2012 Project Highlights
Facts and Reputation
CCA was asked to prepare witnesses for a difficult case: recovery of a clean energy plant with significant cost over-runs, major problems with contractors, strong opposition, and the public release of embarrassing e-mails. The witnesses were prepared to tell the transparent and strong story.
Crisis “Boot Camp”
Once on the market, a novel drug experienced diverse and severe safety concerns. Both US and EU health authorities investigated. CCA conducted a Crisis Communication Boot Camp with spokespersons to major stakeholder groups, to foster transparency, quick response, open communication – and regain credibility.
Leadership Coaching
CCA regularly provides private leadership coaching and ongoing strategic counsel for corporate executives and critical key personnel slated to succeed the current executive team.
Renewables, EE, and Recovery
Caught between mandates for renewables and energy efficiencies and state commissions wanting to lower customer rates in today’s economy, several electric utilities turned to CCA to help them prepare to address the issue of cost recovery on the stand and in public meetings.
Novel COPD Treatment
A client seeking FDA approval for a novel COPD treatment retained CCA to prepare sponsor team members to answer “bet-the-company” questions using our Q&A models.
Witness Team Integration
Amidst uncertainty of a merger and reorganization and coordination of settlement strategies in different jurisdictions, affiliate companies used CCA’s process to ready their integrated witness team to defend a series of regulatory cases.
Concurrent Public Notice
When a major corporation needed to make a critical public announcement in multiple locations simultaneously, they turned to CCA to get their executives ready to conduct concurrent news conferences and subsequent questioning by media, analysts, regulators, and other stakeholders.
Regulatory Scrutiny
With a fairly routine case before one of the most scrutinizing commissions in the US, the client needed almost 40 witnesses to answer all the questions. They used CCA’s system to ensure witnesses were ready, transparent, clear, and cohesive.
Environmental Compliance
Unprecedented confluence of new environmental regulations promulgated by federal and state agencies is a major driver for rate relief requests. CCA helped several clients explain the economic realities and defend their environmental compliance needs.
Executive Communication
Private coaching was provided to experienced, as well as new, executives to improve the effectiveness of their external communication, including message construction, strategic thinking, and presentation and Q&A skills.
Efficiency Mandates
CCA readied key personnel to testify at public and regulatory interactions, and conduct vendor meetings regarding the company’s plan to implement energy efficiency mandates.
Transplant Drug
A successful developer of drugs used in transplantation (heart, kidney) sought to add liver to its arsenal. To help ensure a favorable outcome, CCA was brought on board to help strengthen the sponsor’s case.
Regulators Changed the Rules
Partway through implementing aggressive requirements for renewable energy, our client faced a new commission which wanted to reverse requirements and disallow recovery. CCA worked with key personnel to nail down issues with stakeholders on all sides.
Fairness to Customers
When a state commission staff wanted a gas supplier to change its method of charging for gas storage in order to incent large transport customers, CCA prepared their witnesses to stand firm in order to protect their smaller customers.
Transmission Trends
Now with changes in ownership structure, new reliability mandates, the current economy, and the need to interconnect remote renewable resources, the landscape is more difficult than ever. CCA helped a number of clients negotiate this rough regulatory terrain.
End of Phase II Meeting
FDA EOP2 meetings can be critical to the future of a pharmaceutical product and make or break the success of subsequent Phase III studies. CCA helped identify key messages, organize the approach, and prepare their team to interact with the FDA.
Smart Grid
A utility hadn’t had a rate case for twenty years, and it needed to recover investments in distribution system and smart grid implementation. CCA prepared their witnesses to take the stand to negotiate settlement issues.
Communicating Under Fire
A company facing a contentious state audit brought CCA in to provide straight forward tools and preparation for their employees who were unaccustomed to being “under fire.” They learned to give informative, organized, and confident factual answers to auditors’ questions.
Biophosphonates Safety
FDA became concerned about long term safety of biophosphonates, used to prevent and cure osteoporosis. In response, the agency called for a multi-division meeting with drug companies. CCA prepared a client for intense questioning at the meeting.
Retire or Retrofit?
With stringent compliance timelines in EPA proposals for environmental controls, energy companies are having to make tough, strategic decisions to either prematurely shut down large generating plants or ask customers to pay for expensive retrofitting. We were called on for tools and strategic advice to help explain those difficult decisions.
Defending Management Oversight
Prudent management of a multi-billion dollar construction project is at the heart of bi-annual hearings before a state commission to ensure our client can recover costs spent. CCA helped prepare the witness panel to defend their actions to ensure recovery of costs.
Necessary Paradigm Shift
A new form of treatment had such a different paradigm that FDA traditional measurements provided questionable accuracy or benefit. CCA helped the client walk the fine line of demonstrating the traditional symptom relief in this indication plus novel mechanisms that could address the disease itself.
Note: Extensive issue research is conducted as a first step for all assignments.
