Featured Articles:

Quarterly Trade Compliance Update – October 2023

Each quarter, we send many of our clients a quarterly trade compliance update, highlighting important developments over the last few months and summarizing key points for important sanctions programs. Click here to download the quarterly update for October. Below is a summary of events this past quarter: About the document: This handy one-pager is designed to be used by our clients to provide a quick...

Profiles in Effective CEO Leadership

One of the many great experiences I have been fortunate to have in my career is to meet some impressive leaders – at the Department of Justice, on Capitol Hill, and in corporations.  To focus on the latter, I have met some amazing CEOs, Chief Compliance Officers, and other senior executives.  To be candid, I have also met some not-so-great CEOs and senior executives.  To...

La Oficina de Control de Activos Extranjeros (OFAC) otorgó alivios a las sanciones comerciales en Venezuela y autorizó ciertas transacciones en la industria de petroleo y gas.

Matt Stankiewicz, socio en The Volkov Law Group PC, se une nuevamente en nuestro blog con una tema de suma importancia, alivios del gobierno de Estados Unidos respecto del programa de sanciones comerciales de Venezuela por parte de la OFAC. Para mayor información: [email protected] El 18 de octubre de 2023, la Oficina de Control de Activos Extranjeros (“OFAC”) del Departamento del Tesoro de los Estados...

Episode 296 — Deep Dive into Clear Channel’s SEC FCPA Settlement

The Securities and Exchange Commission continues to rack up FCPA enforcement actions.  In its latest settlement, Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings agreed to pay $26.1 million for bribery violations committed by its former Chinese subsidiary.  According to Clear Channel, the Department of Justice closed its FCPA investigation.  Clear Channel, a San Antonio-based advertising company, paid bribes to Chinese government officials with cash, gift cards, first-class travel,...

Simplicity – the Key to Compliance Persuasion

Truth is ever to be found in simplicity, and not in the multiplicity and confusion of things. – Isaac Newton We all know the adage – Keep it Simple Stupid (“KISS”).   The principle applies to all organizations and underscores an important communications requirement.  The governance landscape has become more complex over the last decade with competing priorities and demands on leadership and organizations. Many...

BioTek and Chaitanya Gadde, its CEO, Agreed to Pay $20 Million, and Dr. David Tabby, Agreed to Pay $480K to Resolve Anti-Kickback Violations

The reach of the Anti-Kickback Statute and the False Claims Act is broad.  As a result, AKS liability is a real and significant risk for healthcare companies and providers. Healthcare companies and providers have to resolve such claims because of the potential consequence of exclusion from “federal health care programs,” which is essentially a death sentence for any covered company that received federal reimbursement. In...

The Evolution of the Compliance Profession

One of the benefits of old(er) age is perspective and experience.  (As we age, we have to find the positive reasons to tout).  If there is one thing (of many) the compliance profession has demonstrated, it is that compliance professionals are nimble. It comes with the territory.  Building and maintaining a compliance program, requires compliance professionals to adjust their focus and prioritize resources and time...

Webinar: Electronic Communications Risks in the Era of Ephemeral Messaging

Webinar: Electronics Communications Risks in the Era of Ephemeral Messaging November 14, 2023, 12 Noon EST SIGN UP HERE Companies have a vested interest in preserving internal communications for a variety of reasons — to hold actors accountable, and to protect the organization from potential private and government claims or investigations that may have serious direct or collateral consequences. Companies that want to use ephemeral...

Cigna Group Falls Under the False Claims Axe and Pays Over $172 Million for Abuse of Medicare Advantage Program

As if corporate healthcare businesses needed an enforcement reminder, DOJ recently announced a settlement with Cigna Group for $172 million to resolve claims that Cigna exaggerated patient illnesses to extract more money from the Medicare Advantage Program. Under the Medicare Advantage (MA) Program, also known as Medicare Part C, Medicare beneficiaries have the option of obtaining their Medicare-covered benefits through private insurance plans called MA...

OFAC Provides Venezuela with Sanctions Relief, Authorizes Certain Transactions in the Oil and Gas Industry

Matt Stankiewicz, Partner at The Volkov Law Group PC, rejoins us for an important blog posting concerning OFAC’s recent relaxation of the Venezuela Sanctions Program. Matt can be reached at [email protected]. On October 18, 2023, the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”) took several steps to provide Venezuela with some limited relief from its sanctions.  The relief includes General Licenses authorizing...