Considerations for Conducting Internal Investigations Remotely
Restrictions on travel and "social distancing" have slowed corporate investigations, which typically involve travel and human interaction, particularly for evidence gathering and witness interviews....
Corruption Vulnerabilities in the U.S. Response to the Coronavirus
Jodi Vittori warns that the current COVID-19 crisis presents new opportunities to corrupt actors, as seen during previous pandemics. “As the United States ramps...
OFCCP Did Not Show It Adequately Enforced EEO Requirements on Federal Construction Contracts
An audit by the Department of Labor Office of Inspector General found that the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs did not adequately enforce EEO requirements on federal construction contracts. OFCCP did not use a risk-based approach to select construction contractors for EEO compliance evaluations, incorrectly claiming that it did not have the data to […]
French Enforcement Actions Provide More Insight into Sapin II Compliance Requirements
Two recent rulings by France’s Commission of Sanctions provide insight into which aspects of the transparency, anti-corruption, and modernization law known as Sapin II the Agence Française Anticorruption focuses on during its inspections. Xavier Oustalniol and Véronique Chauveau of StoneTurn argue that an understanding of the these cases — Imerys and Sonepar — is important […]
ZTE Targeted By New US Corruption Probe
China’s ZTE is reportedly the subject of a new bribery investigation by the Justice Department, separate to the probe which nearly led to the company’s dissolution in 2018. The investigation centers on alleged bribes paid by ZTE to foreign officials to gain competitive advantages in its worldwide operations. The specific transactions involved in the probe […]
Trump Objects to Pandemic Spending Oversight, But Congress and IGs Still Have Authority
When President Trump signed the CARES Act, he signaled in a signing statement that he would not enforce some of the oversight provisions in...
What’s in the Department of Justice’s Proposals to Congress for Addressing Issues Created by...
The Department of Justice has submitted a package of legislative proposals for addressing the COVID-19 crisis, some of which members are considering, while others have been outright rejected. The question is what new authorities are needed to address the challenges faced by the executive and judicial branches, while balancing civil liberties. Margaret Taylor and Benjamin […]
DOJ & FTC Facilitate Lawful Collaborations to Respond to COVID-19
The Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission have issued a joint statement providing guidance to businesses responding to the COVID-19 crisis on how to engage with competitors without running afoul of antitrust laws. They recognize that collaboration on R&D, technical know-how, healthcare providers’ development of standards for patient management, joint purchasing arrangements, and lobbying […]
Occupational Safety and Health Administration: Emergency Temporary Standards and COVID-19
OSHA does not have a standard that protects workers from diseases transmitted by airborne droplets, so members of Congress and healthcare employee groups are calling on the agency to promulgate an Emergency Temporary Standard to protect workers from exposure to the new coronavirus. OSHA has the ability to promulgate an ETS that would remain in […]
Your Code of Conduct May Be Sending the Wrong Message
Many firms have revised their codes of conduct, ethics training, and everyday communications in recent years, intuitively using personal language to make employees feel they are part of a community built on close, trusting relationships. Unfortunately, research by Francesca Gino, Maryam Kouchaki, and Yuval Feldman shows that personal “we” language can backfire, and there is […]