Every board has to be ready to deal with an existential crisis, but many boards have revealed themselves to be unprepared when faced with the challenge. This session will review best practices for identifying crisis-level risk exposures and for implementing effective, practical responses. The panel will focus in particular on patterns common to board-level crisis situations, communications and the delegation of responsibility, the potential value of tabletop exercises as a means of preparation, and the need to balance legal concerns with the required responses to public, consumer, and regulatory demands for information.