Internal Investigations in a Virtual World

The COVID-19 pandemic has drastically altered the way in which companies and their outside counsel conduct internal investigations. Not surprisingly, the principal change has been the fact that many investigations have moved to an entirely virtual format. In their article for the New York Law Journal, white collar defense and investigations partners Peter Baldwin, Daniel Pulliam and associates Elizabeth Boggia and Sophie Gotlieb outline how various aspects of the internal investigation process – including witness interviews, document collection and review, and interaction with government investigators and prosecutors – have been impacted and altered in the virtual world. Given that many companies may elect to continue conducting investigations remotely for the foreseeable future – both because of the pandemic and also because of the cost savings – the article also discusses best practices and tips for developing a successful process for managing remote internal investigations.