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Compliance Energy Sector Corruption

Compliance programs typically refer to formalized institutional procedures within corporations and organizations to detect, prevent and respond to indvidual and widespread instances of regulatory violations. ... more +
Compliance programs typically refer to formalized institutional procedures within corporations and organizations to detect, prevent and respond to indvidual and widespread instances of regulatory violations.  In response to many corporate scandals evidencing rampant unethical business practices, many nations, including the United States, began passing strict regulatory frameworks aimed at curbing these abuses. Notable pieces of legislation in this area include the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX), and the U.K. Bribery Act, to name a few. The foregoing statutes and the severe penalties often associated with them form the basis of many modern institutional compliance programs. less -
Thomas Fox - Compliance Evangelist

The Gunvor FCPA Enforcement Action: Part 2 – The Bribery Schemes

We continue our exploration of the resolution of the FCPA enforcement action involving the Swiss trading firm Gunvor S.A. The enforcement action came in with a $661 million penalty against the company, which has pleaded...more

Thomas Fox - Compliance Evangelist

The Gunvor FCPA Enforcement Action: Part 1-Introduction

In March 2024, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced the resolution of a FCPA enforcement action involving the Swiss trading firm Gunvor S.A. The enforcement action comes in with a $661 million penalty against the...more

The Volkov Law Group

Ex-Vitol Oil & Gas Trader Convicted of Bribing Foreign Officials

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Following an 8 week trial, a federal jury in Brooklyn has convicted Javier Aguilar on charges relating to the former Vitol trader’s violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. He faces up to 30 years in prison. Aguilar...more

The Volkov Law Group

The Ins and Outs of the Ghana Bribery Scheme (Part II of II)

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Each FCPA case provides valuable lessons in the mechanics of bribery schemes and the common techniques used by violators to secure funds and make illegal payments to foreign government officials.  Criminal violators often act...more

The Volkov Law Group

Goldman Sachs Official Indicted Over Ghana Bribery Scheme (Part I of II)

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Talk about a reminder of the past, Asante Berko, a former Executive Director in Goldman Sachs, recently was arrested in London on criminal FCPA charges arising from his involvement in a bribery scheme in Ghana....more

The Volkov Law Group

Tenaris Pays SEC $78 Million to Resolve FCPA Violations

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The SEC announced another FCPA settlement in 2022.  FCPA enforcement, in general, is picking up.  Tenaris, a global supplier of steel pipes and related services for the energy industry, agreed to pay the SEC $78 million to...more

Thomas Fox - Compliance Evangelist

The Grinch, Tim Leissner and the SEC – The Schemes

The Grinch is certainly a title that could be an allegory with disgraced Goldman Sachs Group Inc.’s former partner Tim Leissner about now. He was the lead Goldman Sachs banker who facilitated the firm’s work on bond offerings...more

Thomas Fox - Compliance Evangelist

Another Guilty Verdict in a FCPA Trial – Mark Lambert

Last Friday, the Department of Justice (DOJ) secured another trial court conviction in a Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) prosecution involving an individual. Following on the heels of the Hoskins guilty verdict, it...more

Thomas Fox - Compliance Evangelist

The Ahsani’s Information – Final Thoughts

This week I have been considering the guilty pleas of the former Unaoil Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Cyrus Ahsani, and former Chief Operations Officer (COO), Saman Ahsani, as was laid out in their Information. Most...more

Thomas Fox - Compliance Evangelist

The Ahsani’s Information – The Fraudulently Obtained Certifications

This week I am mining the guilty pleas of the former Unaoil Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Cyrus Ahsani, and former Chief Operations Officer (COO), Saman Ahsani, for what they might mean for Foreign Corrupt Practices Act...more

Thomas Fox - Compliance Evangelist

The Ahsanis’ Information – The Corruption Schemes

This week I am mining the guilty pleas of the former Unaoil Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Cyrus Ahsani, and former Chief Operations Officer (COO), Saman Ahsani, for what they might mean for Foreign Corrupt Practices Act...more

Thomas Fox - Compliance Evangelist

The Ahsanis’ Information – Are You On The List?

