What risks are most worrisome for company executives and how can legal departments, chief risk officers and others in a company best mitigate any potential harm?

These questions were asked and answered in Ropes & Gray's “Risky Business: Mitigating Exposure Through Comprehensive Risk Management” study, released Monday. The study, which Ropes & Gray conducted together with research service FT Remark, asked 300 senior-level executives across a number of industries to identify their top risks and reveal their readiness to handle legal and regulatory challenges.

Regulation and compliance landed on top of the list for respondents when it comes to risk factors they are most worried about. This was followed closely by sanctions and export controls, tax and intellectual property.