Sometimes compliance issues are easy – or as I like to say, sometimes I have a profound grasp of the obvious. This posting is another in the continuing series of obvious points. Corporate governance and compliance have become cottage industries. In many cases, the issues are not so difficult to address. In fact, in some cases, common sense is all that is needed. Yogi Berra...
Just to make every compliance officer’s job a little bit more difficult, companies need to adopt and implement an insider trading compliance policy. The Justice Department and the SEC have made headlines through its high-profile insider trading criminal prosecutions. Underneath the radar screen, the Justice Department has been pursuing a large criminal investigation focusing on “expert networks,” in which consultants have been used, along with...
Please join me and Tom Fox for a complimentary breakfast seminar on September 25, 2012 in San Diego, California. The seminar is being sponsored by Kreller Group. Everyone who attends will receive a free copy of my book, Corruption Crime & Compliance, and Tom’s book, FCPA Compliance and Ethics. Anti-Corruption Due Diligence Workshop: Practical Steps to Protect Your Company from Third Party and Joint Venture...
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Here is another guest post from Patrick Kellermann from Leclair Ryan. His bio is here. We looked earlier this week at Google’s proposed $22.5 million data privacy settlement. See post here. As Hurricane Isaac pummeled our shores, and the Republicans held their convention in Tampa, yet another headline on data privacy appeared — when it rains, it pours. District Court Judge Susan Illston granted Consumer Watchdog’s...
Colombia is a beautiful country and the people are amazing. It is the land of economic opportunity. The Free Trade Agreement, which was finally ratified by Congress, last year, became effective on May 15, 2012. The United States has quadrupled exports to Colombia in the last four years, totaling $14 billion each year. That number is expected to sky-rocket because of the Free Trade Agreement...
When it comes to headlines, companies either love or hate the publicity. There is no middle ground. Companies face a number of risks which can easily turn into a “crisis.” When they occur, a company needs to turn its attention to the crisis. A comprehensive crisis management plan is a must have in order to navigate the risks and potential harm to the company. A...
The Justice Department’s criminal antitrust enforcement program has had some major successes. In many respects, the Justice Department’s criminal antitrust program provides an example of what the FCPA criminal program may look like in the future. Antitrust and anti-corruption investigations are closely linked and regularly cross-pollinate each other. In many cases, compliance breakdowns may lead to foreign bribery and cartel behaviors. Cooperating witnesses in an...
Patrick Kellerman from LeClairRyan (Patrick’s profile is here) responds to an article in Forbes asking if the recent $22.5 million FTC – Google settlement does more harm than good. A copy of the Forbes article is here. First, some background information: The FTC alleged Google violated the Consent Order reached in the Google Buzz settlement by misrepresenting its tracking cookie practices pertaining to users of the...
The LIBOR “scandal” could have far-reaching implications for financial institutions in the United States and global markets. It is hard to know exactly how the issue will play out. The Department of Justice is definitely gearing up to lead or play a significant role in a wide-ranging criminal and civil investigation. The investigation focuses on traditional antitrust and fraud violations. The implications for follow-on civil...
