"Look, it's hard having to respond to crises [like the war] while not pissing off clients and LinkedIn," a top London litigator told me on Friday. "You have to toe the client line."
It's a lesson that Dentons had to learn the hard (and public) way.
In his scoop last week, Jack Womack reported that the firm revised its response to the conflict in Israel and Gaza after encountering flak for its original statement. Jack's story generated an enormous amount of interest. First, because it concerns a matter that has sent shockwaves of emotion and discord across the world. Second, because it is vanishingly rare to see a law firm err in this way.
To recap, the firm changed its statement from this:
“We are shocked and saddened at the horrific atrocities taking place against innocent civilians, including murder and kidnappings of women and children, in Israel. Our global community stands with those affected and wishes for peace in the region and throughout the world.”
...to this:
“As our global news continues to be dominated by enormously sad and troubling events in the Middle East, we continue to decry the loss of all civilian life—Israelis, Palestinians and others—and wish for peace in the region. We are focused on supporting our colleagues and clients, particularly those living and working across the Middle East region where we have operated for 50+ years.”
Notice the switch away from mentioning only Israel to including Palestinians, thus neutralizing its original statement. Perhaps they had heeded the criticisms of one lawyer who on LinkedIn censured the firm for omitting to acknowledge Palestinians killed in the aftermath. But, such is the nature of this conflict, there is little doubt some will have disagreed with the need for the revision.
Law firms are compelled to respond to crises, as my colleague Lisa Shuchman put eloquently last week. Not responding is a choice, she said. Law firms have a "moral imperative" to "do the right thing" and exhibit their values.
My take is: choose not to respond, and run the risk of appearing faceless, unsympathetic among the public and, god forbid, clients, many of whom will have been rattled by the conflict. Respond, and gain the approval you sought, or face accusations of insincerity or, worse, the ire of those who disagree...
