FCPA and International Anti-Corruption Practice - Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP

fcpa and international anti-corruption overview

Companies operating in the international marketplace must address the new reality of Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and international anti-corruption compliance. Enforcement of the FCPA continues to reach unprecedented levels, and the severity of recent FCPA financial penalties and prison sentences is staggering. The U.S. is not alone in its aggressive approach to enforcement of anti-corruption laws. Recent years have seen a proliferation of international anti-corruption conventions and laws, most notably the U.K. Bribery Act, and the globalization of international anti-corruption investigations and prosecutions. The attorneys of our FCPA and International Anti-Corruption Practice Area understand this new reality and the business challenges that companies, both publicly traded and privately held, face in trying to adapt to it. We combine international sophistication with Midwestern sensibility to meet these challenges, offering the full spectrum of FCPA and international anti-corruption services.

Our FCPA and International Anti-Corruption Practice Area consists of attorneys with extensive experience in international compliance, labor and employment, internal investigations, and white collar criminal defense. It includes a former United States Attorney, a former Principal Deputy in Charge of the United States Office of Independent Counsel’s Washington, D.C. office, and former Assistant United States Attorneys. As a member of The Interlex Group®, an international network of leading independent law firms, we have ready access to local counsel and investigation infrastructures in countries from which FCPA and international anti-corruption issues often emanate, including Brazil, Russia, India, and China. While we have the international reach of larger market firms, we are able to offer significantly lower fees and better cost predictability because of our Midwestern location and value-based fixed fee structure.

Our FCPA and International Anti-Corruption Practice Area is divided into three teams, each of which focuses on a separate area of anti-corruption compliance – the Prevention Team, the Detection Team, and the Response Team. The teams work together, in close coordination with clients, to develop holistic solutions to rapidly-evolving FCPA and international anti-corruption issues.

Prevention Team
The Prevention Team assesses the anti-corruption risks facing a client and develops and implements effective risk-based anti-corruption compliance programs that reduce the likelihood that anti-corruption law violations will occur. The Prevention Team is comprised primarily of attorneys with experience in international compliance and employee and management training. The Prevention Team’s services include:

Conducting anti-corruption risk-assessments
Developing and implementing cost-effective global anti-corruption compliance programs
Providing anti-corruption training for companies and third-parties (e.g. foreign agents, distributors, and consultants)
Conducting anti-corruption due diligence on merger and acquisition targets, joint venture partners, and third parties
Providing guidance regarding the U.K. Bribery Act, other international anti-corruption laws, and international anti-corruption conventions

Detection Team
The Detection Team identifies and investigates alleged anti-corruption law violations and ultimately determines if any anti-corruption law violations occurred. The Detection Team is comprised primarily of attorneys with experience in whistleblower claims, internal audits, internal investigations, and white collar criminal defense. The Detection Team’s services include:

Conducting internal investigations of potential anti-corruption law violations
Providing reports of investigations to senior management and boards of directors
Conducting anti-corruption compliance audits
Reviewing anti-corruption “red flags” and determining if further investigation is necessary
Assessing and investigating whistleblower claims of alleged anti-corruption law violations

Response Team
The Response Team reduces the harm caused to clients by alleged anti-corruption law violations, develops appropriate options for employee discipline in cases of confirmed violations, and ensures that controls are improved to reduce the likelihood of future violations. In matters involving government enforcement authorities, the Response Team aggressively defends clients against government investigations, enforcement actions, and prosecutions. The Response Team is comprised primarily of attorneys with experience in white collar criminal defense, labor and employment, and international compliance. The Response Team’s services include:

Representing clients in government investigations
Representing clients in government enforcement proceedings and prosecutions
Counseling clients regarding voluntary disclosure of anti-corruption law violations
Fashioning appropriate disciplinary options for employees that violate anti-corruption laws
Conducting after-action reviews to prevent similar anti-corruption law violations in the future

Trent J. Sandifur
FCPA and International Anti-Corruption Practice Contact
(317) 713-3443
tsandifur@taftlaw.com

Arthur F. McMahon III
FCPA and International Anti-Corruption Practice Contact
(513) 357-9607
amcmahon@taftlaw.com

News \| Events

News


2012-05-01 Trent Sandifur To Present At FCPA Conference
2012-05-01 Trent Sandifur Quoted In Indiana Lawyer Article
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Past Events

2012-05-21 Taft Partners Address Global Anti-Corruption Matters at Seminar
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