A Shareholder Suit Gauntlet

Joe McKendrick has an intriguing post on (just some) of the corporate liability ramifications of backwards technology, but thinks liability hinged on failure to adopt SOA is a longshot: Could lack of SOA open a company to lawsuits?

The link between SOA and business growth and agility — while bursting with possibilities — has not been firmly established or proven in the mainstream. Even the sharpest lawyers with an understanding of SOA may be hard-pressed to build a case on how a lack of SOA is driving down shareholder value. ...

If we do see actions, they may be more glaring grievances, rather than pinpointing SOA. For example, shareholders may hold companies’ feet to the fire if the company is relying too much on outmoded technology and processes, has major security lapses, or fails to effectively streamline these processes, or does not take enough steps to integrate well with business partners as its competitors. All can be addressed, at least in part, by adopting SOA methodologies, but SOA may not be mentioned outright.

He's probably right, but I never underestimate the ingenuity and determination of the plaintiffs' bar.