‘International Litigation’ Category

June 23, 2014

Goldman Sachs Subject of FCPA Probe

June 23, 2014 June 23, 2014 — The U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) is the best tool we have to prevent multinational businesses from seeking to boost revenue abroad with gifts and kickbacks to foreign government officials and their family members. When corporations illegally hire the children of government officials at exorbitant salaries in an effort to win contracts overseas, they foster an uneven...

May 21, 2014

Johnson Controls Announces Internal FCPA Investigation

May 21, 2014 May 21, 2014 — The U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) is critical to assist the global business market in achieving a level playing field that allows honest competition to thrive. To discourage unscrupulous corporations willing to bribe foreign government officials as a way to court business, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 established a...

September 3, 2013

China Investigates Novartis for Possible Foreign Bribery

September 3, 2013

September 3, 2013 — The U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) makes it a crime to boost business abroad by bribing foreign officials. And the Dodd-Frank Act of 2010 gives tipsters with information about foreign corrupt practices a way to do the right thing. Whistleblowers who notify the Department of Justice (DOJ) or the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) concerning FCPA...

July 18, 2013

SEC Investigates Ericsson for Bribery in Romania

July 18, 2013

July 18, 2013 — The U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) makes it a crime for international corporations to compete for business abroad by paying bribes to foreign officials. Neither is it permitted to pay an “agent” to make the actual payments. The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (Dodd-Frank) of 2010 offers whistleblowers inside the business a way to take...

June 25, 2013

LyondellBasell May Face FCPA Investigation Over Kazakh Payment

June 25, 2013

June 25, 2013 — The U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) makes it costly for businesses that consider bribery to be a routine expense when conducting business overseas. Under the FCPA, businesses are forbidden to transfer anything of value to foreign officials or their family members as a means of securing contracts. When company insiders uncover illegal bribery schemes, they should not...

May 21, 2013

Archer Daniels Midland Reserves $25 Million to Settle FCPA Probe

May 21, 2013

May 21, 2013 — Many multi-national companies have taken a “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” approach over the years to monitoring their foreign units’ compliance with the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA). Under the FCPA, companies are prohibited from attempting to obtain or retain a business advantage in a foreign state by paying bribes — cash or otherwise — to foreign...

April 11, 2013

Panasonic Avionics Subject of Bribery Probe

April 11, 2013

April 11, 2013 — Under the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), it is a crime to solicit business in a foreign country by paying any kind of bribe to a foreign official or the official’s family members. Many companies view bribe-making as a necessary evil in order to conduct business in countries where anti-corruption efforts are lax. Multi-national companies may pressure their...

March 28, 2013

BHP Billiton Denies FCPA Violations in Connection With Beijing Olympics Sponsorship

March 28, 2013

March 28, 2013 — Multi-national companies should now be acquainted with the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), an anti-bribery law making it illegal to shower foreign officials with gifts or cash in an attempt to gain a business advantage. When companies do engage in conduct that violates the FCPA, insider informants who notify U.S. federal authorities may be entitled to financial...

March 26, 2013

DOJ and SEC Investigating Microsoft FCPA Allegations

March 26, 2013

March 26, 2013 — Under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), paying kickbacks to foreign officials to secure a business advantage is illegal. Some companies continue to ignore the statute, claiming that paying bribes is simply the “cost of doing business” in foreign countries. They may try to pressure employees in foreign offices to keep quiet about the illegal practice, or to...

February 22, 2013

Beam Inc. Joins Multinational Corporations Investigating FCPA Allegations in India

February 22, 2013

February 22, 2013 — Violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) are serious offenses, and multinational corporations need good policies and strict monitoring programs to detect and prevent problems. The FCPA forbids the payment of bribes or financial inducements to foreign government officials for the purpose of establishing or retaining a business advantage. Further, the FCPA...