{"id":274835,"date":"2026-01-19T18:24:47","date_gmt":"2026-01-19T18:24:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dominiclevent.com\/blog\/?p=274835"},"modified":"2026-01-19T18:24:47","modified_gmt":"2026-01-19T18:24:47","slug":"tough-year-ahead-as-businesses-face-compliance-and-investigation-storm","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dominiclevent.com\/blog\/tough-year-ahead-as-businesses-face-compliance-and-investigation-storm\/","title":{"rendered":"Tough year ahead as businesses face compliance and investigation storm"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><time class=\"date-time__time\" datetime=\"2026-01-16T20:37:53+00:00\"><\/time><\/p>\n<p><!-- Ads Injected --><\/p>\n<p>A wave of complex regulations and cross-border probes is set to test the resilience of businesses worldwide in the coming year; at the same time, resource constraints expose vulnerabilities.<\/p>\n<p>A staggering 82 per cent of global businesses fear being hit by cross-border or multi-agency investigations this year, according to a new <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bakermckenzie.com\/en\/insight\/publications\/2026\/01\/global-disputes-forecast-2026\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">report<\/a> by law firm Baker McKenzie.<\/p>\n<p>Topping the list for senior legal professionals at global businesses were Singapore (88 per cent) and Hong Kong (85 per cent), which were attributed to their positions as major regional hubs and to a surge in whistleblowing activity in the Asia Pacific region.<\/p>\n<p>While cybersecurity and tax have emerged as the top two risks for both disputes and investigations over the next 12 months, they are no longer just \u201ctechnical\u201d issues; they have become the primary tools for government regulation and geopolitical leverage.<\/p>\n<p>Trade sanctions and export controls, ESG, and employment also ranked among the top concerns, emphasising that, alongside urgent pressures, organisations are addressing a diverse portfolio of risks more broadly.<\/p>\n<div class=\"newsletter-auto-inject\" style=\"margin: 20px auto;\">\n<div id=\"mc_embed_shell\">\n<style type=\"text\/css\"><![CDATA[ #mc_embed_signup { background: #fff; clear: left; font: 14px Helvetica, Arial,sans-serif; width: 100%; max-width: 600px; margin: 20px 0; } #mc-embedded-subscribe-form { margin: 20px 0 !important; } .newsletter-form-flex { display: flex; gap: 0; align-items: center; margin-top: -10px; } .newsletter-form-flex input[type=\"email\"] { flex: 1; padding: 2px 10px; border: 1px solid rgb(18, 22, 23) !important; border-radius: 12px 0 0 12px !important; } .newsletter-form-flex input[type=\"submit\"] { padding: 4px 10px !important; margin: 0 !important; background-color: rgb(18, 22, 23) !important; color: rgb(255, 255, 255) !important; border: 1px solid rgb(18, 22, 23) !important; border-radius: 0 12px 12px 0 !important; } .newsletter-banner-content { margin-bottom: 15px; } .newsletter-banner-content h2 { margin: 0 0 10px 0; font-size: 18px; font-weight: 600; } .newsletter-banner-content p { margin: 0 0 10px 0; line-height: 1.5; } .newsletter-banner-content ul, .newsletter-banner-content ol { margin: 0 0 10px 20px; } .newsletter-banner-content a { color: #0073aa; text-decoration: none; } .newsletter-banner-content a:hover { text-decoration: underline; } .newsletter-banner-content img { max-width: 100%; height: auto; margin: 10px 0; } #mc_embed_signup #mce-success-response { color: #0356a5; display: none; margin: 0 0 10px; width: 100%; } #mc_embed_signup div#mce-responses { float: left; top: -1.4em; padding: 0; overflow: hidden; width: 100%; margin: 0; clear: both; } ]]><\/style>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Concerns regarding trade policy are highest in Germany (84 per cent) and the UK (84 per cent), following a year of instability.<\/p>\n<p>Once seen as a hedge against risk, global integration is now a liability, with 79 per cent of legal leaders citing tariffs, sanctions, and export controls as the primary drivers of disputes.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"read-more read-more--has-media read-more-auto\">\n<div class=\"read-more__content\">\n<h5 class=\"read-more__label\">Read more<\/h5>\n<h4 class=\"read-more__title\"><a class=\"read-more__link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cityam.com\/revolut-mastercard-visa-lose-legal-battle-on-card-cap-fees\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Revolut, Mastercard, Visa lose legal battle on card fees cap<\/a><\/h4>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p>This comes as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cityam.com\/bcg-warns-the-era-of-wait-and-see-is-dead-as-global-risks-hit-all-time-high\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">BCG warns that the era of \u2018wait and see\u2019<\/a> is dead, as global policy uncertainty reached an all-time high in 2025. While Lloyd\u2019s of London warned that a potential geopolitical conflict could devastate the global economy, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cityam.com\/global-trade-at-risk-lloyds-forecasts-over-14-trillion-economic-fallout-from-conflicts\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">triggering $14.5 trillion (\u00a311.89 trillion)<\/a> in losses over the next five years.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-no-money-for-legal-spend\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">No money for legal spend<\/h2>\n<p>However, this comes on the heels of nearly 40 per cent of organisations admitting their 2026 disputes budget is inadequate to handle the current risk landscape.