News and commentary about white-collar crime, enforcement, and compliance
Harry Cassin
Publisher and Editor
Andy Spalding
Senior Editor
Jessica Tillipman
Senior Editor
Bill Steinman
Senior Editor
Richard L. Cassin
Editor at Large
Elizabeth K. Spahn
Editor Emeritus
Cody Worthington
Contributing Editor
Julie DiMauro
Contributing Editor
Thomas Fox
Contributing Editor
Marc Alain Bohn
Contributing Editor
Bill Waite
Contributing Editor
Shruti J. Shah
Contributing Editor
Russell A. Stamets
Contributing Editor
Richard Bistrong
Contributing Editor
Eric Carlson
Contributing Editor
We at the FCPA Blog are long overdue in recognizing the new resource that is the Global Anticorruption Blog. With my colleague in the legal academy, Harvard Law professor Matthew Stephenson, at the helm, GAB analyzes corruption law issues with uncommon intellectual rigor.… Continue Reading
Recently, I had the good fortune of hearing a partner from a leading FCPA practice discuss JP Morgan’s hiring of Chinese princelings.
Although this conduct had always seemed to me a FCPA violation, it occurred to me at that moment that I wasn’t sure exactly how it violated the FCPA. … Continue Reading
The DOJ issued its first FCPA opinion procedure release of the year on March 17 (and posted it to its website nearly a week later).
The opinion request came from “a United States financial services company and investment bank,” the DOJ said.… Continue Reading
On December 19, the Justice Department published FCPA Opinion Procedure Release No. 13-01, ruling that a law firm partner could pay some medical expenses of foreign official’s daughter.
The lawyer’s firm billed the foreign country over $2 million for the past 18 months, and expects to bill the same amount in 2014.… Continue Reading
As Mike Koehler noted yesterday, the DOJ has issued its first Opinion Procedure Release of 2012.
The release is dated September 18 but didn’t appear on the DOJ’s website until this week.… Continue Reading
A few years ago, after a dozen or so enterprising law students asked me what FCPA-related topics were ripe for research, I answered with a post on the FCPA Blog.
My suggestions included: (1) respondeat superior—the legal doctrine imputing to corporate employers the criminal acts of employees; (2) the sad state of the Department of Justice’s Opinion Procedure Releases; and (3) the confusing condition of the FCPA’s promotional-expenses affirmative defense.… Continue Reading
In its first FCPA Opinion Procedure Release of 2011, the DOJ confirmed what should be obvious — that the promotional expenses affirmative defense can be used to pay travel expenses of government officials who are being shown a company’s products.… Continue Reading
Hughes Hubbard’s annual FCPA reviews are new kids on the block. But we don’t know a better source for FCPA and compliance-related information.
Last year’s version, we said, was both a quick desk reference and — at 241 pages — an authoritative collection of FCPA resources.… Continue Reading
In his testimony last week before the House committee investigating the FCPA, former U.S. Attorney General Michael Mukasey (left) proposed improving the procedures for federal guidance and advisory opinions. He said the current practice is inadequate and little used. … Continue Reading
Canada has the Corruption of Foreign Public Officials Act (CFPOA). It has signed three international anti-corruption treaties — the OECD Convention, the OAS Inter-American Convention Against Corruption, and the U.N. Convention Against Corruption.… Continue Reading
In FCPA Opinion Procedure Release No. 10-03 issued Wednesday, the Requestor — a U.S. limited partnership — is working with a foreign government on “an innovative natural resources project with a novel approach,” and needs help dealing with that government.… Continue Reading
Photo courtesy of World Vision CanadaThe Justice Department has published its second FCPA Opinion Procedure Release of 2010.
The Requestor in Release 10-02 is a U.S. non-governmental organization and a “domestic concern” under the FCPA.… Continue Reading