Yesterday, I began a consideration of the guilty pleas of the former Unaoil Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Cyrus Ahsani, and former Chief Operations Officer (COO), Saman Ahsani, and what they might mean for Foreign Corrupt...more

Thomas Fox - Compliance Evangelist

The Panalpina Settlement Day Record May Finally Be Broken: The Unaoil Execs Guilty Pleas

Nine years ago today, on November 4, 2010, was Panalpina Settlement Day which made history for the single largest number of companies to simultaneously settle Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA)-related violations. It was...more

Dechert LLP

Recent Developments Confirm the Obrador Administration Will Fulfill Its Campaign Promise to Battle Corruption in Mexico

Dechert LLP on

Corruption and bribery have run rampant throughout Mexico for years. However, recent developments and policy changes of the new administration indicate that the days of doing business through bribery and graft are over....more

WilmerHale

Foreign Corrupt Practices Act Enforcement in the Energy Sector

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This is the sixth issue of WilmerHale’s 10-in-10 Hot Topics in Energy Series. Over the course of 10 weeks, our attorneys will share insights on current and emerging issues affecting the US energy sector....more

The Volkov Law Group

DOJ Sweeps Up Two More Defendants in PDVSA Criminal Investigation

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The Justice Department’s sprawling and successful prosecution of bribery and money laundering surrounding PDVSA, Venezuela’s state-owned energy company, shows no signs of letting up. ...more

Thomas Fox - Compliance Evangelist

A Great Day in Harlem and Customer Complicity in Funding Bribes

Last year (on Monday) I began a two-part blog series on the final two Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) of 2018. On Monday, we considered the Polycom, Inc. FCPA enforcement action and today we consider the enforcement...more

Thomas Fox - Compliance Evangelist

The NPA; The Petrobras FCPA Enforcement Action: Part III

This blog post concludes my multi-part exploration of the Petróleo Brasileiro S.A. – Petrobras (Petrobras) Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) enforcement action. Today we consider the stunning result achieved by Petrobras –...more

The Volkov Law Group

Petrobas Closes Out “Massive” Corruption Investigations and Litigation

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When it comes to a poster-child for corrupt organizations, there is very little competition that can eclipse Petrobas, the Brazilian state-owned oil and gas company. ...more

Thomas Fox - Compliance Evangelist

Of Piggy Banks and Schemes; The Petrobras FCPA Enforcement Action: Part II

This blog post continues my multi-part exploration of the Petróleo Brasileiro S.A. – Petrobras (Petrobras) Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) enforcement action. Today we take up some of the more prominent bribery schemes...more

The Volkov Law Group

DOJ Settles Follow-On FCPA Case: Transport Logistics Pays $2 Million Penalty

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Last week, the Justice Department announced its first FCPA enforcement action in 2018 – a follow-on settlement from prior FCPA enforcement actions centering on a bribery scheme involving a Russian government official from a...more

The Volkov Law Group

Justice Department Closes Out 2017 with 2 FCPA Actions: Keppel Offshore and Marine and Embraer Individual

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The Department of Justice finished 2017 with two significant FCPA enforcement actions, and fittingly, one was a corporate settlement and another was an individual criminal guilty plea. The Justice Department’s final FCPA...more

The Volkov Law Group

DOJ Continues Run on Individual FCPA Criminal Prosecutions

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The Department of Justice announced criminal FCPA charges against two individuals in connection with bribery payments to foreign officials in Chad and Uganda. The Justice Department’s announcement occurred on the heels of...more

Thomas Fox - Compliance Evangelist

Rolls Royce in America – Four Guilty Pleas and an Indictment

For those who might have wondered if the Sessions Justice Department (DOJ) was going to enforce the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), that question seems to have been answered in the affirmative. In September, the DOJ and...more

Burr & Forman

2nd Circuit Weighs in on Certifying Classes Involving Foreign Securities

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In In re Petrobras Securities Litigation, the Second Circuit Court of Appeals recently issued an opinion regarding the standards for certifying a class involving foreign securities. Petrobras is a multinational Brazilian gas...more

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