Shawn M. Wright, Carlos F. Ortiz, and Mayling C. Blanco
Global financial services firms should be aware that the DOJ and SEC are committed to identifying and investigating bribery and corruption regardless of the form it takes. With increased resources to help identify the most sophisticated bribery schemes, financial service firms must ensure that their robust anti-corruption programs take into consideration local customs and risks as well as the broad nature of “anything of value” and its interpretation by regulators.
In the past few months, the U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) announced enforcement actions against two financial institutions stemming from violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practice Act (“FCPA”), each resulting in settlements in the hundreds of millions of dollars. In September, the DOJ and SEC announced a total payment of approximately $412 million for a hedge fund’s use of intermediates, agents, and business partners to pay bribes to high-level government officials across Africa. In November, a $264 million settlement was announced involving a major bank for hiring interns and full-time employees who were friends and family of Chinese officials in exchange for winning lucrative banking deals in China. These resolutions should remind us that no industry is immune from the reach of the FCPA and that companies should be well-aware of the customs and risks of the regions where they operate so that their compliance measures adequately address these risks. Continue reading “Financial Services Firms Must Evolve Anti-Corruption Programs in Light of Recent FCPA Settlements in Excess of $100 Million”