On April 22, 2013, the SEC announced that it had entered into a non-prosecution agreement (NPA) with Ralph Lauren Corporation (RLC), allowing RLC to avoid prosecution for violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA). This is the first NPA the SEC has entered involving FCPA violations.
From 2005 to 2009, RLC’s Argentine subsidiary paid…
Disclosing the results of a company’s internal investigation to government investigators is always fraught with potential problems. The most obvious is the danger of waiving attorney-client privilege and work product protections that would otherwise shield the internal investigation from discovery in parallel litigation. But another less-heralded danger is the risk of defamation claims by employees identified…
Crime and Courts Act 2013. The Schedule contains a requirement that the DPP and the Director of the SFO jointly issue a Code giving guidance for prosecutors on a number of matters, including the general principles to be applied in determining whether a DPA is likely to be appropriate in a given case.…
A Parliamentary Bill which, amongst other things, makes provision to introduce Deferred Prosecution Agreements into the UK received the Royal Assent last week. The subject of Deferred Prosecution Agreements (“DPAs”) is covered in section 45 and Schedule 17 of the Crime and Courts Act 2013. The salient provisions contained in the Schedule are as follows:…
This would appear to be a clear message, both to commercial organisations and to the OECD, that the SFO regards facilitation payments as being an important item on its current agenda.…
The clear articulation of these matters in the Resource Guide provides a useful template for use by those corporates which might be exposed to the UK Bribery Act.…
Public companies being investigated by the SEC often face difficult decisions about whether, when, and to what extent they should disclose the government inquiry. This is especially true in deciding whether to disclose the receipt of “Wells Notices,” which notify recipients that the Enforcement Staff may recommend that the Commission pursue formal charges against the…
The RICO suit….reinforces our view that…when defendants become involved in allegations of corruption they may have to face multiple sets of criminal proceedings around the world as well as civil suits and the threat of public procurement debarment in the United States and the European Union. Winning contracts by illegal means can lead to the…
The OECD have published a detailed Report on the evaluations and recommendations of a Working Group on the UK’s implementation and enforcement of the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention. The Report provides a valuable critique of the Bribery Act 2010 and on the UK’s recent record on enforcement of existing corruption laws.…
Q: I am chief of staff for a Senator, and I have a question about providing services to our constituents. Our office constantly receives requests from constituents to help with matters pending before federal agencies, often from campaign contributors. Sometimes it makes me uneasy to help contributors. It almost feels like bribery to use our office’s…
