Six actions to make sure you’re ready when—not if—a cyberattack strikes. “Beginning today, all passwords must include sign language, thumb fingerprints, and animal noises,” read a sign in a corporate office I visited recently. Unfortunately, contemporary cyber challenges extend way beyond password protection. Among the most costly and troublesome matters facing boards today are crises […]

Rumors are embedded in the culture of Wall Street and global markets. The very name of The Wall Street Journal’s notable “Heard on the Street” daily column (one of my favorites), illustrates the importance of what is whispered in the corridors of power. I was on the management and executive committees of the New York Stock […]

All businesses face significantly higher levels of risk today–just listen to board discussions or evaluate skyrocketing corporate insurance rates. In our ubiquitous media universe, now a 24/7 environment, boundaries between traditional media outlets and digital platforms have blurred, making them somewhat indistinguishable from one another. Customers, competitors, employees, advocacy groups, unions, investors, regulators, vendors, and […]

The challenging nature of marketing products and services to the masses, managing investor sentiment and reaction, and playing in the political sandbox created turbulence and was eventually catastrophic for former Disney CEO Bob Chapek. On Nov. 20, Disney’s Board made a surprising announcement. It fired Chapek (Bob #2) and appointed its former CEO of 15 years, […]

As many worked from home, accelerated by the pandemic and technology, it has been particularly difficult to avoid a growing threat posed by employees who have utilized private E-message platforms to conduct company business. Private E-message platforms – email and instant messaging – which include WhatsApp, Telegram, Slack, Hangouts, Signal, WeChat, Messenger, Viber, Gmail, Yahoo […]

CEOs have been speaking out increasingly on an array of political issues, and it is becoming problematic for companies and boards with noisy internal or external groups pushing business leaders to comment publicly on controversial matters. ​In this era of consumer value and instant media, some say staying quiet is no longer an option to […]

A jury just returned a verdict of $25 million in damages against a defendant lending institution. A senior executive sitting in the courtroom was in shock. One juror remained behind and agreed to discuss deliberations. The executive listens intently as the company’s attorney spoke with the juror. She mentions the key evidence in finding the […]

The global pandemic forced the entire legal profession to function without its social ecosystem of in-person client meetings, working breakfasts, lunches and dinners, receptions, entertainment at events, live conferences or symposiums. Even court access has been limited. These venues disappeared quickly. Some will return, but many have been replaced or supplanted with an online and […]

A recent New York Times article on ‘misleading’ lawsuits about package labels underscores the flurry of litigation by advocacy groups and consumer plaintiffs’ lawyers attacking companies for what they describe as a surge in deceptive marketing. Labeling lawsuits are not the only legal challenges facing food and beverage companies. They are challenged by mandatory recalls, […]