I am pleased to announce the release by Corporate Compliance Insights of my new e-book: A Return to Common Sense: The Justice Department’s Latest Attempts to Deter Corporate Crime.  You can download the book here. With the release of the Yates Memorandum, and the readjustment of FCPA prosecution priorities and strategies, the Department of Justice is in the throes of a significant policy change in...

There are many important predictors of corporate culture. Everyone laments the difficult in measuring a company’s culture. There are a few issues, however, that may be inconvertible as a predictor of a corporate culture. How does a company react to a whistleblower? I am sure everyone is saying to themselves – well, we do not have that problem,  we are committed to fair treatment of...

We have all been reading (over and over) about the Yates Memorandum and the renewed focus on individual culpability. As I have said (over and over), the proof will be in the results – if we see an increased number of criminal cases against individuals. Whether this new aggressive approach will extend to senior executives and even corporate board members will be a matter of...

Sometimes risk analysis can result in paralysis. Finding your risk tolerance and applying it to specific situations requires a nuanced approach. I am always wary of anyone who tells me categorical rules – e.g. we do not do business in Russia because it is too risky. In this era of oversimplification, such statements border on intellectual dishonesty. A careful approach to risk analysis always involves...

All generalizations are false, including this one — Mark Twain Proving intent is a difficult task. White collar crimes turn on the issue of intent – what was in the offender’s mind. With most things in life, people have mixed motivations. On occasion, however, it is very clear to understand an actor’s intent. Prosecutors cull through evidence looking for indications, signs of motivation, and ultimately...

Volkov Law TV offers a subscription-based  webinar service that allows you to watch over 50 recorded webinars on a variety of compliance and enforcement topics, including FCPA, Antitrust, False Claims Act, Sanctions, Risk Assessments, Internal investigations, Interviewing Techniques and a host of other important subjects. As an example, I recently conducted a webinar, Compliance Pointers from Recent FCPA Enforcement Actions. If you want to watch...

I attended the SCCE’s recent Utilities and Energy Compliance conference in Houston. It is always a great meeting with terrific speakers and content. I was fortunate to attend a session, Taking the Pulse of Corporate Culture, presented by Amy Lilly from CenterPoint Energy and Steve Helm from NAVEX Global. A copy of the slides is here. Their presentation focused on how to build tools to...

Forgive me for taking a step back to address an important challenge in creating a culture of compliance. I know this may sound obvious but in today’s “toxic” political environment it is important to point out some factors that may be beyond the influence of a corporate culture, its leadership and its compliance team. I have consistently ignored commenting on political issues and will continue...

FCPA enforcement actions run the gamut of fact patterns and structured resolutions. We are in the midst of a transformation in the overall settlement environment with an expected increase in individual prosecutions. On the one side, we have a tough and comprehensive DOJ and SEC settlement against VimpelCom. The conduct within VimpelCom was pervasive and occurred at every level of the company, including the board....

March 29, 2016, 12 Noon EST Sign Up HERE Chief compliance officers face a number of important challenges when designing and implementing an effective ethics and compliance program. In order to succeed, CCOs have to overcome these challenges, focus on real and attainable objectives, and enlist the support of key stakeholders. Join Michael Volkov, CEO of The Volkov Law Group, as he discusses the top...