Crowell & Moring Releases 2017 Litigation Forecast: What Corporate Counsel Need to Know for the Coming Year

Washington, D.C. – January 18, 2017: Crowell & Moring LLP is pleased to announce the publication of its "Litigation Forecast 2017: What Corporate Counsel Need to Know for the Coming Year.” The fifth annual Forecast takes a deep dive into the important issues, trends, and likely litigation challenges that businesses may face in 2017. It provides concise, forward-looking perspectives on developments affecting a wide range of companies in nine areas of law: antitrust, class actions, environmental, government contracts, intellectual property, labor and employment, product liability, recovery, and white collar.

The cover story, “Investigations: Under Pressure and Out of Time,” spotlights the challenges general counsel face when leading their companies through investigations in the digital age and offers practical advice on addressing those challenges. Another article looks at how rollbacks in environmental regulations or enforcement can be accompanied by an increase in citizen suits and private litigation. Among additional stories, the report traces efforts in Congress and at the state level to amend the Equal Pay Act, and it underscores for general counsel a new federal law that will impact how trade secrets are protected. An infographic features a jurisdictional analysis of federal courts and USPTO Patent Trial and Appeal Board trials, highlighting data trends of complex litigation by venue.

“We anticipate 2017 will be dominated by big changes—starting with a new administration and new Congress that are expected to peel back or redesign rules and regulations that will shape the business and litigation environment. Changes in the economy, regulatory agencies, and even court appointments will also drive trends in litigation that impact our clients inside and outside the courtroom,” said Angela B. Styles, Crowell & Moring chair. “Our fifth annual Litigation Forecast point out the trends, concerns, and opportunities that we expect to arise in the coming year.”

Articles from the Forecast are available at www.crowell.com/litigationforecast. Follow the conversation on Twitter with #LitigationForecast.

More information about the firm’s investigations capabilities can be found at www.crowell.com/Investigations.

About Crowell & Moring’s Litigation & Trial Department

More than one-third of the Fortune 100 turn to Crowell & Moring for litigation matters. Named The National Law Journal/Legal Times 2013 "Washington Litigation Department of the Year" for general civil litigation, the firm’s Litigation & Trial Department spans eight offices in the U.S. and Europe. More than two-thirds of the firm’s lawyers are litigators, handling civil trials, criminal trials, administrative proceedings, and arbitrations.

About Crowell & Moring LLP

Crowell & Moring LLP is an international law firm with approximately 500 lawyers representing clients in litigation and arbitration, regulatory, and transactional matters. The firm is internationally recognized for its representation of Fortune 500 companies in high-stakes litigation, as well as its ongoing commitment to pro bono service and diversity. The firm has offices in Washington, DC, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Orange County, London, and Brussels.