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Latin America in Flux: Recent Anti-Corruption Developments

By on August 29, 2022 in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guest Posts, Honduras, Mexico, Peru, Uncategorized
latinamerica

Today’s post is from Debevoise attorneys Andrew Levine, Matthew French, and Nestor Almeida. (See here for a version of this post with footnotes).

In recent years – and notwithstanding encouraging windows of progress – economic difficulties, political shifts, and the pandemic’s lingering effects have undercut anti-corruption efforts in Latin America. The fourth annual Capacity to Combat Corruption Index (“CCC Index”), published in June 2022, reflects these recent challenges. Most countries in Latin America experienced declines in their assessed anti-corruption capabilities, with only a few demonstrating stability or improvement.

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Friday Roundup

By on April 29, 2022 in Argentina, Dmitry Firtash, FCPA Trial, FCPA Trials, Internal Controls, Roger Ng
Roundup

Checking in with Firtash, what the …?, if only it were that simple, and for the reading stack.

It’s all here in the Friday roundup.

Checking In With Firtash

As highlighted in this prior post, in April 2014 the DOJ announced the unsealing of a criminal indictment charging six individuals “with participating in an alleged international racketeering conspiracy involving bribes of state and central government officials in India to allow the mining of titanium minerals.” Among the defendants was high-profile Ukrainian businessman Dmitry Firtash.

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Stericyle Resolves A Net $59 Million FCPA Enforcement Action

By on April 21, 2022 in 2022 Enforcement Action, Argentina, Brazil, DOJ Enforcement Action, Foreign Official, Foreign Officials, Healthcare Companies, Healthcare Providers As Foreign Officials, Merger Issues, Mexico, SEC Enforcement Action, Stericycle, Third Parties, Uncategorized
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Stericycle (an Illinois based medical waste disposal company) has been under FCPA scrutiny since mid-2017 (See here).

As highlighted here, approximately two months ago the company disclosed that it had “reached agreements in principle with the DOJ and SEC.” Specifically, Stericycle disclosed:

Yesterday, the DOJ and SEC announced (here and here) a parallel FCPA enforcement action against Stericycle.

The DOJ enforcement action involved this criminal information charging Stericycle with  two counts of conspiracy to violate (1) the FCPA’s anti-bribery provisions, and (2) the FCPA’s books and records provision. The criminal charges were resolved via this deferred prosecution agreement pursuant to which Stericycle agreed to pay a net $35 million criminal penalty.

The SEC enforcement action involved this administrative order finding that Stericycle violated the FCPA’s anti-bribery, books and records, and internal controls provisions pursuant to which the company agreed to pay a net approximate $24 million in disgorgement and prejudgment interest.

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Customs Issues In Argentina Result In FCPA Enforcement Action Against BJ Services

By on October 30, 2017 in 1998-2004 Enforcement Actions, Argentina, BJ Services, Books and Records, Facilitating Payments, Oil and Gas Industry, Permits / Licenses / Customs / Tax, SEC Enforcement Action, Voluntary Disclosure
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[This post is part of a periodic series regarding “old” FCPA enforcement actions]

In 2004, the SEC brought this administrative cease and desist order against BJ Services (a Houston-based oil field services, products, and equipment company). The conduct at issue focused on the company’s Argentina subsidiary and its relationships with customs officials. As stated in the SEC’s order, there was no indication that anyone employed by BJ Services approved many of the alleged improper payments and the SEC further acknowledged that the improper payments were made in violation of BJ Services’ existing policies prohibiting payments of the kind made to the customs official.

Other interesting aspects of the enforcement include the following: (i) certain of the improper payments were facilitated by the Argentina subsidiary issuing checks “in the name of a lower’level” employee who then “cashed the checks and provided the proceeds to the customs official”; (ii) the SEC seemed to acknowledge that certain of the payments were facilitation payments under the FCPA, but nevertheless improperly booked, and thus still actionable.

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