Top 10 Legal Moves Every New CEO Should Make in Their First 90 Days
Being named CEO is an honor — and a legal responsibility. The first 90 days set the tone not only for your leadership but for your risk exposure. LibertyBell Law Group helps newly appointed CEOs execute the legal strategies necessary to protect their authority, reputation, and future before problems surface.
1. Review Your Own Employment Contract Thoroughly
Ensure your agreement includes:
- Strong indemnification and legal expense coverage
- Golden parachute or severance protections
- Clarity around “for cause” termination definitions
- Bonus metrics and performance expectations
2. Verify D&O Insurance Coverage — Personally
Do not rely solely on what the board says. Confirm:
- Policy limits and exclusions
- Whether individual defense costs are advanced
- Coverage for regulatory investigations, not just lawsuits
3. Secure Private Legal Counsel
Company attorneys represent the business — not you. Having independent legal counsel ensures your interests are protected during internal investigations, executive decisions, and any crisis that may arise.
4. Audit Internal Financial Controls
Even if you’re not the CFO, you’re responsible for what happens under your leadership. Identify legacy accounting issues, risky practices, or missing audit trails early — before regulators do.
5. Assess Ongoing Investigations or Legal Disputes
Review open cases, settlements, or regulatory inquiries. Ensure you’re not stepping into unacknowledged liability, especially if you’re replacing a CEO removed for compliance issues.
6. Clarify Your Decision-Making Authority
Request written documentation of:
- What decisions require board approval
- Limits on capital allocation or hiring/firing authority
- Communications protocols with legal, audit, and compliance
7. Review the Company’s Whistleblower and Internal Reporting Policies
Understand the chain of escalation and ensure you’re protected in case you become the subject of a complaint. Your involvement in investigating others must also be legally sound.
8. Establish Attorney-Client Privilege Practices
Communicate carefully. Privilege can be waived easily — and your emails, memos, and chats may one day be discoverable. LibertyBell Law Group advises CEOs on how to maintain legal confidentiality across platforms.
9. Create a Crisis Management Protocol
Don’t wait for a crisis to figure out who does what. Plan your response team, PR strategy, and legal triage process in advance. The faster you respond, the better you control the narrative.
10. Schedule a Legal Risk Audit With LibertyBell Law Group
We help CEOs assess personal and organizational vulnerabilities, from compliance gaps to contractual ambiguities — and we put legal protections in place from day one.
Conclusion: CEOs Don’t Just Lead — They’re Legally Liable
Whether you’re walking into a well-oiled machine or a quiet mess, your first 90 days as CEO are critical. LibertyBell Law Group empowers executives to lead with confidence — and with powerful legal safeguards. Don’t just survive your first quarter — own it.