Extinction Rebellion has a knack for grabbing headlines, and they will be sure to succeed when they blockade the offices of Slaughter and May and other legal giants at the end of February.
They will argue that that law firms in representing organisations that cause most damage to the environment are themselves contributing to the destruction of the planet.
Irrespective of whether Extinction Rebellion's arguments stand true, it presents a challenge for press and marketing teams in these firms.
Simply parading a firm's green credentials will not be enough, or perhaps appropriate. The heavy handed approach of trying to move them on is also likely to leave a firm looking at best foolish and at worse bullies. Trying to engage in rational argument will also fail.
So what should a firm do?
Look at client meetings scheduled for the day - can they be rescheduled or rearranged in a different location?
Brief all staff, and particularly those working in teams likely to be targeted. Can they enter or exit a building via an alternative entrance. Can they work from home?
Listen to and follow police advice.
Is the press office and social media teams ready? Agree a line and stick to it.
Be courteous to protestors. The eyes of the world, your peers and clients will be watching. Be firm when needed.
Gail Bradbrook, a co-founder of the protest movement Extinction Rebellion, tells The Times: “There is a whole industry of lawyers, accountants, consultants and so on who have been called the pinstripe mafia [a term coined by the academic and accountant Prem Sikka] for the services they provide to a system which is killing life on Earth.” Tomorrow the group Lawyers for Extinction Rebellion intends to stage a protest outside the offices of Slaughter and May, one of the many City law firms that have oil and gas clients. According to a Facebook post, the group will gather peacefully outside the firm’s office to “enact a crime scene” and “discuss with employees and passers-by this legal firm’s significant and enduring role in the climate crisis”.
