Second Circuit Affirms Dismissal Of FCPA Related Securities Fraud Action Against Ericsson
This prior post covered the 2019 Foreign Corrupt Practices Act enforcement action against Ericsson. The enforcement action concerned conduct in Djibouti, China, Vietnam, Kuwait, Indonesia, and Saudi Arabia and included a DOJ and SEC component. The DOJ matter involved a one count criminal information against Ericsson subsidiary Ericsson Egypt Ltd. charging conspiracy to violate the FCPA’s anti-bribery provisions resolved through a plea agreement and a criminal information against Ericsson charging conspiracies to violate the FCPA’s anti-bribery, books and records, and internal controls provisions resolved through a deferred prosecution agreement. The DOJ matter was resolved through payment of a $520 million criminal penalty.
As highlighted in this prior post, in 2021 the DOJ suggested that Ericsson was in breach of its DPA obligations and in March 2023 the DOJ announced that “Ericsson has agreed to plead guilty and pay a criminal penalty of more than $206 million after breaching a 2019 Deferred Prosecution Agreement (DPA).” (See here for the prior post).
Ericsson Monitor And Plea Agreement End
As highlighted in this prior post, in 2019 Ericsson (a Swedish telecom company with American Depositary Shares traded in the U.S.) resolved a $1.06 billion FCPA enforcement action concerning conduct in Djibouti, China, Vietnam, Kuwait, Indonesia, and Saudi Arabia.
As part of the resolution, Ericsson was required to engage an independent compliance monitor for a three-year period.
In late 2022, Ericsson announced “that it has agreed with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to extend the term of the Company’s Independent Compliance Monitor for one year, to June 2024.” (See here for the prior post).
Potpourri
Ericsson
As highlighted in this prior post, in 2019 Ericsson (a Swedish telecom company with American Depositary Shares traded in the U.S.) resolved a $1.06 billion FCPA enforcement action concerning conduct in Djibouti, China, Vietnam, Kuwait, Indonesia, and Saudi Arabia.
As part of the resolution, Ericsson was required to engage an independent compliance monitor for a three-year period.
In late 2022, Ericsson announced “that it has agreed with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to extend the term of the Company’s Independent Compliance Monitor for one year, to June 2024.” (See here for the prior post).
Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General Miller On Voluntary Disclosure, Compensation Clawback, And National Security
It is September which means enforcement agency officials hit the “conference circuit” to give scripted speeches.
Today it was Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General Marshall Miller speaking at a private event to discuss “the Justice Department’s corporate criminal enforcement priorities” specifically (in what is perhaps a laughable statement to many who closely follow DOJ enforcement activity) the DOJ’s “commitment to consistency, predictability, and transparency in our corporate enforcement work …”.
Miller began by talking about voluntary disclosure and stated:
Record $279 Million Whistleblower Award Made In Connection With Ericsson FCPA Matter – Even Though The Information Was Provided After The SEC Had Already Opened An Investigation Of The Company
According to this recent Wall Street Journal article:
“The record $279 million whistleblower award issued by the Securities and Exchange Commission earlier this month stemmed from a bribery case against telecommunications company Ericsson.” (See here for the prior post about the 2019 enforcement action).
Even though the SEC’s whistleblower award is highly redacted, the few portions that are readable are interesting.