FCPAméricas Blog
Wal-Mart’s Bribery in Mexico (Part 1: Notable FCPA aspects of the NYT exposé)
4.23.2012
You know a corruption story is big when your in-box gets flooded with links to it in a matter of hours. Yesterday’s New York Times exposé about Wal-Mart de Mexico’s “campaign of bribery to win market dominance” is one of these stories. You can just picture DOJ and SEC regulators reading their Sunday Times over morning coffee, teasing out each detail. It is a made-for-TV movie.
The FCPA issues are so numerous and important that they deserve more than one blog post. FCPAméricas gives them two. Part 1 (below) highlights four of the general FCPA issues worth noting. Part 2 discusses the specific corruption risks the news report raises.
Remarkable Press Coverage. I am generally wary about press reports on alleged FCPA violations before the actual company or regulators have spoken. I am working for a client right now that has had a compliance issue repeatedly misrepresented in the press, in some of the largest and most respected news sources. Journalists can ge... Read more
All Eyes on Colombia, and Generational Change
4.20.2012
Last weekend’s Summit of the Americas put all eyes on Colombia and, in doing so, generational change. In the sixth such meeting of regional leaders, thirty-three Heads of State met in a country that, until recently, was known for war, drugs, and kidnappings. As President Obama stated: “[T]here was a time not so long ago when few could have imagined holding a summit like this in Colombia. That we have and that the summit was such a success is a tribute to the remarkable transformation that’s occurred in this nation.”
A vibrant energy is now being unleashed in Colombia, and the generational underpinnings just might spell promise for anti-corruption reform. There are two dynamics at play. One is top-down; the other, bottom-up.
Free Trade: A whole new generation of Colombians is poised to benefit from new economic opportunity. At the Summit, agreements were made, paving the way for the U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement to enter into force on May 15th, 2012. Some say... Read more
2012 Latin America Anti-Corruption Survey
4.17.2012
Matteson Ellis Law, PLLC has partnered with sixteen law firms throughout the Americas to conduct a survey that gauges the understanding and effectiveness of international anti-corruption laws that regulate the behavior of businesses in Latin America: the 2012 Latin America Anti-Corruption Survey.
We invite business people with experience in the region, those from Latin America or who conduct work there, to complete the survey. Only people who work for companies should complete the survey, not people who work at law firms, consulting firms, or accounting firms. Participants should also feel free to forward this survey to fellow employees with experience working in Latin American countries or colleagues in other companies doing business in the region. The partnering firms reserve the right to publicize the survey’s results, which may include unattributed quotations of any responses made therein.Read more
