Tuesday, October 20, 2009
The Great Recession has done nothing to dampen the workloads of corporate attorneys. According to Fulbright’s 6th Annual Litigation Trends Survey Report, 42% of lawyers representing corporations are expecting an increase in lawsuits over the next 12 months. This follows the previous year during which more than 80% of survey respondents reported that new litigation was filed against their companies.
“Generally, litigation rises in an economic downturn as regulators tend to step up enforcement, laid-off workers head to court and companies need to file more suits in order to collect on money owed,” said Stephen Dillard, head of Fulbright’s global litigation practice. “Perhaps most telling about this year’s results is that companies across the spectrum expect no substantial decreases in any area of litigation.”
Fulbright researchers say the types of legal actions on the rise include bankruptcy, contracts and labor/employment litigation. Other types fewer in number involve intellectual property, insurance and regulatory actions.
-Noel Brinkerhoff
Fulbright's Litigation Survey: Companies Experience New Litigation, Anticipate More (Fulbright & Jaworski LLP)
Comments