The question was recently asked: “will there ever be a classic treatise on the FCPA?”
According to Webster’s, a treatise is a book, article, etc., that discusses a subject carefully and thoroughly.
With that definition in mind, I invite you to consider my new book “The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act in a New Era.” Inside you will find:
- A thorough telling of the story of the FCPA told largely through original voices of actual participants who shaped the pioneering law;
- Foundational knowledge (such as DOJ and SEC policy and resolution vehicles and the realities of the global marketplace) that best enhance understanding and comprehension of specific FCPA topics;
- A comprehensive analysis of the FCPA’s anti-bribery provisions and for each element, exception or affirmative defense discussion of all legal sources of authority (including all relevant substantive FCPA judicial decisions) as well as non-legal sources of information (including discussion of over 70 FCPA enforcement actions);
- Discussion of other legal issues also relevant to FCPA enforcement;
- A comprehensive analysis of the FCPA’s books and records and internal controls provisions including legal authority as well as non-legal sources of information;
- Analysis of the typical origins of FCPA scrutiny and enforcement;
- Discussion of FCPA settlement amounts, how they are calculated, and analysis of legal and policy issues relevant to settlement amounts;
- Discussion of FCPA sentencing issues, how sentences are calculated, and an analysis of legal and policy issues relevant to sentencing decisions;
- An extended discussion and analysis of an often overlooked topics, “FCPA Ripples,” and how settlement amounts in an actual FCPA enforcement action are often only a relatively minor component of the overall financial consequences that can result from FCPA scrutiny or enforcement;
- An exploration of practical and provocative reasons for the general increase in FCPA enforcement during this new era including a discussion of FCPA Inc. and the business of bribery;
- Identification and discussion of FCPA compliance best practices and benchmarking metrics; and
- An in-depth discussion and analysis of FCPA reform designed to ensure that the FCPA is best achieving the original goals of the law and that FCPA enforcement is transparent and consistent with rule of law principles.
Whether the above topics highlighted and explored in “The FCPA in a New Era” make it a classic treatise, well, I invite you to come to your own conclusion. At the very least, you will have to agree that the cover of the book is more inviting than a typical treatise.
While I am certainly not going to ascribe labels to my own work, I am pleased to share what others have said about “The FCPA In a New Era.”
Michael Mukasey, former U.S. Attorney General
“Professor Koehler has brought to this volume the clear-eyed perspective that has made his FCPA Professor website the most authoritative source for those seeking to understand and apply the FCPA. This is a uniquely useful book, laying out systematically the history and rationale of the FCPA, as well as its evolution into a structure governed as much by lore as by law. It will be valuable both to those who counsel international corporations, whether in connection with immediate crises or long-term strategies; and to those who contemplate what the FCPA has become, and how it can be improved.”
Professor Daniel Chow, The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law
“This is the single most comprehensive academic treatment of the Foreign Corrupt Practices available. Professor Koehler’s book will become the authoritative standard for the field. The book not only treats the history of the FCPA, but analyzes the statute’s elements in detail, discusses current cases, and makes proposals for reforms where the current law is deficient. The book is written in a clear, accessible style and I will use it often as a resource for my own scholarly work.”
Richard Alderman, former Director of the UK Serious Fraud Office
“An excellent and thought-provoking book by a great expert. Backed up by rigorous analysis of cases, Professor Koehler constantly challenges those involved in anti-corruption work by asking the question ‘why?’ He puts forward many constructive and well-argued suggestions for improvements that need to be considered. I have learned a lot from Professor Koehler over the years and I can thoroughly recommend this book.”
Thomas Fox, FCPA Compliance and Ethics Blog and FCPA Practitioner
“The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act in a New Era” should become one of the standard texts for any FCPA compliance practitioner, law student studying the FCPA or anyone else interested in anti-bribery and anti-corruption. It should be on your FCPA library bookshelf.”
Barry Vitou, thebriberyact.com and Compliance Practitioner
“If you only read one book on the US FCPA, read this one. […] Mike Koehler’s new book is probably the best book we’ve read about the FCPA. […] For those wanting a pair of ‘FCPA goggles’ no book is, in our opinion, better.”
To order a hard copy of the book, see here and here; to order an e-copy of the book, see here and here.
For media coverage of the book including Q&A’s, see here from Corporate Counsel, here from Global Investigations Review, and here from Corporate Counsel Weekly.
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Looking for even more information and analysis of the FCPA and FCPA enforcement?
I invite you to all also consider the following year in review articles. Granted the below articles are not found between two covers, but you will find approximately 500 pages of FCPA statistics, trends and analysis over time.
For 2013, see here.
For 2012, see here.
For 2011, see here.
For 2010, see here.
For 2009, see here.
