We all have “fond” memories of lying as a child.  Our backs were against the wall, and we were forced to admit we had done something wrong.  Our parents almost expected us to lie about our bad behavior.  In the end, we did not have to pay a very big price. Fast forward to our teenage years, and we lied again – this time with...

Wednesday, May 14, 2014 1 PM EST/10 AM PST Register Here Today, companies face unprecedented risk in retaining third-party agents and distributors.  To mitigate these risks and seek business growth opportunities, companies have to implement a due diligence program tailored to identified risk, using available resources.  Companies recognize that a technology-enabled due diligence program can increase effectiveness and drive down costs. This webinar offers a...

Corporate boards need more women.  That is a simple statement, backed by research and evidence that corporate boards with more women are more profitable.  I have written about that in the past. A recent study found another benefit from increasing the number of women on a corporate board – women reduce the occurrence of fraud.  In fact, the new study found that the optimal percentage...

The HP FCPA settlement was not your run-of-the-mill enforcement action.  The blogosphere has been filled with different analyses and interpretations.  Client alerts have been taking shots at coming up with original ideas and takeaways. HP is an unusual settlement for the following reasons: 1.  The Three-Part settlement is highly unusual and reflects the Justice Department’s assessment of HP’s conduct. 2.  No matter how HP (and...

I am married to a lovely Sicilian-born woman.  One thing her family has taught me – the value of family loyalty and love. That same principle does not apply when it comes to the relationship between the Apple Monitor and Apple.  In a rare public filing, the external monitor for Apple recently filed his first report with the court overseeing Apple’s antitrust compliance program as...

Webinar: April 29, 2014, 12 Noon EST Managing Your Anti-Corruption Compliance Policies and Procedures  Sign Up Here In response to the aggressive enforcement environment, companies have adopted robust anti-corruption policies and procedures. As always, the effectiveness of a company’s policies depends on implementation, management and monitoring of its policies. Companies need to fine-tune, monitor and adapt their policies and procedures to their risk assessment, audit...

It is odd how a foreign crisis can have a dramatic impact on the world of ethics and compliance.  Foreign policy headaches turn into compliance nightmares when the United States becomes embroiled in foreign events. For years, under the Obama Administration, sanctions have become the weapon of choice in foreign crises.  Congress and the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Asset Control (“OFAC”) are players in...

Anti-corruption compliance is not as hard as it looks.  In fact, by taking a step back, compliance professionals can gain insights. At the direction of compliance professionals, companies like to develop and adopt compliance policies and procedures.  Compliance policies and procedures give the board, senior managers and the CCO a feeling of comfort.  They are gaining a measure of control over something they have identified...

AML enforcement often includes sanctions violations.  The Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC) is responsible for regulating and enforcing the sanctions regime. OFAC has played a critical role in ramping up AML enforcement against major financial institutions.  Major enforcement actions have been built on OFAC violations. HSBC Holdings paid OFAC $375 million as part of its record AML settlement with US prosecutors; ING Bank forfeited...

Companies with ineffective internal controls face risks of embezzlement and self-dealing by employees, bribery, export control violations and other possible legal violations.  The payment of foreign bribes often occurs in companies that have weak internal controls. A company’s internal controls have to provide reasonable assurances regarding the reliability of the company’s financial reporting and its financial statements.  The FCPA’s books and records requirement extends to...