On Thursday, April 8, I will be moderating what promises to be a fantastic webcast on "FCPA and International Anti-Corruption Enforcement--Trends in 2010." The panel for the webcast features the DOJ's Mark F. Mendelsohn, Deputy Chief, Fraud Section, Criminal Division, who is the government's top criminal FCPA enforcer. It also features F. Joseph Warin and Benno Schwarz, partners at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, and Phillip Desing, Managing Director, Forensic Practice, KPMG LLP.

"One can say without exaggeration that this past year was probably the most dynamic single year in the more than thirty years since the [Foreign Corrupt Practices Act] was enacted." That is how Assistant Attorney General Lanny Breuer of the U.S. Department of Justice's Criminal Division recapped 2009's record number of criminal prosecutions, markedly increased international enforcement cooperation, and the creation of standing FCPA task force within the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission dedicated to further expanding the scope of enforcement. The U.S. government's enforcement zeal has only increased in 2010 with the revelation that the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted its first large-scale undercover sting operation to net 22 individual defendants - the largest action to date against individuals. With at least 140 active FCPA investigations and a DOJ-declared focus of "aggressive prosecution of individuals," to include the prospect of up to life imprisonment, no responsible business can fail to safeguard its employees and stakeholders from the reach of the FCPA and other international anti-corruption statutes.

This panel of practitioners from the United States and Europe will survey the recent trends and developments in anti-corruption enforcement and discuss how companies with international operations can avoid potential pitfalls and best protect themselves and their employees from both wrongdoing and prosecution. All directors, senior executives, in-house counsel, and compliance personnel can benefit from these experts who every day deal with the legal and business challenges posed by the FCPA and other international anti-corruption laws as well as gain the government’s perspective on these topics.

Topics to be discussed include the following:

An overview of the FCPA and selected other foreign anti-corruption statutes

Recent anti-corruption enforcement actions brought by the DOJ, the SEC, and foreign regulators

The implications of several recent high-profile FCPA trials in the United States

Foreign regulators’ heightened focus on prosecuting corruption and the resultant increase in the coordination of international anti-corruption enforcement efforts

Collateral consequences of being subjected to an anti-corruption enforcement action, including related civil litigation instigated by business partners, competitors, or shareholders

Current and probable future trends in U.S. anti-corruption enforcement, including regulators’ aggressive prosecution of individuals, “control person” liability, investor liability, the imposition of successor liability, and newly targeted industries

Guidelines for creating an effective FCPA anti-corruption compliance program

Screening and due diligence of third-parties and other agents

The conduct of internal investigations and the merits (and risks) of self-reporting

Other hot topics in anti-corruption enforcement and compliance

To attend this webcast scheduled for Thursday, April 8, at 2 pm Eastern, please sign up below.