All articles by Tom Fox – Page 25
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A step toward the light of transparency, but only a small step
The U.S. government is now requiring banks to obtain the identifies of those they do business with—a rule, notes Tom Fox, that is long overdue. But criticism of the rule could point to a greater need for legislation to streamline the current system around the creation of corporations. Will Congress ...
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New legal liabilities after Panama Papers?
The Man From FCPA, Tom Fox, looks at the implications behind the United Kingdom’s new mandate that banks selling to offshore companies in “murky territories” will be held responsible if it facilitates tax evasion by wealthy individuals, and how that mandate relates to anti-corruption compliance.
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Deutsche Bank and the continuing costs of money laundering risks
Deutsche Bank demonstrates that the costs of continuing to fail to meet regulatory requirements regarding anti-money laundering can be astronomical. Tom Fox looks at the Financial Conduct Authority’s Deutsche Bank investigation and what it means for the financial firm’s future.
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Don’t put illegal conduct in power point slide presentations
“Death by PowerPoint” is a typical description of really poor presentation technique, but it might just be a way to describe how some companies accidentally self-report their own corruption. Tom Fox has more.
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The SEC asks Novartis, ‘Haven't we met before?’
After settling an FCPA enforcement brought by the SEC in March, Novartis is now under criminal investigation in South Korea for alleged illegal payments to physcians. Should the SEC reopen its investigation?
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EU Privacy Shield hits snag
Somehow, U.S. and EU officials find themselves with a Privacy Shield proposal that both goes too far, and yet, not far enough. The Man From FCPA Tom Fox has more.
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Unaoil-Can things get any bigger?
The Justice Department and SEC have their work cut out for them, says FCPA blogger Tom Fox, as the Monaco-based Unaoil scandal—in which the company used commissions to bribe clients—may be the biggest corruption enforcement action yet.
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Theranos and compliance
One of the most compelling business stories over the past 18 months or so has been that of the Theranos, the developer of a perhaps revolutionary blood testing system, which allegedly allow testing of blood with such a small amount a person would only need their finger pricked. No longer ...
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The other cleat drops in the FIFA corruption probe
Image: The FIFA corruption probe has shifted to U.S. corporations that did business with FIFA, regional soccer federations, and national soccer organizations, prompting some companies, including Nike, DirectTV, and Standard Chartered, to start their own internal investigations. The message is quite clear for those U.S. companies with affiliations to soccer ...
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What does the controversial pay raise for BP’s CEO mean for compliance?
Image: What are the implications of CEO pay during an economic downturn for your compliance program? In this piece, the Man From FCPA Tom Fox explores that question in the context of BP’s recent pay raise given to Bob Dudley, who, as CEO, laid off thousands of employees and saw ...
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New Justice Department guidance and FCPA Pilot Program
When the DoJ speaks, chief compliance officers should listen—especially when the talks center on enforcement. The agency has launched a pilot program for Foreign Corrupt Practices Act enforcement that details three areas of self-disclosure to be required by companies going forward. If a company meets all three areas, it could ...
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Will Olympus see FCPA trouble in China?
Trouble seems to follow Japan-based Olympus. The company, which admitted in 2011 to a $1.7 billion accounting fraud, is once again facing corruption allegations. Olympus hired China-based Anyuanto to help turn it around, despite the fact that Anyuan’s chairman had previously been convicted of fraud; Olympus’ contract wasn’t with Anyuan ...
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The Butcher, the Baker and the Candlestick Maker … in Cuba, they are all covered under the FCPA
The winds of change are coming to Cuba, and U.S. businesses are slowly, but surely, beginning to get their long-awaited opportunities to set up shop in one of the world’s last truly socialist states. But this brings with it a most unusual FCPA liability that makes doing business in Cuba ...
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FCPA enforcement ramps up in Q1 2016
If it looks like FCPA enforcement is at a low ebb, judging by the amount of activity we saw in 2015, don’t be fooled. The SEC is prosecuting FCPA cases with vigor, and if some of the current enforcement actions underway are any indicator, we will not see a significant ...
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Brazilian corruption investigation goes supernova
As billionaire construction magnate Marcelo Odebrecht prepares to turn state’s evidence in the corruption investigation that covers Petrobras, Odebrecht SA, and the Brazilian presidency itself, it seems that we might finally get some insight on just how pervasive Brazil’s so-called “cartel of corruption” really was. Is anybody ready to ...
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German World Cup bid now under FIFA scrutiny
The ongoing FIFA corruption scandal takes on new life as some of the top names in German soccer, as well as sports apparel manufacturer Adidas, appear to be implicated in the 2006 World Cup bid. CW’s Tom Fox reports on this latest ethics investigation.
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Is Venezuela’s state oil company creating the next Petrobras scandal?
While Petrobras currently holds the title as the most corrupt national energy company in South America, Petroleos de Venezuela SA (PDVSA) is a strong contender as well, thanks to ongoing U.S. investigations into possible FCPA violations involving U.S. companies, Swiss banks, and corrupt PDVSA officials.
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Is FIFA entitled to restitution as a victim?
Image: It appears the Fédération Internationale de Football Association is trying to shed its corrupt image in favor of playing the victim. The international governing body of football has asked the Justice Department for its share of monies it obtains through forfeiture and penalties from individuals prosecuted around the FIFA ...
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Weekends are for ... fraud?
The recent $101M heist from the Central Bank of Bangladesh would have been impossible had it not occurred over a weekend, and had weekends themselves not been observed on different days of the week in Bangladesh than they are in the United States. One thing’s for sure: Whenever the weekend ...
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Petrobras fallout into the private sector continues
A 19-year prison sentence handed down in connection with Brazil’s widening “Car Wash” scandal is a wake-up call for any company that has done business with Odebrecht SA, the largest construction company in Brazil and, indeed, South America. The scandal, which began with energy firm Petrobras, should enforce that it’s ...