Tagged: DOJ

Do We Really Need an ISO Standard for Internal Investigations?

Do We Really Need an ISO Standard for Internal Investigations?

Call me a skeptic.  Call me cynical. I understand that the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) provides valuable standardization services and guidance.  The ISO is comprised of 169 member countries. The ISO recently issued a new standard governing internal investigations.  From my vantage point, I was a critic of ISO 37001, anti-corruption compliance,  because of its over-generalization and failure to provide more specific guidance on...

DOJ’s National Security Division Places Corporate Crime in the Crosshairs

DOJ’s National Security Division Places Corporate Crime in the Crosshairs

Sam Finkelstein, an associate at The Volkov Law Group, rejoins us for a posting on DOJ’s initiative to increase corporate prosecution of sanctions, export controls and national security issues. Sam can be reached at [email protected]. The marriage of corporate enforcement and national security has been a defining feature of the DOJ under the Biden Administration. The Justice Department’s commitment to prosecuting corporate crimes that implicate...

Episode 289: Justice, Commerce and Treasury Issue Joint Notice on Voluntary Disclosure

Episode 289: Justice, Commerce and Treasury Issue Joint Notice on Voluntary Disclosure

In another significant step notifying global businesses of the new realities – companies are about to face aggressive coordinated prosecutions for sanctions and export control violations.  The last piece in launching this new effort was the announcement of a joint voluntary disclosure program to ensure alignment among the agencies for civil and criminal enforcement of such violations. The Joint Compliance Note (“JCN”) urges companies to...

The Corficocolombiana FCPA Settlement: the Bribery Scheme (Part II of II)

The Corficocolombiana FCPA Settlement: the Bribery Scheme (Part II of II)

You can always learn a lot from reviewing the underlying conduct to an FCPA enforcement action.  Chief compliance officers can identify specific risk factors, mitigation steps and root causes for bribery schemes. The Corficocolombiana (“Corfico”) FCPA settlement underscores the significant risks when companies participate in large projects in foreign countries.  Between 2012 and 2015, Corfico paid more than $23 million in bribes to high-ranking Colombian...

Corficocolombiana and Grupo Aval Pay $80 Million to Settle DOJ and SEC FCPA Violations in Colombia (Part I of II)

Corficocolombiana and Grupo Aval Pay $80 Million to Settle DOJ and SEC FCPA Violations in Colombia (Part I of II)

The Department of Justice has been relatively quiet this year in bringing corporate FCPA enforcement actions and settlements.  Aside from the Ericsson breach of its Deferred Prosecution Agreement, the Corficocolombiana (“Corfico”) and Grupo Aval settlement is the first in 2023 involving a corporate FCPA resolution.  For the SEC, the Corfico and Grupo Aval settlement is the sixth corporate resolution in 2023. Corfico is a subsidiary...

Justice, Commerce and Treasury Departments Issue Comprehensive Tri-Party Voluntary Disclosure Guidelines for Sanctions and Export Control Violations

In another significant step notifying global businesses of the new realities – companies are about to face aggressive coordinated criminal and civil prosecutions for sanctions and export control violations.  The last piece in launching this new effort was the announcement of a joint voluntary disclosure program to ensure alignment among the agencies for civil and criminal enforcement of such violations. The Joint Compliance Note (“JCN”)...

Episode 280 — Healthcare Compliance and Fraud

Episode 280 — Healthcare Compliance and Fraud

Looking back in time, the compliance field owes a lot to the healthcare industry.  In the 1990s, there was a dramatic explosion in the industry in response to aggressive federal enforcement programs and increasing regulation.  All of a sudden, compliance officers who sat in the backrooms of legal departments were “volunteered” to address proactive compliance.  Federal regulators pushed the compliance function to assume a much...

DOJ Arrests 78 Defendants in Nationwide Crackdown on Healthcare Fraud

Healthcare fraud continues to plague the industry – each year Medicare and Medicaid suffer over $100 billion in losses from fraudsters. Prosecuting fraud cases in the healthcare industry is like shooting fish in a barrel – there are an infinite number of targets. To publicize its efforts, each year, DOJ executes multiple nationwide takedowns, rounding up healthcare fraudsters across the nation.  In its most recent...

Episode 278 — “The New FCPA”: Sanctions and Export Control Enforcement and Compliance

Episode 278 — “The New FCPA”: Sanctions and Export Control Enforcement and Compliance

Last year, the Department of Justice warned global companies of a new, aggressive strategy for enforcement of trade sanctions and export controls. Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco stated that sanctions and export enforcement constituted “The New FCPA.” DOJ, the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Asset Control (“OFAC”) and the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (“BIS”) have joined forces to aggressively enforce sanctions...

Justice Department Announces First Criminal Cases from Multi-Agency Disruptive Technology Strike Force

Justice Department Announces First Criminal Cases from Multi-Agency Disruptive Technology Strike Force

The Justice Department has made it clear that it intends to prioritize criminal prosecution of national security cases to prevent hostile nation-states from illegally acquiring sensitive U.S technology.  To this end, DOJ created the Disruptive Technology Strike Force (“DTSF”), which is led by both DOJ and the Department of Commerce to disrupt illegal procurement networks. The DTSF reflects DOJ’s hyper-focus on national security crimes, including...