Insights

Pressure. It’s the one constant for all legal departments, and general counsel rarely face more of it than when they’re leading an investigation that has made headlines and captured the public’s attention. In the digital age, the appetite for instant answers combined with intense public scrutiny has put tremendous pressure on every aspect of investigations—from the way facts are gathered to executive accountability, government relations, and managing the impact of the crisis on the brand and the stock price.

Is a new partnership needed between companies and their legal counsel? In an age of innovation and disruption, executives are working around the clock to devise bold strategies that can propel rapid business gains in a slow-growth economic environment. But the fast-paced drive for change, and the rise of a digital media that exposes every misstep to intense public scrutiny, give adversaries the ability to marshal their forces quickly and effectively—and much more harshly. For lawyers, it means higher stakes and more pressure than ever.