The Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission reached a $41 million settlement with GOL Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes S.A. (“GOL”) to resolve criminal and civil foreign bribery charges. GOL entered into a three-year deferred prosecution agreement (“DPA”) with DOJ in exchange for payment of a $17 million criminal penalty. DOJ credited $1.7 million of that penalty against a $3.4 million fine that GOL agreed...
In following the Justice Department and the Securities Exchange Commission FCPA enforcement actions, I am always reminded of the popular phrase — “reading the tea leaves.” (or “tasseography,” a fortune-telling method based on tea leave patterns in tea sediments). Despite a slow initial year in 2021, the Biden Administration’s stamp and push on FCPA enforcement is becoming clear. Keep in mind, DOJ and SEC officials...
In the FCPA and white collar defense community, we have seen buckets and buckets of ink spilled on the coming wave of aggressive enforcement. Justice Department officials have made so many statements about the “new” approach to prosecuting white collar crime. The government moves slowly and implementing far-reaching changes takes time. Anyone who has worked at DOJ knows that change is never immediate but takes...
This was a strange year. Not just because of the continuing pandemic and economic disruption. The Biden Administration took over after an unusual and delayed transition. The apparatus of government was slow to transition. Compounding this disruption, the government had to maintain a singular focus on the pandemic. As a result, the wheels of government moved in strange ways, often with delays. The Biden Administration’s...
Well, it is that time again. I get to put on my Carnac the Magnificent Hat and offer my FCPA predictions for 2021. I should get a pass on my 2020 FCPA Predictions posting because no one could have anticipated the COVID-19 pandemic. Although even with the asterisk, I correctly predicted the Goldman Sachs enforcement action (which was not so hard given Goldman Sachs disclosure...
The Justice Department and the Securities and Exchange Commission had another strong year in FCPA enforcement. The numbers for 2018 tell a compelling story. Corporations Individuals Declinations Fines/Penalties DOJ 5 26 4 $950 million SEC 14 4 NA $380 million Total 19 30 4 $1.33 billion In this episode, Michael Volkov reviews FCPA enforcement for 2018 and outlines interesting trends and developments.
Join Tom Fox, Katie Smith and me on December 18, 2018 at 11am Mountain Time during a dynamic webinar reviewing the top FCPA enforcement actions of the year. Sign Up HERE More importantly, what does it all mean for the compliance professional going forward? How can companies mitigate third-party risks to avoid enforcement actions like the $585 million criminal penalty given to Société Générale or the $137.4 penalty levied...
Sometimes it takes a large enforcement action to underscore basic and important anti-corruption compliance principles. The Société Générale enforcement action demonstrated two important principles – the dangers of a weak corporate culture and the need to apply basic third-party risk management practices to respond to and resolve red flags when they occur. Absence of Culture of Ethics: Société Générale’s culture, as described in the Statement...
We all value transparency as a general concept, especially when it comes to the government. In a real macro perspective, we fund the government and we demand that our government operate efficiently, effectively and ethically. Transparency is a fundamental requirement for all citizens to monitor and regulate our government. When it comes to our criminal justice system, or the enforcement of our laws, we expect...
No matter what, I am an optimist. A pessimist’s worldview and lifestyle is really unattractive. I would always rather see the glass as half full. Too many in the professional world have confused negative perspectives and predictions as a way to demonstrate their own expertise. It is an unfortunate practice in today’s professional world that negativity has replaced unbiased expertise. Pessimists always argue that if...
