From Mental Health to Business Health – Why Risk Health Checks Are More Important Than Ever

“The landscape has changed and businesses need to survey the damage before they can move on,” says advisory firm Avonhurst

https://www.avonhurst.com/

LONDON – The pandemic has had cataclysmic effects on people and businesses but taking time to assess the impact can lead to incredible opportunities, according to innovative advisory firm Avonhurst.

"Hardships often prepare ordinary people for an extraordinary destiny" - C.S. Lewis.

This advice comes as Avonhurst launches its new RESOLUTION Services, a specialist contentious business that brings together leading practitioners in the resolution of complex problems, whether through litigation, arbitration or before regulatory or law enforcement agencies. The launch follows a string of high-profile hires, including former White & Case Head of Litigation John Reynolds and regulatory investigations and white-collar crime specialist Audrey Koh as Partners (with Reynolds becoming the firm’s Head of Disputes) and Prosperant’s Paul Martenstyn as Senior Advisor.

The service includes a ground-breaking new offering for sophisticated capital, Avonhurst Health Checks. This involves the Resolution Services team working alongside Avonhurst’s Advisory Services team in analysing compliance risks, programs and culture against a backdrop of evolving geopolitical challenges to help fix deficiencies and protect against future problems.

Dr Pippa Malmgren, Avonhurst Senior Advisor and former Advisor to the GW Bush White House, comments:

“After a series of storms, there is bound to be some damage. Some things will be broken, whether contracts or supply chains, compliance frameworks, friendships or business models. We can’t be surprised to find evidence of white-collar crimes and fraud, either. The choice is to hope for the best and wait for these problems to become apparent, or to properly survey the situation and clean up the damage so the business can move ahead with confidence.

“The focus on resilience and adaptability is now shifting to resolution and acceleration. The least likely scenario is usually the one most have planned for. The most likely scenario is the one most are least prepared for. What is unexpected now? A global recovery that provides once-in-a-lifetime opportunities.

“All sorts of health checks now need to be done, from mental health checks to compliance, ESG and balance sheet health checks.”

Reynolds explains:

“Avoidance is as much a part of Resolution as a formal dispute or regulatory process. As businesses across the UK and Europe return to a physical presence, Avonhurst’s risk health check helps clients to identify risks that may have developed as a consequence of structural evolution and geo-political developments over the last 18 months.”

Jonathan Bloom, Chief Executive of Avonhurst, comments:

“In all aspects of life, we know prevention is better than cure – and ignoring potential problems only sees them escalate. We get personal health checks; our cars get MOTs – but how often do firms do their own health checks? Our revolutionary new Resolution Services offering isn’t about just helping sophisticated capital resolve disputes as effectively as possible, but also about ensuring that avoidable conflicts don’t arise in the first place. Resolution Services and Advisory Services work together to provide an integrated approach to offering Avonhurst Health Checks – checks designed to uncover any current problems and protect against future issues. In a time of global uncertainty, there is no reason to be uncertain about your firm, its compliance framework or ESG program.”