Following a raft of corporate scandals uncovered by whistleblowers, the business risks associated with an individual revealing wrongdoing should not be underestimated in the boardroom.

US bank Citigroup has agreed a deal to share “confidential information” with activist investor ValueAct. EU regulation means a copycat arrangement would be tricky in the UK.

Financial firms are involved in an increasing number of internal investigations. Boards must be ready to engage with the process should the need arise.

Board directors are entering a tough new era, with regulatory proposals to impose sanctions for directors who deliberately put their employees’ pensions at risk.

Companies increasingly make their own venture capital deals to win strategic advantage. But investors need to prepare properly before they begin the deal-making.

Boards beware: as investor activism becomes more prevalent, directors would do well to prepare for the worst—an issue that few companies have properly considered.

Possession of and access to data has become central to modern business. Nigel Parr of law firm Ashurst says it has become so important that it is now a key issue for competition watchdogs.

Criminal law is increasingly used to regulate business. Edward Sparrow and Angela Pearson of law firm Ashurst argue that the rule of law and the established legal process are being challenged.

Technology is an increasingly crucial element of business models. Nick Elverston and Amanda Hale of law firm Ashurst explore key questions when preparing a digital strategy.

Since 2012 corporate borrowers have been able to source funding at prices close to historic lows, and banks have been keen to lend. But all that could change as uncertainty casts a shadow over the economy and new regulations begin to bite.