Lista M Cannon & Chris Warren-Smith study the UK litigation landscape
The eighth annual Fulbright & Jaworski LLP Litigation Trends Survey, which surveyed the views of over 400 corporate counsel, indicates that while concerns about the impact of the economic climate are not as prominent as last year, UK businesses face increasing exposure to regulatory proceedings and expect that trend to continue.
Enhanced exposure to regulatory proceedings
More than a third (36%) of UK respondents faced at least one regulatory proceeding in the last year, an increase from 32% in 2010. At a global level, 40% of all respondents reported involvement in at least one regulatory proceeding over the last year, up from 37% in 2010. Nearly half (49%) of all listed companies faced at least one regulatory proceeding in the past 12 months.
Dealing with these matters is increasingly disruptive to businesses. One quarter of UK respondents to this year’s survey reported an increase in regulatory inquiries or investigations against their company, compared to 18% in 2010 and 19% in 2009.
The leading UK regulators instigating investigations were
