| Managing Public Policy Risk |
Today's business leaders recognize that managing public policy risk can be just as critical as managing legal, financial and operational risk. We live in a rapidly changing policy environment, in which business practices accepted last year or even last month may quickly become unacceptable in light of public or regulatory scrutiny—and business markets may open, close or undergo a sudden and fundamental realignment in response to governmental action. To be effective in this environment, counsel must be able to assess not just whether conduct falls on the right side of a legal line, but whether it will be able to withstand scrutiny on the front page of a major newspaper or before a congressional committee. Our lawyers analyze clients' policy vulnerabilities, helping them "see around corners" to anticipate and address potential legislative and regulatory challenges. We also draw on our extensive policy experience to affect opinion leaders and shape the regulatory landscape in light of our clients' business models. In this area, we have:
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Counseled a group of pharmaceutical companies on strategy for addressing a constellation of regulatory changes
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Advised a multinational corporation on how to adapt its business model to the post-9/11 US national security and regulatory environment
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Drafted, for a large multinational company, a proposal for reform of the different regulatory regimes covering the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, for use with policy makers