We all know the importance of promoting a culture of compliance and ethics. The benefits of an ethical culture are substantial and worth every penny of investment in creating and promoting such a culture. We do not need to spend time justifying why an ethical culture is important to company financial success – it is critical for corporate sustainability and profitability. Not every company has...
FinCEN has many important responsibilities but one of its more interesting assignments is oversight of anti-money laundering compliance by casinos (and card clubs). Casinos are under increasing scrutiny these days for lax AML compliance. In March 2015, FinCEN imposed a $10 million penalty on Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, New Jersey, for violations of the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA). In addition to this hefty...
It is often hard to convince people that receiving money can be a problem. Everyone likes to receive money, especially when they are being paid for something they did. In the area of compliance priorities, companies do not normally treat third-party payments as a high-risk activity. However, with increasing focus on illicit proceeds and tightening of AML/Terrorist Financing requirements, companies have to focus on this issue....
FCPA enforcement efforts are not so hard to follow and predict – the government likes to provide advance warnings as an effective means of deterrence. Justice Department and SEC officials will often tell the public their views on enforcement matters and then follow through on them. We have seen many examples of that in the medical device and pharmaceutical areas, as well as oil and...
Financial institutions have a lengthy list of Anti-Money Laundering compliance requirements. They face a mountain of risks from a large number of financial transactions, each of which can carry significant risks. AML compliance programs are built on a systematic review of a large number of financial transactions. The focus of this review has to be on triggers that identify suspicious transactions or customers. Know Your...
I am a strong proponent of conducting a risks assessment as part of an overall ethics and compliance program. However, I often caution companies to balance benefits and costs, and not to conduct a glitzy, high-priced risk assessment. Instead, I encourage companies to conduct a cost-effective risk and compliance program assessment that focuses on risk, mitigation of such risks and measurement of residual risks. Too...
Consider yourself lucky if you work at a company that does not fall within the Title 31 of the US Code definition of a “financial institution.” I am being somewhat dramatic but it is important for every company to have an anti-money laundering compliance program. My suggestion is not designed to promote business or even “scare” companies into addressing this issue – it makes sense...
In the aftermath of the Sigelman FCPA criminal trial, the FCPA Paparazzi is in full force hyperventilating about “trends,” “messages,” and “lessons learned.” As a former prosecutor with plenty of trial experience (over 75 criminal trials, two of which lasted six months or more, just to establish bona fides), I hate to disappoint everyone, but there is not much to be learned from the recent...
Happy 4th of July to Everyone! We live in a great country. It is important to express our gratitude for the amazing opportunities we share with our family, our community and our country. This year, my wife and I are in Sicily, enjoying my wife’s heritage and our family. We may not be in the United States today, but we embrace the values we carry...
Some things are really clear in life – everyone knows something has to change but no one acts. Maybe it goes back to a common theme in corporate cultures – an unwillingness to stand out and instead rely on silence or what some like to call – “The GM Nod,” meaning everyone acts like they are in agreement but no one is “bold” enough to...
