When hindsight is 20/20: Five key questions to ask at the start of an internal investigation

Increasingly, allegations of significant corporate wrongdoing and inquiries from governmental agencies result in companies initiating internal investigations as a practical tool to find out whether there was wrong doing, what happened, and how to prevent it from happening again. This article discusses five essential questions that a company must address when it is faced with a decision on whether to conduct an internal investigation. Do I have to investigate? Who should lead the investigation? How soon can the investigation be completed? What do I need to do to keep the information confidential? And finally, do I have to disclose this to the public.