel Sports Network, 23andMe and Carronade Capital.
Ruder Finn
425 E 53rd Street
New York, NY 10022
212/593-6400
Fax: 212/593-6397
[email protected]
RuderFinn.com
Linkedin.com/company/ruder-finn
Instagram.com/ruderfinn
TikTok.com/@ruderfinn
Facebook.com/ruderfinn
Kathy Bloomgarden, Chief Executive Officer
Peggy Walsh, Chief Operating Officer
Michael Schubert, Chief Innovation Officer
Ian Glover, Chief Financial Officer
Tejas Totade, Chief Technology Officer and Head of RF TechLab
Maryam Ayromlou, Managing Director
Monica Marshall, Global Lead, RF Relate
Reputation today is defined not only by how organizations respond to issues, but by how accurately they anticipate.
At Ruder Finn, we view crisis communications as an everyday discipline spanning reputation, influence, and issues management, and increasingly, one powered by AI. As information moves faster and issues surface and spread at unprecedented speed, anticipation has become a critical advantage.
Our team of experts help organizations anticipate emerging risks and prepare for them before they escalate. Using a blend of AI and advanced analytics, we model how issues are likely to evolve and how stakeholders may respond across audiences, channels, and markets. This approach supports faster, more informed decision-making and enables targeted action when pressure is rising, identify vulnerabilities, assess potential impact, and recommend targeted interventions before challenges intensify.
Put simply, we help clients move from reaction to readiness, with faster decision-making, greater resilience, and the confidence to navigate uncertainty with clarity and control.
Sachs Media
114 S. Duval St.
Tallahassee, FL 32301
850/222-1996
Fax: 850/224-2882
www.sachsmedia.com
For 30 years, Sachs Media has helped clients across diverse sectors navigate the treacherous waters of high-profile crises with smart, strong, strategic support through its seasoned crisis management team. The key to weathering any crisis is preparation. That’s where Sachs Media’s Crisis Defense™ comes in—to actively help you plan, train, develop and deploy an effective plan to help prepare your organization in advance of a crisis and support you all through it.
Sitrick and Company
800/288-8809
www.sitrick.com
Los Angeles: 310/788-2850
New York: 212/573-6100
San Francisco: 415/999-9634
Denver: 720/904-8560
Washington, D.C.: 443/977-7215
Boston: 617/897-0326
Michael S. Sitrick, Chairman and CEO
Less important than what you say about yourself is what others say about you.
• The New York Times: “The City’s Most Prominent Crisis-Management Firm.”
• Forbes: “The crew from the television magazine is banging on your door. You can have the security guard throw them out and know they’ll trash you. Or you can sit down with them and figure that out of the hour you give them, they’ll use only 40 seconds on air. And those 40 seconds will make you look very guilty. Better solution, call Mike Sitrick.”
• BusinessWeek: “That’s unbelievable. This is the heavy artillery.” Quote is from the CEO of one of the largest PR firms in the world, after learning we were brought in on the other side of a contentious matter in which his firm was involved.
Since our firm’s founding 31 years ago, we have been consistently ranked among the top crisis and strategic communications firms in the nation.
The majority of the firm’s senior executives are former editors and reporters from news organizations that include the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, Bloomberg, Los Angeles Times, Forbes, CBS News and NBC News. We also have former practicing attorneys and business executives.
Matters with which we have been involved include litigation support of all kinds; intellectual property matters, allegations of stock manipulation, wrongful termination, contract disputes, allegations of fraud and fraudulent inducement, wrongful death claims, allegations of illegal drug use, SEC matters, and a variety of other white-collar crimes. We have also handled criminal and civil cases against companies and their executives for such things as price fixing, insurance fraud, options backdating, antitrust violations, race and sex discrimination, sexual harassment, racism and #MeToo matters. We have a significant data breach, mergers and acquisitions and corporate governance practice and have done extensive work combatting short sellers. Other issues include sensitive environmental matters, racketeering cases, family disputes, and high-profile divorces, reputation management and reputational positioning. We have also been involved in helping to launch such firms as Oaktree Capital.
Offices are in Los Angeles, New York and Washington, D.C., though we have handled cases all over the world.
For additional information including clients for whom our work was public and additional media comments about our firm see: www.sitrick.com.
The Levinson Group (TLG)
1399 New York Ave. NW, Suite 300
Washington, D.C. 20005
202/244-1785
200 Park Avenue South, Suite 402
New York, NY 10003
[email protected]
www.tlgcommunications.com
TLG Communications (TLG) is a global strategic communications and stakeholder engagement firm advising businesses, leaders, and civic institutions on consequential and complex issues. TLG’s team of experts brings extensive experience across business, law, policy, politics, public affairs, finance, and the media, serving as agile partners to clients in organization-defining moments and sensitive situations. Since its founding in 2013, TLG has been recognized for its strong and trusted partnerships with its clients, who count on them to expertly craft engagement and communications strategies to reach key audiences and support business objectives.
