Discussion on the legal challenges and strategies that global companies face when navigating diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in a world with varying regulations and practices (eg, EU v US executive orders). We will explore how to manage DEI compliance in both progressive and restrictive environments and lessons learned so far, highlighting the approaches needed to balance and deal with conflicting regulations and practices. The 2025 DEI Workplace Report in Diversity.com shows DEI programmes have taken many forms across the workplace over the past two decades. While some organisations continue to lead in this space, others have recently scaled back due to political, legal or reputational concerns.