Litigation Reporting defines how the legal department informs the Board and senior leadership of dispute risk, exposure, and trajectory.

Within the Disputes Line, it is the mechanism by which the GC discharges their fiduciary duty to keep the Board properly informed of actual and emerging legal risk.

This Station is not about operational updates.

It is about risk visibility, decision readiness, and governance integrity.

Litigation Reporting applies to active disputes, credible potential disputes, and systemic dispute risk.

It governs what is reported, how often, in what form, and at what level of detail.

◼️Active Litigation: disputes already commenced or formally asserted.

◼️Potential Disputes: matters likely to crystallise into claims or proceedings.

◼️Materiality Assessment: determining what is Board-relevant versus management-level.

◼️Reporting Frequency: cadence aligned to risk, not calendar convenience.

◼️Escalation Triggers: events that require out-of-cycle reporting.

◼️Forward Exposure: outlook on downside risk, not just current status.

◼️Portfolio View: aggregated visibility across disputes, not anecdotal updates.

◼️Decision Support: surfacing matters requiring Board awareness or intervention.

While exact content will vary by organisation, best practice Board litigation reporting typically covers:

◼️Active Disputes: summary of all material ongoing claims and proceedings.

◼️Potential Disputes: credible matters likely to escalate.

◼️Exposure Ranges: best-, expected-, and worst-case downside.

◼️Probability Assessments: likelihood of adverse outcomes.

◼️Financial Treatment: provisions, reserves, and insurance position.

◼️Strategic Significance: precedent, reputational, or regulatory sensitivity.

◼️Key Developments: material changes since last report.

◼️Settlement Outlook: likelihood and timing of resolution.

◼️Escalation Triggers: upcoming events that could change risk profile.

◼️Portfolio Trends: emerging patterns and repeat dispute drivers.

The test is simple: could a director reasonably say they were properly informed?

The Litigation Reporting station is considered a Repeater resource within the GLS Legal Operations model.

A Repeater Resource: Supports the performance of multiple "critical" legal functions and as such represents a "ripple effect" productivity intervention point. 

A best-practice Litigation Reporting framework exhibits the following characteristics:

◼️Risk-Led Design: reporting is structured around risk, not procedural milestones.

◼️Board-Appropriate Framing: information is presented at governance level, not legal detail.

◼️Consistency Over Time: disputes are reported using stable categories and metrics.

◼️Forward-Looking Insight: focus extends beyond current status to future exposure.

◼️Early Visibility: potential disputes are reported before formal escalation.

◼️Escalation Discipline: material changes trigger immediate reporting.

◼️Clear Ownership: accountability for accuracy and completeness sits with Legal.

◼️Decision Orientation: reports surface issues requiring Board awareness or choice.

◼️Auditability: reported information is defensible under regulatory or shareholder scrutiny.

Litigation Reporting delivers the following value to the business:

◼️No Surprises: prevents the Board being blindsided by litigation events.

◼️Risk Awareness: ensures leadership understands the true dispute exposure.

◼️Informed Decisions: enables timely strategic and financial decisions.

◼️Capital Protection: supports provisioning, reserves, and insurance planning.

◼️Reputational Control: ensures sensitive matters receive appropriate oversight.

◼️Governance Confidence: reinforces confidence in the organisation’s control environment.

◼️Crisis Avoidance: reduces last-minute escalation under pressure.

◼️Stakeholder Assurance: strengthens confidence of investors and regulators.

◼️Strategic Alignment: ensures dispute posture aligns with business direction.

Litigation Reporting delivers the following value to the legal department:

◼️Fiduciary Cover: demonstrates that Legal has properly informed the Board.

◼️Authority Reinforcement: strengthens Legal’s mandate in dispute decision-making.

◼️Escalation Clarity: removes ambiguity around when matters must be elevated.

◼️Expectation Management: aligns Board understanding with legal reality.

◼️Reduced Fire Drills: fewer emergency briefings driven by surprise.

◼️Credibility Lift: positions the GC as a trusted risk adviser.

◼️Strategic Dialogue: enables higher-quality Board engagement on disputes.

◼️Portfolio Control: forces discipline in tracking and assessing disputes holistically.

◼️Professional Protection: mitigates personal and organisational liability risk.

This Station is essential for:

◼️Board-Governed Organisations: companies with formal Board oversight.

◼️Public or Regulated Entities: environments with heightened disclosure expectations.

◼️Litigation-Exposed Businesses: organisations facing material dispute risk.

◼️Capital-Sensitive Enterprises: businesses where disputes affect valuation or funding.

◼️Complex Group Structures: entities with disputes across subsidiaries or regions.

◼️GC-Led Functions: legal departments accountable for governance integrity.

◼️Risk-Conscious Boards: directors demanding visibility and assurance.

◼️Mature Legal Functions: teams operating at enterprise-risk level.

Where Litigation Reporting is absent or weak:

◼️Board Surprise: directors learn of disputes too late.

◼️Governance Failure: fiduciary obligations are compromised.

◼️Reactive Escalation: crisis-driven reporting replaces discipline.

◼️Credibility Damage: Legal appears disorganised or evasive.

◼️Poor Decisions: leadership acts without full risk context.

◼️Disclosure Risk: incomplete reporting creates regulatory exposure.

◼️Internal Tension: Legal, Finance, and Risk misalign.

◼️Personal Exposure: GC and directors face accountability risk.

◼️Portfolio Blindness: emerging patterns are missed.

Effective Litigation Reporting is enabled by structured data and reporting tools.

In particular, it relies on:

◼️Dispute Management Systems: centralised matter data and status tracking.

◼️Risk Categorisation Models: consistent materiality and severity ratings.

◼️Portfolio Dashboards: aggregated visibility across disputes and potential claims.

◼️Exposure Modelling Tools: probability-weighted downside estimates.

◼️Early Warning Capture: tracking of potential disputes and near-misses.

◼️Board-Ready Reporting Outputs: standardised, repeatable report formats.

◼️AI-Assisted Insight: analysis of trends, escalation risk, and emerging patterns.

◼️Audit Trails: defensible records of what was reported and when.

◼️Secure Distribution: controlled access to sensitive Board materials.