FCPA: Neither snow, nor rain, nor heat…Communicating Your Compliance Story

Publiziert am 18. Mai 2012 von NIETZER . Rechtsanwälte

The Persian Royal Road was built to facilitate rapid communication throughout the Persian Empire. Mounted couriers could travel across the Empire, approximately 1,677 miles; in seven days, the equivalent journey on foot took ninety days. The Greek historian Herodotus wrote of these messengers, “Neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor darkness of night prevents these couriers from completing their designated stages with utmost speed” this was later inscribed on the James Farley Post Office in New York and is sometimes thought of as the United States Postal Service Creed. Weiterlesen →

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FCPA: London Calling: The Olympics and Corporate Hospitality under the UK Bribery Act

Publiziert am 14. Mai 2012 von NIETZER . Rechtsanwälte

As The Clash sang, London Calling, and the London Olympics are now less than 100 days away. One of the areas which has generated the greatest amount of hyperbole is over corporate hospitality at the upcoming 2012 summer Games. There has been rampant speculation that under the UK Bribery Act, corporations may well be prosecuted for providing corporate hospitality events before or during the Games. Indeed some have speculated that even purchasing a ticket at the face price for a client or customer would draw the scrutiny of the UK Serious Fraud Office (SFO). As a lawyer, I certainly appreciate the ‘going down the slippery slope’ argument and I may have even engaged in that technique once or twice. However, neither the UK Bribery Act nor the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) prohibits corporate hospitality. Further, I think the ‘slippery slope’ argument is one that fails to stand up to scrutiny. Weiterlesen →

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FCPA: Six Steps to Implementing Continuous Monitoring in your Compliance Program

Publiziert am 7. Mai 2012 von NIETZER . Rechtsanwälte

Anti-corruption, anti-bribery, anti-money laundering programs policies and procedures and even export control systems are seemingly in a constant state of evolution. Many companies are struggling with the challenge of implementing effective controls and monitoring risks across a spectrum that could include the three above listed compliance areas as well as others. One area which is evolving into a minimum best practices requirement for compliance is that of Continuous Monitoring (CM). Weiterlesen →

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FCPA: What is the Role of a Board of Directors?

Publiziert am 30. April 2012 von NIETZER . Rechtsanwälte

One of the ongoing topics for various Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA); UK Bribery Act or other anti-corruption and anti-bribery compliance conferences is what information does a Board of Directors want or need for oversight of a compliance program? However today I would like to step back and focus on the initial question of “What is the role of a Board of Directors?” Weiterlesen →

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FCPA: RAE and Settlement of FCPA Violations in China

Publiziert am 24. April 2012 von NIETZER . Rechtsanwälte

As reported on Friday, December 10, 2010 in the FCPA Blog and by others, RAE Systems, Inc., (RAE) a California-based gas detection company settled Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) charges on this date with the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for $2.9 million. The DOJ’s letter to the RAE CEO and its legal counsel, dated December 10, 2010, declined to prosecute the company and its subsidiaries for its admitted “knowing” of violations of the internal controls and books and records provisions of the FCPA. The DOJ entered into this Non-Prosecution Agreement (NPA) based upon four listed factors, Weiterlesen →

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Internet Crime Complaint Center’s Scam Alerts April 20, 2012

Publiziert am 20. April 2012 von NIETZER . Rechtsanwälte

Interessant zu erfahren, was in den USA aktuell an Online – Betrügereien  veranstaltet wird, bleibt nur abzuwarten, bis auch in Deutschland die ersten Personen  darauf hereinfallen und betrogen werden. Ein Blick über den Teich lohnt sich und hilft  evtl. Schaden vermeiden.

Internet Crime Complaint Center’s (IC3) Scam Alerts, April 20, 2012;  This report, which is based upon information from law enforcement and complaints submitted to the IC3, details recent cyber crime trends, new twists to previously-existing cyber scams, and announcements.

Investment Scam.  Weiterlesen →

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Begriff Bestechung unter dem FCPA

Publiziert am 20. April 2012 von NIETZER . Rechtsanwälte

Die US-amerikanische Handelskammer (Chamber  of Commerce) und andere  Unternehmensverbände  haben Ende Februar in einem Brief an das Department of Justice und die SEC diese aufgefordert, eine genauere Definition des Begriffs Bestechung unter dem Foreign Corrupt Practices Act und generell mehr Klarheit zum Gesetz zu geben. Die bestehenden Unklarheiten erschwerten das Geschäft der US-amerikanischen
Unternehmen.  NIETZER&HÄUSLER und der US Blog hält Sie informiert.

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FCPA Enforcement: Why Corporations Support DPAs and NPAs

Publiziert am 18. April 2012 von NIETZER . Rechtsanwälte

At the recent Dow Jones Global Compliance Symposium, there was a debate royal between Mark Mendelsohn and the FCPA Professor, Mike Koehler, regarding enforcement of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA). One of the points the Professor raised was regarding the proliferation of Deferred Prosecution Agreements (DPAs) and Non-Prosecution Agreements (NPAs) during the tenure of Mendelsohn at the Department of Justice (DOJ). The Professor argued that DPAs and NPAs, which did not come into wide spread use until the last decade, were tools which should not be employed for FCPA enforcement. One of the reasons he articulated this was that by use of these agreements the DOJ is not required to put proof in front of a judge or jury, hence the DOJ can expand its interpretation of the FCPA without appropriate judicial oversight. Mendelsohn countered that such agreements are within prosecutorial discretion and given a finite amount of personnel and monetary resources within the DOJ, an appropriate mechanism to assist the overall goal of compliance with the FCPA. Weiterlesen →

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Compliance – die Panalpina Entscheidung

Publiziert am 15. April 2012 von NIETZER . Rechtsanwälte

Die Lektüre dieser US-Entscheidung aus dem Jahre 2010  (einem sogenannten Deferred Prosecution Agreement / DPA) ist Pflichtlektüre für all’diejenigen, die sich mit Compliance Programmen befassen, ein Blick in die USA (der Mutter von Compliance)  hilft für die eigenen Überlegungen und kann als Vorlage / Best Practice eigener Compliance Pogramme dienen, hier die vollständige Entscheidung: panalpina-world-transport-dpa

Panalpina-the 13 points of a best practices compliance program;  the DOJ lays out its most current thinking on the minimum compliance program, with focus on foreign business partners, including Application of Compliance Policies to Foreign Business Partner, Training on compliance program,  Ongoing advice and training, Compliance terms and conditions in all contract

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FCPA: To Give or Not To Give and If So How, Under the FCPA

Publiziert am 13. April 2012 von NIETZER . Rechtsanwälte

To give or not to give? That is certainly a question but it may also include the question of the value of the gift. Under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and UK Bribery Act gifts and entertainment continue to bedevil compliance practitioners, business unit personnel and compliance programs in general. Yesterday at the Dow Jones Global Compliance Symposium there was a panel discussion on gifts that raised some interesting approaches. Weiterlesen →

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