Tagged: Department of Justice

Tom Fox and Michael Volkov Webinar — December 1, 2015, 2 PM EST: DOJ Shifts Prosecution Strategy for FCPA Enforcement and Corporate Compliance Programs

I am pleased to announce that Tom Fox, Principal, Advanced Compliance Solutions, and I are conducting a joint webinar on Tuesday, December 1, 2015 at 2 pm EST, on the Justice Department’s shifting FCPA prosecution strategy and compliance program requirements. Please sign up HERE. The Justice Department’s FCPA enforcement program is expected to undergo a significant change in policy focus. Building on the recent adoption...

Should the Definition of “Foreign Official” Matter?

Lauren Connell, Managing Associate at The Volkov Law Group, rejoins us with this posting.  Lauren can be reached at [email protected].  Her profile is here. FCPA practitioners are familiar with the term “public international organization” as included in the definition of “foreign official” for FCPA liability purposes but do we really know what the term means? Recent activity in an enforcement action for allegedly bribing a...

FCPA Enforcement — Corporate Crime and Punishment

The Justice Department’s reexamination of corporate incentives to disclose violations appears to be in reaction to the steady escalation of cooperation requirements. In response to these extra burdens, DOJ could be concerned that FCPA voluntary disclosures will dwindle.  For years, voluntary disclosures have fueled DOJ’s FCPA enforcement program. In the context of a voluntary disclosure program, I have consistently written that DOJ has failed to...

Resetting FCPA Prosecution Policies

Recent press reports suggest that the Justice Department is reconsidering its FCPA criminal prosecution policies, particularly with respect to corporate defendants.  As reported, DOJ is considering defining and increasing corporate benefits from voluntary disclosures and cooperation.  This re-evaluation appears to have been triggered by changes in the Criminal Division leadership. DOJ’s recent Yates memorandum imposed new and significant obligations on companies seeking credit for cooperation...

New “Guidance” from DOJ on Compliance

I am a positive person (anyone who has to say that raises doubts). At least I like to think I am. I am not yet sold on the wisdom of DOJ’s hiring of a compliance counsel. Frankly, I have a lot more respect for the knowledge and experience of line prosecutors at DOJ and their supervisors on this issue – they know and understand compliance...

Justice Department Charges Pharma President with Kickback Conspiracy

In the public relations battle following the issuance of the Yates Memo, the Justice Department can now cite one example for the new policy – the recent arrest and charging of Carl Reichel, former President of Warner Chilcott. The Justice Department’s new policy got off to a rocky start: in the same week that the Yates memorandum was adopted, the government announced the GM settlement...

Due Diligence and Risk Priorities (Part III of IV)

Believe it or not, life principles can be used in compliance, especially in due diligence. I always tell my kids that life has a way of setting priorities. As you get older, life becomes simpler and your priorities become clearer. Now watch this transition – the same goes for due diligence, not the age part but the priorities part. Once you assemble information and data...

Focusing on Due Diligence (Part II of IV)

He that can have patience can have what he will. – Benjamin Franklin Putting together an effective due diligence system requires patience. I freely admit that I am not a patient person, especially when it comes to ensuring ethics and compliance. By definition, however, effective compliance strategies require patience due to the scope and scale of the changes being implemented across a company. Due diligence is...

Dissecting a Bribery Violation: Two Important Questions to Answer

In the wreckage of a corporate FCPA enforcement action, a company has to answer two important questions. First, how did the conduct occur without senior executives and the Board learning or suspecting that such conduct was occurring or could occur? Second, how did the wrongdoers obtain access to the money needed to fund the bribery scheme? I know these two questions are fairly obvious, but...

Yates and Outsourcing Government Investigations

The Justice Department’s recent Yates memorandum on individual accountability is a significant event. Sure, you can always find members of the FCPA Paparazzi who will discount the memo, or relegate it to a mere “political” statement. That view is unfortunate and ignores the real implications of the Yates memo. Such a viewpoint also shows how little members of the FCPA Paparazzi understand the true inner...