<\/p>\n<p>According to Baker McKenzie\u2019s report, organisations with limited resources struggle to investigate issues thoroughly, engage specialist counsel, or manage multiple cases simultaneously.<\/p>\n<p>These constraints reduce flexibility and increase the risk of delayed or reactive decision-making when disputes escalate unexpectedly.<\/p>\n<p>Commenting on the findings, Sunny Mann, global chair of Baker McKenzie, said, \u201cWe find ourselves in a paradox.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOrganisations are more globally connected than ever, yet operating in an increasingly fragmented and unpredictable geopolitical environment that is fundamentally altering risk calculations.\u201d<\/p>\n<aside class=\"read-more read-more-auto\">\n<div class=\"read-more__content\">\n<h5 class=\"read-more__label\">Read more<\/h5>\n<h4 class=\"read-more__title\"><a class=\"read-more__link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cityam.com\/rapyds-2026-state-of-stablecoins-businesses-move-en-masse-as-stablecoins-go-mainstream\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Rapyd\u2019s 2026 State of Stablecoins: Businesses Move En Masse as Stablecoins Go Mainstream<\/a><\/h4>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<footer class=\"article-footer \">\n<div class=\"tags-collection article-footer__tags-collection\">\n<h2 class=\"screen-reader-text\">Similarly tagged content:<\/h2>\n<nav class=\"tags \">\n<h3 class=\"tags__title\">Sections<\/h3>\n<\/nav>\n<nav class=\"tags \">\n<h3 class=\"tags__title\">Categories<\/h3>\n<\/nav>\n<nav class=\"tags \">\n<h3 class=\"tags__title\">People &amp; Organisations<\/h3>\n<\/nav>\n<\/div>\n<\/footer>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cityam.com\/tough-year-ahead-as-businesses-face-compliance-and-investigation-storm\/\">Source link <\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/dominiclevent.com\/contact-us\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-14\" src=\"https:\/\/dominiclevent.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/footer-300x100.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dominiclevent.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/footer-300x100.png 300w, https:\/\/dominiclevent.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/footer-150x50.png 150w, https:\/\/dominiclevent.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/footer.png 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><center><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/maps\/d\/u\/1\/embed?mid=1w4tN9mf5kVdBXUXTq2KvwE23NmpUzEna\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\"><\/iframe><\/center>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><center><iframe loading=\"lazy\" style=\"border: 0px #ffffff none;\" src=\"https:\/\/calendar.google.com\/calendar\/embed?src=sc635csnrm8h9s9lq0cad6vkss@group.calendar.google.com\" name=\"myiFrame\" width=\"600px\" height=\"3px\" frameborder=\"1\" marginwidth=\"0px\" marginheight=\"0px\" scrolling=\"no\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/center>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><center><\/center><\/p>\n<div>\n<div><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.dominiclevent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Business_Solicitors_London.jpg\" width=\"600\" \/><\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div>Dominic Levent Solicitors<\/div>\n<div>Email: Enquiries@dominiclevent.com<\/div>\n<div>Phone: 020 8347 6640<\/div>\n<div>Url: https:\/\/www.dominiclevent.com<\/div>\n<div style=\"display: none;\">cash, check, credit card, invoice<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\n<div>1345 High Rd<\/div>\n<div>London, London N20 9HR<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A wave of complex regulations and cross-border probes is set to test the resilience of businesses worldwide in the coming year; at the same time, resource constraints expose vulnerabilities. A staggering 82 per cent of global businesses fear being hit by cross-border or multi-agency investigations this year, according to a new report by law firm &hellip; <\/p>\n<p class=\"link-more\"><a href=\"https:\/\/dominiclevent.com\/blog\/tough-year-ahead-as-businesses-face-compliance-and-investigation-storm\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;Tough year ahead as businesses face compliance and investigation storm&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":274876,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-274835","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news1","entry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Tough year ahead as businesses face compliance and investigation storm - Dominic Levent Solicitors Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/dominiclevent.com\/blog\/tough-year-ahead-as-businesses-face-compliance-and-investigation-storm\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Tough year ahead as businesses face compliance and investigation storm - Dominic Levent Solicitors Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A wave of complex regulations and cross-border probes is set to test the resilience of businesses worldwide in the coming year; at the same time, resource constraints expose vulnerabilities. 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