The firm has just released research which shows that 'half of businesses [are] unprepared to handle 'digital age' crises'. The firm surveyed 102 senior crisis communications specialists this summer in 12 countries. The polling shows that 94 per cent  of them believe that 'failing to prepare to effectively handle the issue online leaves an organisation open to "trial by twitter",'. Julian Long, a corporate partner and crisis management expert in the firm, said: 'The nature of social media means that all those at the coal face of managing a crisis: company executives, lawyers and communications advisors, have to adapt to what is a considerable new challenge. We are regularly being asked by clients how crisis management processes might be streamlined to avoid unnecessary delays.'