Congressional investigations and oversight proceedings pose unique threats to a company’s business and brand because of their often public and inherently political nature. Paul, Weiss leverages the specialized skills and insider understanding that such matters require, fielding a team with significant hands-on experience to ensure that clients’ legal and business interests are protected.
Companies Need to Reckon With Lawmakers’ Competing Oversight Priorities Following Midterm Elections, Karen Dunn Tells Law360
January 2, 2023
Litigation partner Karen Dunn appeared in a Law360 article asking experts in Congressional investigations to assess the expected barrage of inquiries led by lawmakers with competing priorities now that Republicans control the House of Representatives and Democrats have expanded their control of the Senate.
In “Divided Congress Shifts Oversight In Opposing Directions,” published on January 2, Karen, who previously served in senior positions in the Senate and the White House, notes that, looking ahead, corporate clients need to proactively assess if they’re a “natural target” for oversight and build relationships with lawmakers newly leading committees, while being careful and thoughtful in their approach. “It’s always a balance," Karen says. “You don’t obviously want to go in and put a target on your back, but on the other hand, you don’t want the trains to leave the station without your being able to influence where the train is going to go and end up.”
Congress is probably engaged in discussions about what to prioritize, she adds. “There’s only so much oxygen, there’s only so much time and staff and resources, and they have to figure out where to put that,” she says. “I assume that this is a matter for intense discussion right now.”