A Chief Compliance Officer has a direct responsibility to promote the company’s business. That sounds like a controversial statement but it is not. Every officer and employee of a company has that responsibility. A CCO has a job – to design and implement an effective ethics and compliance program to detect and prevent Code of Conduct and legal violations. As the business grows, the CCO’s...

I never thought the day would come but it has – I have figured out a way to make Abbott and Costello relevant to the compliance profession. We all know their famous routine – “Who’s on First?” If you need a good laugh, check it out HERE. When it comes to lawyers and compliance professionals, the Abbott and Costello hilarious question is extremely relevant. Some...

A comprehensive approach to third party and vendor due diligence management is essential for any company conducting business globally.  A strong due diligence program’s purpose is two-fold: To guide your company, helping you make smart choices when it comes to international business partners, and To protect your company, building procedures and a legally-defensible documentary record that can protect you from an enforcement action (udner either...

“Action speaks louder than words but not nearly as often” – Mark Twain If you are too busy to read my posting, all I ask is that you read the Mark Twain quote and apply the message to creating an ethical culture. As I always say, Mark Twain would have been a star Chief Compliance Officer. He was an artist with words, and he used...

There is nothing more infuriating in the ethics and compliance world than a Chief Compliance Officer who relies on Happy Talk reports to senior managers and the Board. The CCO who engages in Happy Talk does a disservice to the profession and to themselves. So why are companies still not embedding real ethics and compliance programs? Too many are relying on paper programs that look...

A nickel ain’t worth a dime anymore. – Yogi Berra With all the hubbub about ethics and compliance, senior managers somehow are able to escape any focus or responsibility for compliance programs except in a managerial context. Senior managers need to be held accountable for their own personal ethics and compliance performance as senior executives with significant responsibilities. The GM debacle is a perfect example...

Compliance professionals love to bandy about the term “red flag.” It is a term with infinite meanings depending on the context. A red flag in a money-laundering context is different than a red flag in a corruption context. I like to say – not all red flags are created equal. Some red flags are more red than others – or in extreme cases, I use...

Companies are reluctant to go to trial in a criminal case.  Instead, they look for alternatives short of a criminal guilty plea and DOJ has a suitcase full of options that they use. Please do not misunderstand my point – DOJ prosecutors are doing their job and they apply the law fairly. There is room for disagreement on their interpretations and application of the law...

Welcome!!  I hope you like the new Corruption, Crime and Compliance website.  I know how important it is to stay fresh on the Internet, and my hope was to provide an updated look, with some new features. One thing you will notice (hopefully) is that we have added access to all of our  recorded webinars.  We will maintain our You Tube channel but we wanted...

The Antitrust Division is nearing the end of its largest, record-setting criminal cartel investigation – global auto parts suppliers. It has been a sprawling investigation that has leaped from product-to-product in the auto parts industry. Nearly thirty companies have plead guilty (or agreed to do so) and over $2.3 billion in fines have been collected. Nearly forty individual have been charged, most of which have...