In yesterday’s 3Q FY2019 earnings call presentation, Wal-Mart disclosed $9 million in Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and compliance related expenses ($6 million for ongoing investigations and inquiries and $3 million for global compliance program and organizational enhancements). The 3Q figures are higher than 2Q figures and 1Q figures.
Doing the math, Wal-Mart’s 3Q FY2019 FCPA and compliance-related costs are approximately $145,000 per working day.
In yesterday’s 2Q FY2019 earnings call presentation WalMart disclosed $8 million in Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and compliance related expenses ($5 million for ongoing investigations and inquiries and $3 million for global compliance program and organizational enhancements).
Doing the math, Wal-Mart’s 2Q FY2019 FCPA and compliance-related costs is approximately $130,000 per working day.
Over the past approximate 6 years, I have tracked Wal-Mart’s quarterly disclosed pre-enforcement action professional fees and expenses. While some pundits ridiculed me for doing so, it quickly caught on as the popular thing to do.
Some people simply read FCPA enforcement actions, accept the enforcement theories advanced, record the enforcement statistics, and go about their day.
Not here at FCPA Professor. Just because the FCPA is a fundamentally sound statute, does not mean that FCPA enforcement is necessarily fundamentally sound.
Prior posts here and here went in-depth into the SEC’s $9.2 million Foreign Corrupt Practices Act enforcement action against Dun & Bradstreet based on the conduct of two indirect Chinese subsidiaries from 6 – 12 years ago.
This post continues the analysis by highlighting the many troubling or notable issues to consider from the enforcement action.
Add some to the list, take a few off, future settlement, continuing to seemingly “boil the ocean,” and monitor costs.
This time of year is heavy on annual reports and other corporate disclosures and this post rounds up various scrutiny alerts and updates.
Albemarle Corp.
The North Carolina based chemical company recently disclosed:
In yesterday’s 4Q FY2018 earnings call presentation WalMart disclosed $7 million in Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and compliance related expenses ($4 million for ongoing investigations and inquiries and $3 million for global compliance program and organizational enhancements).
The Q4 expenses of $7 million compare to the following recent quarterly expenses: Q3 FY2018 $5 million, Q2 FY2018 $12 million, Q1 FY2018 $16 million; Q4 FY2017 $17 million; Q3 FY2017 $29 million; Q2 FY 2017 $28 million, and Q1 FY2017 $25 million).
Doing the math, Wal-Mart’s 4Q FY2018 FCPA and compliance-related costs is approximately $113,000 per working day.
