Molly A. Morse

In particular, Molly focuses on working with CEOs and other senior executives on reputation management, profile raising, and strategic communications programs designed to support key business objectives. As part of this, she has done extensive work in communications surrounding high-profile capital markets activity, including M&A, IPOs, spinoffs, and shareholder activism, as well as helping clients to prepare for and address crises and manage communications surrounding high-profile issues and litigation.

Taken together, Molly’s work involves helping clients most effectively communicate with all key stakeholders, ranging from media, customers, and employees to the investment community and business partners.

She leads the firm’s Retail practice as well as its Executive Communications and Media Training practice, which provides customized training for C-suite and other senior executives to increase the effectiveness of their communications and prepare for high-stakes media interviews.

Molly received a B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania, where she is a member of the Trustees Council for Penn Women and an M.S. from the Graduate School of Journalism at Columbia University. She serves on the Board of the American Committee for the Weizmann Institute of Science.

Experience

Strategic Positioning

• Long-time advisor to the world’s leading luxury goods company LVMH and its brands on communications in North America.
• Supports corporate and financial communications matters for leading retail/consumer brands. Notable public engagements have included Saks Fifth Avenue, Foot Locker, Starbucks, Off-White, Yum! Brands, Sephora, JCPenney, and Toys R Us, among many others.
• Has worked extensively in the media industry including working with National Amusements, Hollinger Corporation, Digital First Media, and Al Jazeera in the US, among others.
• Represents Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield in the U.S. Formerly worked with Westfield Corporation in communications surrounding the development of Westfield World Trade Center, a center point in the redevelopment of Lower Manhattan.

Strategic Counsel and Financial Communications

• Develops and executes on strategic communications plans for clients across industries, with a focus on reputation management across key stakeholder groups as well as in support of specific operational and business goals.
• Works closely with clients in considering how to address emerging social and policy issues.
• Actively engaged with clients on the full spectrum of investor relations matters including quarterly reporting and financial disclosures and investor days.

Capital Markets Activity

• Has provided counsel to HBC on numerous transactions including the acquisition of Galeria Kaufhof, the sale of Lord & Taylor’s flagship to WeWork, the separation of Saks Fifth Avenue’s online and stores businesses, the separation of SaksOFF5TH’s online and stores businesses, among others.
• Working with Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield on its transactions in the U.S. market.
• Works with Tilray, the first cannabis producer and distributor to debut on a U.S. stock exchange. Subsequently worked on its merger with Aphria.
• Provided strategic counsel to Leafly in its merger with Merida Merger Corp, a cannabis-focused SPAC.

Crisis and Issues Management

• Works with companies to manage a variety of special situations, including data breaches, litigation, product liability issues, workplace harassment/misconduct, labor issues, factory safety matters, store and facility closures, advocacy group activity, social media-related incidents, among others.