Managing a financial crisis requires careful planning and outreach.

In this era of the shareholder insurrection and the vigilante blogger, any crisis can be a financial crisis. To sidestep disaster, proper planning, agility, and judgment are crucial to calming key audiences.

From activist shareholders and internal power struggles to litigation, regulatory investigations, white-collar crime, and product recalls, there is no shortage of looming threats, says Michael Claes, MD of the corporate practice at Burson-Marsteller.

Claes recently weathered the perfect ...