Episode 66 -- Gifts and Hospitality Compliance and Best Practices
Day 11 of One Month to More Effective Internal Controls-Internal Controls for Gifts, Travel and Entertainment
FCPA Compliance and Ethics Report-Episode 165-BHP FCPA Enforcement and Lessons Learned for the Compliance Practitioner
If one were to reflect upon the providing of gifts and business entertainment to foreign governmental officials, one might reasonably conclude that after 40 years of the FCPA, companies might follow its prescriptions...more
Herbalife’s FCPA settlement is another one for books – the wreckage left includes two criminal indictments for Chinese officials who may never be apprehended, along with $123 million in penalties....more
- A tone-at-the-top business culture with CEO leadership is a critical component of effective anti-corruption and anti-bribery policy implementation. - CEO leadership helps set an example for lower management and company...more
On July 3, 2020, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) jointly released the second edition of the “Resource Guide to the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act,” which was...more
Innovation in compliance can come in many forms. One such form was described by Vincent M. Walden, Managing Director at Alvarez and Marsal Holdings, LLC (A&M), in his article entitled “Profit & Loss-of-One”(P&L-of-One). In...more
On December 6, 2019, the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) agreed to resolve allegations that multinational telecommunications company Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (Ericsson or...more
A key analysis is whether there are controls in place to enforce the policies and whether those controls are documented. To help to answer this query, there are four issues to evaluate...more
Ericsson’s FCPA settlement is in the books (not the books and records). But it casts a significant shadow across the FCPA landscape. A pervasive and systemic culture of bribery is defined to reflect senior executive...more
Last week, DOJ announced the indictment of two former Herbalife executives in China for participating in a bribery scheme over a ten-year period. Herbalife, a multi-level marketing company, was not charged and its...more
Juniper Networks agreed to pay the SEC $11.7 million to settle FCPA violations for conduct occurring in Russia and China. Under the settlement, Juniper Networks agreed to disgorgement of $4 million, a $6.5 million civil...more
The Microsoft FCPA settlement, while not significant in the total penalty of approximately $25 million, provides some important instructions concerning distributor and re-seller risks and mitigation strategies. ...more
“Microsoft’s subsidiary in Hungary provided discounts on software licenses to its resellers, distributors and other third parties. Instead of passing on the discounts to Microsoft’s government customers, the discounts were...more
As the old adage provides – better late than never. (Same applies for my somewhat tardy posting on this case). Telefônica Brasil settled FCPA violations with the SEC for a pretty penny — $4.125 million in civil penalties...more
In a number of enforcement contexts, I am always struck by a common theme – crooks are able to obtain access to corporate money for improper purposes. You never hear about a crook who uses his own money to pay bribes or...more
When you read through the United Technologies SEC FCPA enforcement action, you cannot help but shake your head – the level of abuse and participation by senior managers in the UT companies – Pratt & Whitney and Otis Elevator...more
The laundry list of companies that have been prosecuted for FCPA violations surrounding gifts, meals, entertainment and travel expenditures is lengthy....more
Rock and roll heaven got another power player this week as Greg Lake died on December 7th. He was one-third of the greatest prog rock trio Emerson, Lake & Palmer (aka ELP). With apologies to Patrick Hays and all you...more
Sometimes I get inspired when writing blog posts and sometimes I get on a roll. It is a bit of both this week and today, as previously this week, I have focused on Department of Justice (DOJ) pronouncements on their view of...more
It certainly did not take long for companies to see the benefit of the Department of Justice (DOJ) Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) Pilot Program around FCPA enforcement as this week there where two public declinations...more
Lauren Connell, Managing Associate at The Volkov Law Group, joins us again for another posting on corruption risks in China. A little fear is healthy. It will keep you vigilant and aware. At this point if corporate...more
On March 1, 2016, the SEC announced that Qualcomm Incorporated, a San Diego-based wireless telecommunication product company, agreed to pay $7.5 million to settle charges that its actions violated the Foreign Corrupt...more
The Commission prevailed on a summary judgment motion this week in a case based on an offering fraud. It also filed another settled FCPA action centered on gifts, travel and entertainment provided to healthcare professionals...more
Gifts and hospitality continue to be a key theme in the SEC’s latest FCPA case. The action also involves hiring relatives of officials and ignoring risk in the face of a weak compliance and internal control environment. In...more
A recent case illustrates both the ongoing corruption risks for U.S. companies doing business in developing countries such as China and the Government’s tougher stance on settling white collar crime cases. In this case, the...more
PTC, a Massachusetts software company, reached settlements with the SEC and DOJ last week for FCPA violations for a total of $28 million. Interestingly, the SEC announced a DPA with a PTC official who assisted in the...more