
Lista M Cannon & Antony Corsi report on the latest litigation & regulatory statistics
UK businesses and their US-based counterparts continue to face increasing numbers of investigations in the face of increased scrutiny and enforcement by government regulators, according to the Fulbright & Jaworski LLP’s 9th annual Litigation Trends Survey of UK and US based respondents.
Almost half of the 100 UK-based general counsel surveyed reported an increase in regulatory enquiries and investigations brought against their company, up from just over one quarter in 2011. Respondents do not see this trend reversing soon: over one quarter of UK and US respondents expect the number of regulatory proceedings their company faces to increase in the next 12 months or stay the same.
The financial crisis, in particular, has meant that businesses are now confronted by a complex and widening landscape of increased regulatory activity which shows no sign of abating. Over half (52%) of the larger companies surveyed (those with revenues in excess of US$1bn) reported an increase in regulatory inquiries or investigations against their company in the last three years.
UK