Lauren Connell, Managing Associate at The Volkov Law Group, joins us again for a posting about self-reporting FCPA violations.  Lauren’s profile is here, and she can be reached at [email protected]. One of the critical questions when evaluating a potential FCPA violation is to decide whether to disclose the matter to the Justice Department and the SEC. The SEC recently announced a requirement for companies to voluntarily disclose...

For years, companies and compliance professionals have largely dismissed UK Bribery Act enforcement risks. Ever since the effective date for the UK Bribery Act, defense lawyers have been waiting for the SFO to begin serious enforcement actons. Last week may be the beginning of a new era in UL Bribery Act enforcement. First, a UK court approved the SFO’s first deferred prosecution agreement. Standard Bank,...

Free Webinar: DOJ Shifts Prosecution Strategy December 15, 2015, 12 Noon EST Sign Up Here I am pleased to announce that Tom Fox, Principal, Advanced Compliance Solutions, and I are conducting a joint webinar on Tuesday, December 15, 2015 at 12 pm EST, on the Justice Department’s shifting FCPA prosecution strategy and compliance program requirements. The Justice Department’s FCPA enforcement program is expected to undergo...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

NAVEX Global, Regulatory Data Corporation, and The Volkov Law Group invite you to attend a half-day meeting to discuss Third Party Risk Management: New and Innovative Strategies, on November 5, 2015, 12:30 pm to 6 pm in Silicon Valley. Please Sign Up HERE.  We look forward to seeing you at the meeting. The half-day forum will bring together senior ethics and compliance professionals for a...

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...