The SEC proposed – and recently withdrew – a rule that would have required registered investment advisers to adopt and implement detailed business continuity and transition plans. Despite the rule’s withdrawal, however, the SEC has signaled that it will continue to scrutinize the robustness of advisers’ plans. To the extent that advisers’ business continuity and transition plans cover the departure of key personnel, they generally do so only with respect to founders; yet, from a business and regulatory perspective, they should also cover others, including chief compliance officers (CCOs). The proposed rule would have also required advisers to evaluate third-party service providers’ business continuity and transition plans, including those of outsourced CCOs. This article, the first in a three-part series, discusses the SEC’s proposed rule on business continuity and transition plans; the impact, if any, of the rule’s withdrawal; the importance of CCO succession planning; and the risks of using an outsourced CCO. The second article will examine CCO hiring and onboarding; whether managers should separate their compliance departments from their legal departments; and the risks of high CCO turnover. The third article will evaluate the risks of poor succession planning and provide a roadmap for developing a robust succession plan. See “Pro-Business Environment of New Administration Continues to Have Challenges and Pitfalls for Private Funds” (Sep. 14, 2017).