Three in four general counsels favor early crisis escalation

Organisations continued to face delays in receiving critical information.

Three-quarters of general counsel and other senior legal decision-makers surveyed in Singapore preferred to escalate emerging risks early, even when an issue might later prove manageable, according to research sponsored by FTI Consulting.

More than half of Singapore respondents identified immediate legal or regulatory exposure as an important factor in determining whether an issue should be treated as a crisis.

The findings indicate a stronger emphasis on early detection and intervention amongst Singapore organisations, supported by comparatively high adoption of monitoring technology.

About 62% of Singapore respondents used artificial intelligence-enabled systems to monitor external risk signals, compared with 46% of respondents globally.

Another 64% used automated alerts to identify emerging risks, exceeding the global adoption rate of 53%.

However, increased technology use has not eliminated information gaps. About 46% of Singapore respondents said information arriving too slowly impeded effective prioritisation when several serious issues emerged simultaneously, compared with 33% globally.

Legal decision-makers also face the risk of escalating issues that eventually prove manageable.

About 52% of Singapore respondents said concerns about overreaction or a possible loss of credibility limited their ability to raise an issue with senior leadership. This was higher than the global rate of 42%.

A lack of sufficiently robust evidence was another obstacle, cited by 48% of Singapore respondents and 38% of the global sample.

Roy Huang, senior managing director and head of Asia at FTI Consulting, said legal and regulatory considerations frequently shape crisis-escalation decisions in Singapore.

He said general counsel must weigh incomplete evidence against the potential consequences of delaying action, whilst avoiding repeated false alarms that could weaken confidence in future warnings.

The Singapore findings come against a broader gap between crisis planning and operational readiness.

Nearly 70% of organisations surveyed globally had a written crisis plan, but only 17% had a proactive approach that was continuously tested to identify and address emerging threats.

More than 80% waited until risks had escalated before seeking external crisis support, either after an internal assessment found increased legal or reputational exposure or when a crisis was already underway.

FTI Consulting said such delays could reduce the time available to contain a threat and restrict access to specialist expertise during the early stages of an incident.

Boards may also play an important role in early crisis decisions. Globally, 57% of respondents said they engaged their boards early to assess an issue and consider possible responses before positions were finalised.

The research was conducted by Economist Enterprise and sponsored by FTI Consulting. It surveyed 1,100 general counsel and equivalent legal decision-makers between March and April 2026, including 100 respondents in Singapore.

Except for participants in Saudi Arabia, respondents worked for organisations with annual revenue exceeding $1b.