There are new risks that companies need to be aware of after the criminal prosecution of GlaxoSmithKline’s Laura Stevens. Michael Volkov reviews these.
Businesses Push Back Against Brazil Foreign Bribery Bill
In January 2012 Matteson Ellis reported on how Brazil is currently considering an overhaul of its foreign bribery law. In March, he reported that a special committee was created by the Brazilian Congress to analyze the bill made revisions to the draft that bolstered certain provisions. Reports now indicate that Brazilian businesses have begun a significant lobbying effort to weaken the bill.
Under The Electron Microscope: Agencies Take A Closer Look At Nano Tech
The development of manufactured materials at the nano scale (that is less than 1/10,000 of the width of a human hair) has been greeted as a breakthrough in the evolution of technology with vast promises for medicine, energy and building materials to mention just a few areas where exciting improvements are just around the corner. [...]
10 Reasons ERM Fails
At times, it is appropriate to step back and reflect on why ERM fails. Below Protiviti’s Jim DeLoach explores 10 common risk management mistakes and how they can be avoided.
The First Steps in Planning a Corporate Investigation
Cravath, Swain & Moore’s David Stuart presents five steps to take before beginning any investigation.
An Audit Of Internal Audit — Time To Upgrade
Grant Thornton’s Warren Stippich outlines important factors and initiatives needed to advance the internal audit function.
The Key to Achieving Compliance in the Post-Acquisition Context
In a recent article in the Houston Business Journal (HBJ), “Building strong relationships critical to building strong companies,” HBJ mergers and acquisitions columnist Connie Barnaba focused on the nature of trust within a company to posit that “strong businesses are built on strong relationships between the business, its leaders, employees, customers, suppliers, lenders and advisors.” [...]
A Step Towards Closing the IPO Gap for Foreign Private Issuers: The JOBS Act of 2012
One of the purposes of the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act (JOBS Act) enacted on April 5, 2012, is to increase the attractiveness of the U.S. capital markets for many companies, including foreign private issuers, by creating a so-called “IPO On-Ramp” for issuers that qualify as emerging growth companies (EGCs).
The JOBS Act exempts EGCs from a number of regulatory requirements and reduces several of their ongoing compliance obligations. Orrick’s Michael Tu reviews the changes that are most relevant to foreign issuers.
What Will Be Wal-Mart’s Effect On FCPA Reform?
A hot topic of late is what impact Wal-Mart’s FCPA scrutiny will have on FCPA reform efforts. Mike Koehler takes a look at what major players are saying.
Nano Compliance
In the great book of corporate compliance program failures, one of the most important stories is from the Bankers Trust derivatives marketing scandal of the mid-1990s. In that case, the bank was sued by both the government and various counterparties for deceptive practices in selling highly complex derivative instruments.
Given the horrific consequences to Bankers Trust of this lapse, the story calls to mind, “For want of a shoe a nail was lost,” and so on up to the loss of a kingdom. It also suggests a need to “think small” – and to practice “nano compliance.”
