Compliance

Tax inversion -- relocating headquarters to a nation with a more favorable tax structure -- most often seems a financially prudent move. However, this business decision can generate backlash from politicians and the media who deem the relocation "unpatriotic." Fallout reaches shareholders and the general public quickly, so it's crucial to handle M&A deals involving tax inversion carefully.

As with a viral or bacterial outbreak, the best response to bribery-related offenses might be isolation -- but that can prove quite challenging. Richard Bistrong and John Bray warn against a limited reaction, however. If companies are serious about combating bribery and corruption, they've got to nip them in the bud with sweeping action. And we've got a long way...

A comprehensive solution that allows your company to integrate global trade compliance with foreign trade operations can be quite the valuable tool. The benefits of such a tool are many, but increased compliance is among the greater perks. Additional advantages can be felt throughout the supply chain. Something to seriously consider for corporations with a global reach.

The use of social media can be a huge advantage to your company, when done correctly. Without proper limits in place, or forethought, businesses can find themselves in a heap of trouble for actions they take in this realm. Laura Kerekes, Chief Knowledge Officer at ThinkHR, explores how to handle social media intentionally, plus what not to do.

Bio-Rad has recently settled DOJ and SEC investigations into alleged FCPA violations, to the tune of $55 million. The U.S. company found itself in hot water after having allegedly made improper payments to Russian government officials. Russia is a notoriously difficult market to navigate when compliance is at stake, but the pharmaceutical industry may have a tougher go of it...

If not done correctly, using the cloud to store sensitive data can create a headache for compliance professionals at best, and major lapses in security at worst. Make sure you know where information is being stored, how and by whom it's accessed and just how tight security measures are on the service provider's end. Maintaining security requires a joint effort...

The latest SEC Whistleblower report has been released, and it seems 2014 was a banner year for whistleblower investigations and awards. The number of awards issued was at its highest level yet and the magnitude of those awards on average was larger than ever as well. Given that whistleblowing is way up, employers would do well to ensure they handle...

We live in an increasingly mobile world, and with much of the workforce continually on the go, training solutions that require staff to be in one particular place at one specific time don't allow for the flexibility many businesses require. That's where video comes in. Shoot training sessions ahead of time and they can be disseminated and completed as schedules...

Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index is out for 2014, and some of the changes from last year to this are notable. What's especially enlightening this year, however, is comparing the CPI with the new TRACE Matrix, which draws its data from more sources and reviews more countries worldwide. Read on for more detail on where Asia-Pacific countries stand.

Small and medium-sized businesses face a number of challenges simply due to the fact that they run smaller operations. One area that simply cannot be neglected, though, is HR compliance. The potential damage -- both financially and reputationally -- stemming from a discrimination suit or a violation of federal benefits regulations could be crippling. Here's what you can do.

Effective change management and effective compliance don't have to be mutually exclusive terms, though the concepts are often viewed as at odds with one another. One way to bring change management into alignment with compliance (and vice versa) is with the use of video-based training, a solution that is not only more efficient, but also potentially simpler and more impactful.

When assessing compliance challenges ahead of an expansion into a new market, the CCO or compliance practitioner has quite the job on his or her hands. Tom Fox offers up four basic questions to consider when walking through analysis, third-party due diligence and developing a plan to ensure ongoing compliance both with the FCPA and any in-country regulatory requirements.