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This DLA Piper memo discusses the early returns from the DOJ’s pilot program to encourage FCPA self-reporting and cooperation, and identifies a new enforcement approach – “declinations with disgorgement.”  Consistent with the previously disclosed terms of the program, companies avoiding prosecution have agreed to disgorge all profit realized from their violations.  Two recent cases in which the DOJ has elected not to pursue FCPA prosecutions also had several other features in common:

In each instance the DOJ cited the fact that the company self-disclosed. But of seeming equal importance were the robustness of the companies’ internal investigations and the sweeping remediation undertaken. Rounding out the reasons for DOJ’s decision to bring no charges were the agreement to disgorge all profits, which each company agreed not to use for any tax deduction or to accept reimbursement from insurance or any other source, and the obligation to continue to fully cooperate.

The obligation to continue full cooperation includes providing “all known relevant facts about the individuals involved in or responsible for the misconduct,” who are expressly carved out of the declination and could still face prosecution.

SEC: Fix Compliance Program Fast to Avoid FCPA Monitor

This BakerHostetler memo shares some important advice from Kara Brockmeyer, Chief of the SEC’s FCPA Unit:

For a company that violated the FCPA, but wishes to avoid a monitor, the company should be making immediate improvements to its compliance program to prevent future violations so that at the end of the investigation it will be able to demonstrate a track record of having an effective program that is working to prevent violations.

Even a state of the art compliance program will not be effective in convincing the SEC not to impose a monitor if the program has been in place only two months. As Brockmeyer noted, “the late to the party company [in implementing effective compliance measures] is much more likely to get a monitor imposed.”

November-December Issue: Deal Lawyers Print Newsletter

This November-December issue of the Deal Lawyers print newsletter was just posted – & also sent to the printers – and includes articles on:

– Disclaimers & Limits on Claims Outside of the Contract
– Due Diligence: Patient Protection & Affordable Care Act Considerations
– FCC Licenses: The Forgotten Stepchildren of M&A
– Reverse Break-Up Fees: Move Along, Nothing to See Here
– The Takeaways: Two Chancery Decisions on Informed, Uncoerced Stockholder Approval

Remember that – as a “thank you” to those that subscribe to both DealLawyers.com & our Deal Lawyers print newsletter – we are making all issues of the Deal Lawyers print newsletter available online. There is a big blue tab called “Back Issues” near the top of DealLawyers.com – 2nd from the end of the row of tabs. This tab leads to all of our issues, including the most recent one.

And a bonus is that even if only one person in your firm is a subscriber to the Deal Lawyers print newsletter, anyone who has access to DealLawyers.com will be able to gain access to the Deal Lawyers print newsletter. For example, if your firm has a firmwide license to DealLawyers.com – and only one person subscribes to the print newsletter – everybody in your firm will be able to access the online issues of the print newsletter. That is real value. Here are FAQs about the Deal Lawyers print newsletter including how to access the issues online.

– John Jenkins