Director-Led Investigations: Maximizing Efficiency and Minimizing Business Disruption

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It’s midnight and the phone rings—an incoming call from the director of a large public company to his counsel. From counsel’s experience, the director must have a very serious issue. Maybe the company’s primary product has been linked to a pattern of deaths in a soon-to-be-released report. Or maybe the company received a whistle-blower tip suggesting that the chief financial officer embezzled millions of dollars. Or maybe a reporter called to ask for comment on an allegation of a C-suite sexual misconduct cover-up. While these scenarios differ significantly, they present directors and their outside investigative team with the same basic questions: What is needed to investigate the allegations and resolve any real issues? How can the best interest of the company be preserved throughout the process? And how can the necessary steps be most efficiently managed?