Tagged: SEC FCPA

Episode 259 — Deep Dive into the Honeywell FCPA Case

Honeywell UOP (“Honeywell”) is a U.S.-based subsidiary of Honeywell International, Inc.  The settlement resolved bribery charges in the United States and Brazil stemming from bribes paid to high-ranking officials at Petrobras, Brazil’s state-owned oil company. Honeywell agreed to a three-year deferred purchase agreement (“DPA”), which was filed in the Southern District of Texas (Houston).  Honeywell agreed to pay approximately $79 million in exchange for the...

SEC Joins DOJ in Probe of Ericsson ISIS Bribery Payments

Ericsson is having a tough time.  First, in 2019, Ericsson settled FCPA charges with the Justice Department and the SEC for a total of $1 billion (with a B).  Second, Ericsson had an independent compliance monitor appointed for a three-year term under its deferred prosecution agreement.  And then — last year, Ericsson was notified by DOJ that it failed to conduct a proper internal investigation...

Lessons Learned from the KT Corp. SEC FCPA Settlement (Part III of III)

Even though the size of the KT Corp. SEC enforcement action is relatively small, the underlying misconduct provides a number of important lessons learned. Let’s look at some of the most significant lessons learned: C-Suite Misconduct: KT’s slush fund was executed by a High-Level executive at KT Corp. and was funded through inflated bonus payments made to executives.  Each executive returned the over-payment to the...

KT Corp. Settles SEC FCPA Case for $6.3 Million (Part I of III)

The SEC announced its first FCPA enforcement action in 2022. South Korean telecommunications company, KT Corporation, agreed to pay $6.3 million to settle FCPA violations.  As part of the settlement, KT Corp. agreed to pay $3.5 million in civil penalties and $2.8 million in disgorgement. KT Corp. is South Korea’s largest telecommunications company.  KT Corp. American Depositary Shares are traded on the New York Stock...

FCPA Enforcement Actions: “O DOJ, SEC, Wherefore Art Thou, DOJ & SEC?”

FCPA practitioners, In-house counsel and compliance officers, and yes, even the FCPA Paparazzi, have been patient enough. As the saying goes, talk is cheap.  It is action that counts. We have written often enough about the coming storm – the Biden Administration’s long-anticipated ramp up of white collar enforcement, and FCPA actions in particular.  The groundwork was set – the National Security Memorandum raising the...

DOJ Hits Beam Suntory with FCPA Settlement for $19.5 Million (Part I of II)

Beam Suntory, a global producer and distributor of distilled beverages, settled its FCPA case with DOJ for $19.5 million for bribes paid in India.  The DOJ settlement follows an SEC FCPA settlement for $8 million announced on July 2, 2018.  The timing of the FCPA settlements is unusual and suggests that DOJ’s resolution involved unique issues relating to Beam Suntory’s cooperation.  The SEC resolution was...

DOJ FCPA Settlement: J&F Investimentos’ Bribery Schemes (Part II of V)

J&F’s Investimentos bribery scheme was pervasive and was coordinated with a senior Brazilian Finance minister and orchestrated through the use of United States banking.  The Brazilian official appears to be Guido Mantega, who went on to serve as Brazil’s finance minister. Given J&F’s large penalty in Brazil, DOJ’s resolution was reasonable in light of the consistent use of the US banking system to execute the...

J&F Investimentos Pleads Guilty to FCPA Bribery Conspiracy and Settles SEC Case for Total of $283 Million (Part I of V)

J&F Investmentos SA (“J&F), a Brazilian private investment company, plead guilty to FCPA bribery violations in federal court in Brooklyn, New York.  As part of the plea agreement, J&F agreed to pay a fine of $256 million and to cooperate with ongoing investigations of other companies and individuals involved in the bribery schemes. J& F owns numerous companies around the globe, including in the meat...

Webinar: 2020 FCPA Enforcement and Compliance Review

Webinar: 2020 FCPA Enforcement and Compliance Review October 13, 2020, 12 Noon EST Sign Up HERE Despite the pandemic and disruptions to the global economy, the Justice Department and the Securities and Exchange Commission have resumed their aggressive enforcement of the FCPA. DOJ has continued its pace of corporate prosecutions while continuing to increase individual criminal prosecutions. DOJ and the SEC also issued a revised...