In-House counsel and corporate compliance officers dodge bullets everyday as they stare down the barrels of aggressive prosecutors, regulators, civil litigants, whistleblowers, disgruntled employees and shareholders prodded by trial attorneys to file derivative suits at the drop of a hat. In the face of all of these risks, internal investigations have become commonplace and a standard defensive tactic for a company to regain some leverage,...

As part of my continuing series on building an anti-corruption compliance program from scratch, we need to work on the next step in our continuing series.  In yesterday’s post I described the risk assessment process.  So, your Bible is now complete.  Your risk assessment outlines potential risks and covers the following: geographic areas of operation and levels of corruption in these countries; industry corruption levels and enforcement...

FCPA websites and blogs are filled with company advertisements offering due diligence services, guaranteeing facts and results. But this is only one piece in the due diligence puzzle and process. Designing a review protocol, ensuring that information is gathered and reviewed, and most importantly, requiring a brief memo reflecting the review and decision-making process, along with a statement of reasons for approving a third party,...

What if – and this is a big what if – your company is starting from scratch on its anti-corruption compliance program? Your company’s Code of Conduct includes a paragraph prohibiting foreign bribery and mandating accurate books and records, and says little more. Some companies are able to relate to these questions. At the outset, your company has to recognize a couple of reality checks...

Global companies face increasing corruption risks — more countries are passing anti-corruption laws and enforcement is on the rise.  With the need for more sophisticated and rigorous anti-corruption compliance programs, corporate leaders face a very difficult question — how much will it cost to comply and how much will it cost if we do not comply? Well, of course, one significant and unknown variable in this calculus is...

In response to the aggressive enforcement environment, companies have been revising policies for travel, gifts, entertainment, and hospitality. As they do so, it is important for each company to consider these questions – What is the precise risk which is being addressed? How will the policy minimize the risk of bribery? How will internal accounting controls incorporate these policies? Companies know that the risks of...

Corporate Board members face even more risks in today’s aggressive FCPA enforcement environment. They have adjusted to the new post-Sarbanes-Oxley environment. Today, they face the perils of FCPA enforcement. As the Justice Department and the SEC bear down on more and more companies, Board members have to be even more sensitive and careful when it comes to FCPA enforcement. If you read between the lines...

One area where compliance officers and practitioners need to focus is on the requisite intent for a criminal violation. For compliance officers facing difficult policy choices on FCPA compliance policies, the touchstone of such policies should be the employee’s intent — was it criminal, negligent or benign?  It is one thing to have a policy which requires prior approval for any gift to a foreign...

The Department of Justice is proud of its record on FCPA enforcement. They take credit whenever and wherever they can. They trumpet every settlement. They proudly proclaim that over half of last year’s criminal fines were collected for FCPA violations. They are entitled to claim success. It is hard to argue against prosecutions of private companies and individuals who engage in foreign bribery. Such conduct...

As the economy improves and merger activity increases, it is important to remember the risks of FCPA liability when acquiring a company or entering into a joint venture.  Simply put, you don’t want to acquire an FCPA violation.  Companies will sometimes rush to close a deal without conducting any due diligence — that is a recipe for disaster.  On the other hand, companies alert to...