Here are some interesting compliance stories that have not made their into their own posts:
Canada’s Commitment to Combating the Corruption of Foreign Public Officials: Watching Bill C-31 from the Wrageblog
Bill C-31, An Act to amend the Criminal Code, the Corruption of Foreign Public Officials Act and the Identification of Criminals Act, was introduced to Parliament on May 15, 2009. The timing of the bill’s first reading was clearly tied to the June 2009 release of Transparency International’s Progress Report on the Enforcement of the OECD Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions. The TI Report criticized Canada, calling Canada a laggard, and listing it as one of 21 countries making little or no effort to enforce its anti-corruption laws.
The FCPA’s Murky Knowledge Element by Mike Koehler for the FCPA Professor
In a superb new piece titled, “The ‘Knowledge’ Requirement of the FCPA Anti-Bribery Provisions: Effectuating Or Frustrating Congressional Intent?,” – Kenneth Winer and Gregory Husisian of Foley & Lardner (the “Authors”) conclude that “[t]he DOJ and SEC … now interpret the knowledge requirement so broadly that they have effectively eviscerated the 1988 statutory changes thereby raising an important question: Are the DOJ and SEC frustrating the intent of Congress by ignoring the reason that Congress amended the FCPA?” (see here).
Changes to Cayman AML Guidance Notes from Compliance Avenue
According to recent changes to the Guidance Notes on the Prevention and Detection of Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing in the Cayman Islands (the “Guidance Notes”), offshore funds registered in the Cayman Islands and regulated by the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority (“CIMA”) should designate and appoint a compliance officer (“Compliance Officer”) at the management level, who: . . .
How BAE Got Caught by Richard Cassin for the FCPA Blog
Investigative reporters may be disappearing from newsrooms everywhere, but they still have an important role to play in holding institutions and people accountable for overseas bribery. Rob Evans of the U.K. Guardian contributed an essay to TI’s Global Corruption Report 2009 here. It’s about how he and David Leigh broke the BAE story.
ERISA Bonding Requirements for Hedge Fund Managers by The Hedge Fund Lawyer
Hedge fund managers who manages hedge funds which exceed the 25% ERISA threshold will need to purchase a fidelity bond. The questions and answers below on the ERISA fidelity bonding requirements were prepared by the Department of Labor which is the governmental agency which is in charge of enforcing the ERISA laws and regulations.
The Time I was Written Up for Blogging by New CommBiz
About a year and a half ago I was written up for blogging. It was kind of a weird moment and I’ve never really talked about it much. It wasn’t that big of a deal but I thought I’d share how it happened and what I learned from it.
Here’s what I did wrong:
- Technically I responded to a “press inquiry” (nothing freaks out PR people more than employees talking to the press)
- I talked about the layoffs and certain financial aspects of the company during the “quiet period”