Company: GE
Filing Date: 2025-02-03
Form Type: 10-K
Source: 0000040545-25-000015
Chunk: 86

Company: GENERAL ELECTRIC CO
Filing Date: 2025-02-03
Form: 10-K
Item: Item 1A
Chunk 86
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. We, our representatives and our industry are subject to continuing scrutiny by regulators, other governmental authorities and private sector entities or individuals in the U.S., the European Union and other jurisdictions, which have led or may, in certain circumstances, lead to enforcement actions, adverse changes to our business practices, fines and penalties, required remedial actions such as contaminated site clean-up or other environmental claims, or the assertion of private litigation claims and damages that could be material. For example, we remain subject to shareholder lawsuits related to the Company’s financial performance, accounting and disclosure practices and related legacy matters from several years ago. These types of proceedings involving claims about past financial performance and reporting, as well as any future claims that may arise about past or current misconduct, even if unfounded, may have a significant impact on our reputation and how we are viewed by investors, customers and others. We also from time to time are involved in commercial discussions, disputes or proceedings in which, given the nature of our business that often involves large equipment and service orders and long-term commercial relationships, the claims asserted can be for significant amounts. The estimation of legal reserves or possible losses involves significant judgment and may not reflect the full range of uncertainties and unpredictable outcomes inherent in litigation, disputes and investigations, and the actual losses arising from particular matters may exceed our current estimates and adversely affect our financial results. The risk management and compliance programs we have adopted and related actions that we take may not fully mitigate legal and compliance risks that we face, particularly in light of the global and diverse nature of our operations and the current enforcement environments in many jurisdictions. For example, when we investigate potential noncompliance under U.S. and non-U.S. law involving our employees, partners or third parties we work with, in some circumstances we make self-disclosures about our findings to the relevant authorities who may pursue or decline to pursue enforcement proceedings against us in connection with those matters. We are also subject to material trailing legal liabilities from businesses that we have exited or are inactive. We also expect that additional legal proceedings and other contingencies will arise from time to time. Moreover, we sell products and services in growth markets where claims arising from alleged violations of law, product failures or other incidents involving our products and services are adjudicated within legal systems that are less developed and less reliable than those of the U.S. or other more developed markets, and this can create additional uncertainty about the outcome of proceedings before courts or other governmental bodies in those markets. See Note 24 for further information about legal proceedings and other loss conting