Corporate Investigations: What A New Survey Tells Us

Being subject to investigations has become a fact of corporate life, and investigations are expected to become more common, according to a recent survey of legal and compliance professionals. Among the drivers of this trend are increased regulatory demands (including from the SEC), heightened concerns about employee behavior, and massive quantities of data potentially subject to a breach. Sexual harassment and discrimination claims in particular are leading to what companies say is the most frequent type of investigation: investigation of the workplace. Costs are both reputational and monetary. The cost of an investigation in dollars and cents can be on par with litigation. Also like litigation, the process has become data-intensive and a challenge that requires an effective blend of personnel and technology. One particular concern cited by respondents: the difficulty of being able to find key documents.