63% of risk executives expect more corporate litigation, and 80% cite federal AI policy as a compliance risk, according to new AlixPartners survey

Less than half of U.S. organizations are prepared to address financial crime, sanctions changes, and cybersecurity and AI-enabled threats  

NEW YORK (May 13, 2026) – AlixPartners today released the headline results from its 2026 U.S. Risk Survey, which finds that U.S. organizations are struggling with rising corporate litigation risk, financial crime exposure, AI regulation challenges and cybersecurity threats, alongside significant preparedness gaps.

The results are based on responses from 500 senior U.S. executives serving in legal, compliance, and risk functions. The survey analyzes the top enterprise risks facing U.S. organizations in 2026 and identifies gaps in corporate readiness to address those threats.

Key findings include: 

• More than 60% of respondents expect corporate disputes to increase in 2026, as economic uncertainty, AI-driven upheaval and cryptocurrency adoption deepen litigation exposure.
• Eight in 10 say developing federal AI policy—in its relaxed framing—poses strategic risk to compliance efforts in an increasingly fragmented regulatory landscape.
• Cybersecurity incidents rank as the most concerning risk event in the next 12 months (65%)—yet less than half (48%) are “very prepared” to address cyber threats, even as attacks escalate. 

“These findings offer an important signal for C‑suites and their boards. As risks continue to evolve, organizations benefit from taking a clear view of where they may be exposed and reinforcing their defenses,” said Sean Dowd, Partner and Managing Director at AlixPartners. “That starts with rigorously identifying the most consequential vulnerabilities and taking a pragmatic approach to addressing them.”

Additional key findings include:

• Financial crime. Fewer than half (48%) of respondents feel “very prepared” to address financial crime and fraud in 2026. Technology investment remains the top resource to combat it—yet confidence in risk-detection technologies dropped 20% year-over-year.
• AI-related risk. Accelerating AI adoption poses internal and external risks, with about half of organizations still lacking key elements of AI governance, such as an AI governing body/committee. The share who see AI-powered attacks as a top cybersecurity concern doubled from 2025—to 34% from 17% last year—but nearly three quarters (74%) have not completed system upgrades to address such threats.
• Data privacy. Nearly six in 10 (58%) cite data privacy as among the most concerning risk events their organizations face, but action lags awareness. Only 50% say their organizations are enhancing or plan to enhance data encryption, for instance, even though 73% say that measure is among the most important to address data privacy challenges for companies in their industry.
• Cryptocurrency. A majority (59%) is either already using crypto for payments and transactions or testing use cases. Yet the lack of more involved safeguards heightens risk: fewer than half (45%) have escalation and off-ramp procedures in place, while just 44% conduct third-party risk assessments for BaaS/fintech partners.
• Sanctions. Amid mounting geopolitical tensions, only about a third (35%) of organizations are “very prepared” for potential changes in sanctions, compared to 44% who said the same in 2025.

The findings highlight growing pressure on U.S. organizations to strengthen risk management across cybersecurity, AI regulation, financial crime, and global compliance as the risk landscape becomes more complex throughout 2026.

Fielded in February 2026, the survey includes responses from professionals at U.S.-headquartered companies in a variety of industries, with the largest numbers coming from financial services, technology, healthcare and life sciences, manufacturing, and retail. 

To explore key findings from the 2026 U.S. Risk Survey, click here.      

About AlixPartners

AlixPartners is a results-driven global consulting firm that specializes in helping businesses successfully capitalize on opportunity and address critical challenges. Our clients include companies, corporate boards, law firms, investment banks, private equity firms, and others. Founded in 1981, AlixPartners is headquartered in New York and has offices in more than 25 cities around the world. For more information, visit https://www.alixpartners.com.

Contact:
Ed Canaday
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Lisa Seidenberg
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