Reinstatement of DOJ Yates Memo

Davis Wright Tremaine LLP
Contact

Davis Wright Tremaine LLP

Criminal enforcement of environmental laws is a rarity, despite relatively light evidentiary intent standards. Blatant and unquestionably deliberate violations—the "secret pipe" type—are usually the only ones we see publicized, and it is usually the low-end perpetrator who is prosecuted while the company may pay a substantial fine.

The fear of jail time, and the taint of "Lom Poc" on a resume is a much more substantial deterrent for higher-ups, but it is often viewed as so unlikely that it is not a factor taken into account. I say this, having been on both sides of these inquiries.

In 2015, the U.S. Department of Justice took a harder line on individual criminal prosecutions and on its willingness to go easy on corporations in exchange for cooperation. That was documented in the "Yates Memo" issued on September 29, 2015 (which we analyzed at the time). Under the following administration, the Yates Memo was rescinded—but it has now been revived (as DWT touched on here).

As we noted at the time of the original memo, how it will be implemented remains to be seen, but it presents the possibility of much stronger enforcement, requiring companies to make some difficult decisions as they deal with internal environmental compliance issues. Enforcement policy has always favored early self-disclosure, but a requirement that the company identify all individuals involved in the misconduct can put a lot of folks at risk.

[View source.]

DISCLAIMER: Because of the generality of this update, the information provided herein may not be applicable in all situations and should not be acted upon without specific legal advice based on particular situations. Attorney Advertising.

© Davis Wright Tremaine LLP

Written by:

Davis Wright Tremaine LLP
Contact
more
less

PUBLISH YOUR CONTENT ON JD SUPRA NOW

  • Increased visibility
  • Actionable analytics
  • Ongoing guidance

Davis Wright Tremaine LLP on:

Reporters on Deadline

"My best business intelligence, in one easy email…"

Your first step to building a free, personalized, morning email brief covering pertinent authors and topics on JD Supra:
*By using the service, you signify your acceptance of JD Supra's Privacy Policy.
Custom Email Digest
- hide
- hide