Business Continuity Plan for the Legal Department

The list of potential business disruptors is long and disturbing, from flooding, tornadoes, and fires to computer viruses and active shooters. Companies have responded with a variety of resilience programs, typically under the aegis of the chief information officer. The legal department, however, needs its own business continuity plan (BCP), according to Bracewell attorneys Kevin Collins and Jason Hutt, because in the event of a serious emergency legal will become a central node of communication and decision-making. Business lines, for example, likely will be calling with a host of questions about such things as data-breach requirements, the status of various contracts in the face of a force majeure, whether due diligence will be completed in time for a scheduled closing, etc. This article details four major steps in developing a BCP that will enable the legal department to function if and when such an emergency arises.