WPP, the Largest Global Advertising Group, Settles FCPA Charges with SEC for $19.2 Million. After a long hiatus, the SEC announced a settlement with WPP plc, the world’s largest advertising group, for FCPA violations in India, China, Brazil and Peru for $19.2 million. The SEC’s resolution charges WPP with violations of the anti-bribery, books and records and internal accounting controls provisions of the FCPA. In this...

An internal investigation is like reading a good novel.  You begin the journey with a general expectation of what the novel or the “investigation” is about.  As you learn more, the investigation gains momentum filled with moments of discovery, surprise and ultimately a basis for understanding.  In some cases, the end of the story (e.g. an oil well explosion) or dramatic event is known.  In...

The Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Asset Control (“OFAC”) continues to bring sanctions enforcement actions.  At the same time, OFAC is reiterating the importance of sanctions compliance program.  Building on its May 2019 Framework for Sanctions Compliance Program, OFAC is sticking to its word — setting forth sanctions compliance program requirements and holding companies accountable for sanctions program violations. In this Episode, Michael Volkov...

Chief compliance officers recognize the importance of conducting robust audits of their compliance programs. The audit process requires a delicate balance between qualitative and quantitative measures. As corporate compliance programs build data analytics and technological capabilities, CCOs have to tailor the audit program to incorporate data as an effective measure of a compliance program. In this Episode, Michael Volkov reviews strategies for conducting compliance program...

The culture bandwagon is picking up steam.  Everyone is citing its organization’s “culture” as the foundation for its activities in the hope of meeting a rapidly evolving standard for organizations.  In its latest corporate compliance guidance, the Justice Department, along with numerous regulatory agencies continue to cite the importance of a company’s  “culture of compliance.” But when it comes to defining the terms, how to...

LRN recently issued its second of three annual reports on ethics and compliance program effectiveness.  The second report focuses on board engagement with ethics and compliance and lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic.   David Greenberg, a Special Advisor to LRN, joins us to discuss the interesting results of the LRN report. The LRN report can be downloaded HERE.

In two separate enforcement actions, OFAC announced settlements with Alfa Laval Middle East Ltd., a Dubai, UAE company (AL Middle East), and Alfa Laval, Inc., a Virginia-based company (AL US) for violations of OFAC’s Iran Sanctions Program. AL US enlisted its then subsidiary (now operating unit), Alfa Laval Tank, Inc, based in Exton, Pennsylvania (AL Tank), to participate in the scheme.  The Alfa Laval enforcement...

The False Claims Act is a powerful enforcement tool.  The Justice Department with its partner agencies are ramping up enforcement efforts.  The Biden DOJ is preparing to implement an aggressive FCA program across healthcare, defense industries and other government contractors.     The False Claims Act stands as a major risk – businesses that depend on government business, including healthcare, defense and other contractors, have to address...

The Justice Department and the Securities Exchange Commission are back in business.  The first corporate FCPA enforcement action in 2021 came after a six-month hiatus in 2021. The first case against a corporate entity in 2021 is an interesting one because it reflects a coordinated settlement not only between DOJ and the SEC but the U.K.’s Serious Fraud Office and Brazil’s Ministério Público Federal (MPF),...

Under Armour settled its long-pending SEC investigation by agreeing to pay $9 million surrounding misleading statements and practices relating to its revenue growth and uncertainties as to future growth. As part of the settlement, the SEC declined to bring charges against its CEO, Kevin Plank, and its CFO, David Bergman. The Justice Department inquiry appears to have lost steam since the middle of last year, and...