![](http://www.grimeslegal.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/survey.jpg "\\"survey\\"")
The latest litigation trends report is based on responses from 358 participating companies — including company officials who serve as general or deputy-general counsels for their firms. Of that pool, 251 respondents were U.S.-based firms.
The big ten areas most rip for lawsuits were labor and employment matters, contract disputes and personal injury cases, product liability, intellectual property/patents, insurance, environmental-toxic tort, regulatory, class actions and professional services.
A summary of some of the findings:
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The economic slump will increase the number of lawsuits companies face
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34 % of U.S companies expect to see what the study calls a “run-up” in litigation involving their firms over the next 12 months.
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21 percent of U.S. companies stating that no new lawsuits had been filed against them during the survey year
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45 PERCENT of U.S. companies reported spending at least $1 million annually on litigation.
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19 percent of the U.S.-based firms stated that they were more likely to increase their in-house litigation staff.
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12 % of the insurance companies surveyed had already engaged outside counsel regarding subprime lawsuits or investigations.
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11 percent of the financial services firms surveyed had done already engaged outside counsel regarding subprime lawsuits or investigations.
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15 percent of the insurance firms, and 22 % of the financial services respondents are “bracing themselves for a subprime action or investigation.
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66 percent of insurance companies surveyed said they faced new lawsuits
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55 PERCENT of retailers surveyed told they faced new lawsuits
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54 PERCENT of manufacturing companies surveyed said they faced new lawsuits
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52 % of healthcare companies surveyed said they faced new lawsuits
