The Hidden Risks of Ethics-Washing: Why Legal Leaders Must Step Up

Legal ethics attorney Trisha Rich was interviewed for a Lexology PRO article exploring ethics-washing, in which a company's stated values do not appear to align with its actions. Corporate ethics have been in the spotlight in 2025, with some brands halting sales or temporarily closing stores in support of various causes and others coming under fire for failing to meet consumer expectations. Although not a regulated offense like greenwashing, ethics-washing can be "reputationally corrosive," as "once shareholders perceive insincerity, it's nearly impossible to rebuild trust," according to Ms. Rich. She highlighted hot-button areas such as artificial intelligence (AI) governance that carry heightened risks for accusations of ethics-washing alongside regulatory scrutiny. She additionally shared advice for legal teams counseling businesses on ethics, calling for more direct involvement in crafting mission statements, press releases and other media mentions to corroborate claims and compile evidence to support them.

"In-house lawyers should be the connective tissue between values and enforcement," Ms. Rich said. "Legal teams must ensure that what the company says about ethics aligns with what it actually does."

READ: The Hidden Risks of Ethics-Washing: Why Legal Leaders Must Step Up (Subscription required)