Twas the Holiday Season, when all through the land People hurried and scurried, happy to lend a hand<< MORE >>

During the SCCE Conference in Las Vegas this September, I was interviewed by the i-Sight Blog regarding my work in the area of Independent Corporate Monitoring. The article was recently published and I hope that you find it informative and helpful in your professional role(s).

Link to Article: "Lessons from an Independent Corporate Monitor"

I just published an article by this title with Corporate Compliance Insights.  It cautions against some of the organizations and people who peddle interview techniques advertised to turn a person into a "human lie detector." Link here

I recently had an article published on Corporate Compliance Insights entitled "Post Traumatic Settlement Disorder."  Organizations are frequently held liable for the actions of their employees and will enter into settlement agreements (i.e. deferred prosecution agreements, non-prosecution agreements, consent agreements, administrative agreements, etc.) with government agencies in order to resolve that liability.

This article covers two of the key things that an organization can do to maintain order and better meet their settlement agreement obligations - from the perspective of an independent corporate monitor.  Both parts are linked below:

Part 1
Part 2

There has been a slightly less frequent requirement by the DOJ for Independent Corporate Monitors (“Monitors”) in FCPA-based settlement agreements during 2011. Counts may vary a little due to timing, but there have been about seven (7) such settlement agreements during the first half of 2011, of which two (2) required Monitors and three (3) required some form of “self-reporting.” Previously, Monitors had been required, on average, in a little more than forty percent (40%) of FCPA-based settlement agreements, a fair amount more than the twenty-eight percent (28%) average for the first half of 2011. What is behind this apparent trend and does it have anything to do with concerns that have been raised over the last few years about the costs and scope of Monitors? Does it signal a broader "policy" shift within DOJ and/or outside of just FCPA matters? What should be considered by government agencies when contemplating whether or not to allow an organization to self-monitor their compliance with the terms of a settlement agreement?<< MORE >>

I am pleased to be speaking with Tom Fox on March 17th in DC on the topic of compliance with the UK Bribery Act.  The UK Bribery Act will become effective on April 1st. It differs substantially from the FCPA in several key areas and has been dubbed by one former DOJ official, Mark Mendelsohn as “The FCPA on steroids.”

Is your company ready for this new law?  Join Tom and I for a discussion about compliance aspects and issues related to this new law.  Unlike other presentations on this topic, this one brings together and presents the unique viewpoints of a renowned bribery and corruption compliance professional and a leading expert in the field of Corporate Monitoring.

For more information about this event and/or to register (it's free!), please click here.

There is a misperception that Independent Corporate Monitors are akin to some sort of in-house Inspector General or government appointed special investigator. That we will discover and ferret out all instances of wrongdoing, fraud, waste and abuse within the organizations we are appointed and entrusted to monitor. << MORE >>

It is with great pleasure that I released the third edition of The Monitor this week. Thanks to so many of you who have shared how useful the information in this newsletter has been to you. My goal with The Monitor has been to provide current and relevant information related to the area of independent corporate monitoring and provide the most comprehensive collection of informational resources available on the topic in one place. I hope that you continue to use and benefit from this newsletter and the provided resources as that collection grows.<< MORE >>

I will present “How To Work Effectively With A Corporate Monitor” at the Global Corruption & Bribery Compliance Conference for Life Sciences on November 29, 2010 in London.<< MORE >>