Gibson Featured in Corporate Counsel Story titled “Nonprofit Aims to Educate Companies About Online Attacks”
Whitney Gibson, the leader of the firm’s group that focuses on internet and brand protection issues, was featured in a Corporate Counsel story about the founding of the Online Reputation & Brand Protection Coalition. According to the story, the Coalition offers members unlimited access to educational resources, including webinars, white papers and an electronic newsletter.
The story states:
“One of the founders is Whitney Gibson, who heads a practice group that specializes in this area at Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease in Cincinnati. After four years of working with victims to counter these assaults, Gibson has seen that one size does not fit all. The attacks themselves and the goals of those on the receiving end can vary widely. A lawsuit or even a cease-and-desist letter is not always the answer, he says. Sometimes his advice is surprising, coming from a litigator. If there's a negative review on a website, even an angry one, the best response may be apologizing and trying to make things right with the unhappy consumer, he says. Accommodating disgruntled employees may also be better in some instances than filing a lawsuit, he adds.
But other attacks can threaten a company's existence. And their origin may not even be clear. The first step in responding often requires the company to ascertain who is responsible, and to gather evidence that can be used in court, if necessary. That's why Gibson has come to believe in a multidisciplinary approach. ‘Unfortunately, because ethics rules prohibit sharing attorney fees with nonlawyers, most of the solutions offered to businesses today are separate tools that lawyers can offer on their own, or tools that technology companies can offer on their own,’ he explains. ‘What companies need are best practices that incorporate legal, investigative, technology and PR tools together.’ And that's what the coalition was created to provide, he says.”
To read the entire story, visit the Corporate Counsel website. (Subscription may be required).
