Paramount Global is wrestling with whether to settle President Trump’s lawsuit against its CBS News unit, and how it might do so without exposing executives to future legal threats, such as accusations of bribery.

Company executives in recent weeks have talked about the risk that paying such a settlement could expose directors and officers to liability in potential future shareholder litigation or criminal charges for bribing a public official, according to people familiar with the conversations. Some executives have expressed an additional concern that such litigation may not be protected by director and officer insurance, some of the people with knowledge of the discussions said.

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Insurance policies for company directors and officers typically cover legal costs for individuals accused of “bad acts,” such as criminal acts or bribery, unless they are found guilty or liable ultimately, said Bill Passannante, co-chair of the insurance recovery group at Anderson Kill. This would be the case for both criminal charges and civil shareholder lawsuits.

Still, he said, there is always the risk of an “unusual unicorn” case—in which the directors and officers are found liable or guilty in a final appeal, and thus aren’t covered.

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