Pressure on in-house counsel to avoid disputes
Research by Grant Thornton finds move away from litigation
Nearly one-third (31%) of general counsel plan on increasing their spend on
dispute avoidance over the next three years as pressure increases to prevent
cases from reaching litigation, according to research by mid-tier firm
Grant Thornton.
The firm’s forensic and investigations services practice found that a huge
majority (88%) of companies were ‘very supportive’ or ‘reasonably supportive’ of
providing funding for dispute avoidance activity.
However, the research also shows that they face considerable challenges in
terms of time, internal attitudes and demonstrating their own value for money.
‘We are seeing a shift in perception to “prevention is better than cure” when
it comes to disputes,’ says Toni Pincott, a partner within Grant Thornton’s
forensic and investigations services practice.
‘As part of this shift, in-house counsel plan to undertake more dispute
avoidance activity internally, which could result in a diminished involvement
for law firms in litigation cases in the future,’ Pincott added.
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