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Brazilian Airline Bribes Brazilian Officials – U.S. Collects Net $38.1 Million In FCPA Enforcement Action

By on September 16, 2022 in 2022 Enforcement Action, Airline Industry, Brazil, DOJ Enforcement Action, Foreign Issuers, SEC Enforcement Action
GOL

Yesterday, the DOJ and SEC (see here and here) announced a parallel Foreign Corrupt Practices Act enforcement action against Gol Linhas Aereas Inteligentes S.a. (GOL) – an airline headquartered in Sao Paulo, Brazil with shares traded on the New York Stock Exchange.

The DOJ component involved a criminal information against GOL charging conspiracy to violate the FCPA’s anti-bribery and books and records provisions resolved through a deferred prosecution agreement in which the company agreed to pay net $15.3 million. The SEC component involved an administrative order against GOL finding violations of the FCPA’s anti-bribery, books and records, and internal controls provisions pursuant to which the company is expected to pay net $22.8 million.

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Panasonic Corp. And Related Entity Resolve $280 Million Avionics Industry FCPA Enforcement Action

By on April 30, 2018 in 2018 Enforcement Actions, Airline Industry, Auditing Issues, Books and Records, China, DOJ Enforcement Action, Due Diligence, FCPA Related Charges, Foreign Issuers, Internal Controls, Middle East, Monitor, Panasonic, SEC Enforcement Action, SOX Certification Issues, Third Parties
panasonic

Yesterday, the DOJ and SEC announced (here and here) a parallel Foreign Corrupt Practices Act enforcement action against Japan-based Panasonic Corp.  and a U.S. subsidiary Panasonic Avionics Corp. (PAC).

As stated in the enforcement action, Panasonic was an issuer until April 2013 and again “for a brief period between 2015 and 2016 as a result of a share swap that retriggered Panasonic’s obligation to file its financial statements with the SEC.”

As highlighted in this post, the enforcement action consisted of:

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Not Flying Under The Radar – The Many FCPA Enforcement Actions Against Companies In The Aviation Industry

By on November 1, 2016 in Airline Industry, Aviation Industry
Radar Screen

When compiling a list of the industries that have the highest Foreign Corrupt Practices Act risk, the aviation industry is probably not going to be near the top of many lists.

However, it should be because as highlighted in this post there have been approximately 15 corporate FCPA enforcement actions against companies in the industry (broadly defined) throughout FCPA enforcement history. Last week’s enforcement action against Embraer (see here and here for prior posts) was merely the most recent example, albeit most high-profile given the settlement amount.

Indeed, the aviation industry was front and center in “The Story of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act” as Lockheed’s payments to Japanese Prime Minister Tanaka, Prince Berhard (the Inspector General of the Dutch Armed Forces and the husband of Queen Juliana of the Netherlands) and Italian political parties was arguably the most high profile example of the foreign corporate payments problem Congress learned about in the mid-1970’s which motivated it to enact the FCPA.

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Embraer Bribery Schemes Result In Net $187 Million FCPA Enforcement Action

By on October 25, 2016 in 2016 Enforcement Actions, Airline Industry, DOJ Enforcement Action, Dominican Republic, Embraer, Foreign Issuers, India, Mozambique, Saudi Arabia, SEC Enforcement Action, Third Parties
embraer

Yesterday, the DOJ and SEC announced resolution of a Foreign Corrupt Practices Act enforcement action against Embraer, a Brazil-based aircraft manufacturer with American Depositary Shares listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

According to the DOJ and SEC, Embraer engaged in bribery schemes between 2008 through 2011 in the Dominican Republic, Saudi Arabia, and Mozambique in which the company approved bribe payments, through various third-parties, to various alleged “foreign officials.” According to the DOJ and SEC, Embraer’s wholly-owned U.S. subsidiary was active in the bribery schemes including by making payments from its New York based bank account. In addition, the enforcement action also involved improper conduct in India between 2005 and 2009. In total, the government alleges that Embraer made approximately $84 million as a result of the improper conduct.

The enforcement action involved a DOJ component in which the company agreed to pay a criminal penalty of approximately $107.3 million and an SEC component in which the company agreed to pay $83.8 million in disgorgement and $14.4 million in prejudgment interest. The SEC agreed to credit a disgorgement amount that Embraer agreed to pay to Brazilian authorities and this filing suggests that disgorgement amount is approximately $18.6 million. Thus, the net FCPA settlement amount was approximately $187 million.

This post goes in-depth into the enforcement action by summarizing the approximate 115 pages of resolution documents.

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In Connection With A 2006 Argentine Labor Dispute, Chilean Airline Pays U.S. Government $22 Million

By on July 26, 2016 in 2016 Enforcement Actions, Airline Industry, Argentina, Books and Records, DOJ Enforcement Action, Foreign Issuers, Ignacio Cueto Plaza, Internal Controls, Labor Issues, LAN / LATAM Airlines, Monitor, SEC Enforcement Action
LATAM

Five months ago, the SEC brought a Foreign Corrupt Practices Act enforcement action against Ignacio Cueto Plaza (“Cueto”), the Chilean CEO of Santiago, Chile based LAN Airlines S.A. (“LAN”) for authorizing payments in 2006 and 2007 to a third party consultant in Argentina in connection with LAN’s attempts to settle disputes on wages and other work conditions between LAN Argentina S.A. (“LAN Argentina”), a subsidiary of LAN, and its employees.

Yesterday, the DOJ and SEC returned to the same conduct by announcing (here and here) parallel FCPA enforcement actions against LAN.

In short, the end result of an old labor dispute between a Chilean airline and Argentine workers is approximately $22 million flowing into the U.S. Treasury because LAN has shares that are traded on a U.S. exchange.

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