I use my communications, legal and public affairs expertise to help clients manage crises--and to advise on ways to keep them from erupting in the first place.During crises, I work with senior leadership and liaise with legal counsel to devise rapid response strategies to ensure timely and accurate internal communications, address operational issues, and formulate effective responses to media, regulators and stakeholders. In addition to crisis and reputation risk management, I advise law firms on communications in high-profile cases. Clients range from micro-cap to Fortune 200 companies and come from the technology, education, financial services, retail and non-profit sectors, among others.I employ a variety of strategies and tactics to enable clients to engage effectively with key audiences, be it on offense or defense. I help clients communicate persuasively with stakeholders to achieve a specific business objective, reduce risk exposure, or implement new internal policies. I manage Edelman account teams, and when necessary, oversee integrated teams of clients' employees and outside advisors, including lobbyists, IR firms, and advertising agencies.I worked in the Texas Legislature for 3 years during and after college. Upon receiving my J.D., I clerked for the Texas Court of Appeals and was an associate for 3 years with a small litigation firm.After receiving an LL.M. degree from Columbia Law, I ran the NYS legislative office of the American Civil Liberties Union from 1991 - 96. I was Executive Director of the Alliance for Consumer Rights until 1998. During those years I developed strategies and created multi-faceted campaigns to address a wide variety of complex--and often controversial--issues. My diverse professional and educational experience enables me to obtain a rapid in-depth awareness of the complexities of a client’s business as well as those of the problems it faces and to utilize that analysis to devise an effective plan of action.