WASHINGTON, DC—Richard S. Levick, founder and CEO of eponymous public affairs and crisis communications firm Levick, died on April 11 after a long battle with cancer. He was 65.

Levick was one of America’s most prominent crisis counselors, having provided counsel on  a host of international crises, including the Venezuelan crisis; Qatar; the Chinese trade war; the Gulf oil spill; Guantanamo Bay, the Catholic Church and many others.

He was also an outspoken critic of corporate malfeasance and ethical lapses. He tackled timely crisis and litigation public relations topics as host of In House Warrior, the daily podcast for the Corporate Counsel Business Journal, attracting high profile guests from former US attorneys general to former legal counsels to US presidents.

He was the co-author of four books and was a regular commentator on television and in print.

“His seemingly boundless energy, passion, thirst for knowledge, and sense of humor made him a larger-than-life character,” said his firm in a statement announcing his death. “He was a trusted confidant and advisor to heads of state, CEOs, celebrities, athletes, politicians, and law firms, most of whom had him on speed-dial.”

Gavin Ingham Brooke, CEO of UK public relations firm Spada, which partnered with Levick frequently over a long period, said: “Aside from being a salesman and pitch winner sans pareil Richard was also a first-rate and generous educator—the mark, I think, of true market leaders who are happy to share tools of the trade while certain of their lead over the chasing pack….

“As somebody who could advocate via ‘truth well told’ for all manner of causes better than anyone he also became an important observer of the media itself.  In early columns and speeches he noted journalism’s slide towards feature and opinion – and away from reporting verified fact.”

Levick served on the boards of TRACKtech, an emerging company; Children’s Cancer Therapy Development Institute; One Community, USA; The National Capitol Area Boy Scouts of America; The Snider Center at the Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland; the University of Georgia Crisis Communication Coalition; and was an executive affiliate of the Wake Forest Center for the Study of Capitalism.