TLG’s team successfully shapes and executes communications strategies across Fortune 50 corporations, private equity firms, global financial institutions, top tech and entertainment companies, large healthcare systems, major sports leagues, franchises, and Olympic athletes, multinational industrial giants, Wall Street icons, bellwether U.S. industries, AmLaw top 10 law firms, higher education institutions, and global nonprofit organizations. The firm is known for serving as a top advisor in critical matters relating to corporate reputation and governance; government response and sensitive investigations; public affairs and issues management; workplace and workforce communications; crisis and risk management; litigation communications; cybersecurity communications; and global financial communications including corporate restructuring, executive transitions, mergers, acquisitions, and other transitions. The firm also has a strong commitment to leading social impact programs and a robust pro bono practice.
The firm’s communications experts come from diverse backgrounds across journalism, politics, government, and the private sector. TLG’s team members have been recognized as top communications and public relations industry leaders, receiving notable industry awards for their success and expertise including multiple “Crisis Manager of the Year” recognitions by PR News, “The One to Watch” by PR News, “Women to Watch” by PR Week, “Top PR People in Crisis Communications” by Insider, “Young Professional of the Year” by PR Daily, and “Top 100 Legal Strategists” by Lawdragon.
TLG has been recognized by Chambers & Partners as a Band One firm among the top public relations and communications firms in Crisis Management and Litigation Communications, with its expert advisors receiving similar rankings. In recent years, TLG has also been recognized as a “Top Agency” by PR Daily, the “Corporate PR Agency of the Year” by PRovoke Media, and an “Outstanding Small Agency” by PR Week, and has been named to National Law Journal’s “Hall of Fame” after having been ranked as a “Best Overall PR Firm” and a “Best Crisis Management Firm” for four consecutive years.
Trident
1900 M Street, NW, Ste 600
Washington, D.C. 20036
TridentGMG.com
LinkedIn: Trident GMG
Josh Galper, Adam Goldberg, Alex Lange, and Adrienne Petz, Partners
From global brands to NGOs, from venture-backed start-ups to high-growth companies, clients and their leaders rely on Trident to prevent, prepare for, minimize, and recover from crises, and when they need to match their litigators’ advocacy with fierce advocacy in the media and deft stakeholder management.
We came together from the White House, VC-backed-companies, national news outlets, Big Law, Capitol Hill, PR agencies, and elsewhere to practice our craft at the highest level on matters that are vital to our clients.
Founded in 2016, Trident’s founders pioneered the approach of combining media, political, and legal expertise in one team, managing some of the highest-profile crises of the past 30 years, from the White House to Wall Street to Silicon Valley and around the world.
Chambers USA consistently ranks Trident a top firm for both crisis communications and litigation communications. Our partners have also been recognized individually as elite practitioners by Chambers, Lawdragon, BusinessToday, and PRNews, which consistently recognizes Trident as an “Agency Elite” firm.
Trustom Strategy
Boston and Washington, D.C.
401/965-3761
[email protected]
www.trustomstrategy.com
Paul Tencher, Founder
Trustom Strategy’s crisis and cyber practices partner with leading breach response and corporate legal teams worldwide to develop and execute emergency communications plans. Our experts include former leaders from the U.S. Office of the National Cyber Director and the U.S. Department of State, senior advisers to top congressional leaders, and trusted counselors to Fortune 500 CEOs and national non-profits.
We specialize in operating at the intersection of strategic communications and government engagement, drawing on a national network of professionals to prepare for and respond to complex, multi-jurisdictional crises. Through our open talent platform, clients gain immediate access to senior executives with the precise expertise needed for each moment.
Preparation is central to our approach. We conduct planning sessions, tabletop exercises, and early-stage actions that can make the difference between protecting—or damaging—your brand or business. Our deep relationships with top-tier national and regional media enable swift, coordinated responses when time is critical.
Business and nonprofit leaders face constant external pressures from Washington that can threaten reputation, revenue, donations, and stakeholder trust. We add capacity when it matters most, allowing your team to stay focused on what truly matters.
AJB Communications Founder and President Andrew Blum.
Ball Consulting Group (from L to R): David Ball, President & Founder; Molly McKinney, Account Manager; and Izzy Nickel, Account Manager.
Members of Bospar's frontline crisis communications team.
Michael Layne, President of Marx Layne & Company, received the 2024 Hall of Fame Award from the Detroit Chapter of PRSA for Decades of Excellence in Strategic Communications.
