Disputes in the spotlight: When litigation becomes reputational strategy

While litigation has long exposed law firms to public scrutiny, today it’s more intense and faster-paced.

As our new report, “Disputes in the spotlight: When litigation becomes reputational strategy,” reveals, firms now face faster digital amplification, greater stakeholder sensitivity, increased scrutiny of professional advisers, and greater internal pressure to make consistent, defensible decisions about when to engage and when to stay silent.

To explore how firms are addressing the challenging landscape, INFINITE convened senior communications leaders from major UK and global law firms for a closed-door roundtable in London, supported by an anonymous survey that captured candid perspectives on risk appetite, internal pressures, and decision-making frameworks. The resulting report offers a practical framework for law firm communicators navigating contentious matters in a more demanding environment. Litigation is neither a reputational opportunity nor a crisis, but it can become one of the most reputationally significant moments a firm faces. As the report notes, “the strongest firms are not those that comment the most, but those that have built enough structure to decide credibly when to engage, when to hold back, and how to explain that choice internally and externally.” The framework provides guidance on:

Assessing which matters are most likely to attract heightened scrutiny and evolve into broader contentious issues.
Determining when a legal matter warrants treatment as a reputational challenge.
Integrating social and digital channels into disputes-planning and decision-making.
The key questions that legal and communications stakeholders should consider before engaging externally on a dispute.

Ryan McSharry, Head of Professional Services, Crisis & Litigation (UK) at Infinite, commented: “The most effective firms recognize that litigation, client service, and brand are no longer separate considerations. Now more than ever, they require stronger judgment and greater alignment across all three to successfully navigate a demanding media landscape.”

Jesse Dungan, Executive Vice President at Infinite, added: “While litigation has never been confined to the courtroom, firms today face heightened scrutiny as legal disputes increasingly influence public perception across media, digital platforms, and key stakeholder groups.”