Thank you to the brave men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice. We honor their service, their courage, and their memories. Let us use this holiday to remind us all of our heroes and to honer them for their service.
Sam Finkelstein, an Associate at The Volkov Law Group, joins us for his first posting about TD Bank’s compliance failures. Sam can be reached at [email protected]. How much is an effective Anti-Money Laundering (“AML”) Compliance Program Worth? For Toronto-Dominion Bank (“TD”), the answer is at least $225 million––the amount that TD must now pay to First Horizon Bank, after backing out of a proposed $13.4...
The Justice Department certainly has altered the landscape of enforcement, compliance priorities, and ultimately corporate decisions surrounding voluntary disclosure. It has become a little bit more complicated to sort out all the carrots and sticks. One thing is clear – DOJ wants more companies to voluntarily disclose misconduct. And that is understandable. DOJ does not want companies to wait until they receive a grand jury...
After a long-running investigation, Koninklijke Philips (“Philips), a Dutch company, resolved FCPA violations in China by agreeing to pay the SEC $62 million. Philips is a global manufacturer of medical equipment. Philips agreed to pay $15 million in civil penalties and more than $47 million in disgorgement and prejudgment interest. According to Philips, DOJ has declined to prosecute charges in the current case. Philips’ recent...
In a pair of criminal cases , the U.S. Supreme Court delivered a one-two punch to the Justice Department’s prosecution of corruption cases based on violations of the criminal wire fraud statute. In Ciminelli v. U.S., and Percoco v. U.S., the Supreme Court reversed the convictions in two separate decisions relsasedd on the same day. The Ciminelli and Percoco criminal cases were brought by the...
Even with the current focus on sanctions compliance, many companies have done little to assess and enhance their existing sanctions compliance program. Instead, a number of companies have stitched together a basic sanctions compliance program that centers on a screening tool and little beyond that. Such a limited program provides just a false comfort of compliance. Many companies are not even conducting the mandated basic...
Let’s move beyond the headline – trade compliance is the new FCPA. We get it. The next step is to do something about it. The Justice Department has repeated this refrain – it is one of its greatest hits. In addition, DOJ, OFAC and the Bureau of Industry and Security have sent a loud message — $629 million from British American Tobacco and $300 million...
To restate the obvious – DOJ has prioritized prosecution of national security crimes. For the business world, every company touches the international economy. Even a domestic company might sell products or services outside the United States, or such companies depend on foreign products or services in their supply chain. It is rare indeed to find a company that is not dependent on one way or...
Jessica Sanderson, a Partner at The Volkov Law Group, re-joins us for a posting on her perspective on proactive compliance strategies. Jessica can be reached at [email protected]. I’m old enough to remember when seat belts were optional. And I remember people up in arms when seatbelt laws first passed. But now, my young adult children and their friends simply get in the car and buckle...
Franks International (“Frank’s”) settled FCPA charges with the SEC for $8 million stemming from operations in Angola during the period 2008 to 2014. The Justice Department declined to prosecute Frank’s for the same events. Frank’s was a global provider of engineered tubular services, tubular fabrication, and specialty well construction and well intervention solutions to the oil and gas industry, incorporated in the Netherlands. On October...
