In February 2017, ride-sharing service Uber entered into a compliance crisis after a female engineer authored a viral blog post alleging harassment, discrimination, and retaliation. In response, the company implemented a rigorous compliance investigation and shared a report of those findings with the public. Here are the key takeaways.
You’ve recently been tapped to create your company’s compliance and ethics program from scratch, but quickly realize that each step seems more complicated than the last. However, fear not. With an acute understanding of your company’s compliance needs, in-house counsel can set the stage for future success.
In the not-so-distant past, a plaintiff could sue a multinational company in any jurisdiction where it conducted significant business. However, recently, the US Supreme Court has sought to narrow the scope of permissible jurisdictions in an attempt to curtail the onslaught of litigation. In preparation for this new view, law departments both big and small can benefit from understanding how future disputes may be impacted.
Have you ever received a surprise invoice from a software supplier issuing an audit that you mistakenly agreed to? If you haven’t, you will. In an effort to combat this growing trend, in-house counsel should modernize their software management processes, and negotiate the terms of any audit clause to protect both the business and the budget.
Faced with increasing regulatory enforcement following the release of the Panama Papers and settlements from the Foreign Corrupt Practice Act, companies are increasingly looking to the legal department to mitigate risk. By reviewing the client intake process, in-house counsel will gain a broader understanding of the company’s compliance requirements and ensure that a partnership doesn’t inadvertently lead to a crisis.
It’s no secret that corporate crises are fast becoming “the new normal” for companies around the globe. With a seat at the executive table, in-house counsel can capitalize on this platform to become ethical gatekeepers for the company and minimize the liability of an unexpected crisis.