ConocoPhillips is hit with an FCPA related shareholder proposal, add Wal-Mart to the list, and more on Embraer … it’s all here in the Friday Roundup.
ConocoPhillips Shareholder Proposal
Last week ConocoPhillips was hit with an FCPA shareholder proposal – see here. In the letter, titled “Shareholder Proposal and Statement for Publication in 2012 Proxy Materials Recommending an Audit of Controls on U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act Violations,” the shareholder – Roger Parsons, a former Conoco employee who runs a website “The Iran-Conoco Affair” (here) – recommends “that the Board commission a forensic audit of ConocoPhillips compliance controls that failed to identify violations of the United States Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977 (“FCPA”) arising from James J. Mulva ‘s peddling influence with the Bush Administration to obtain Executive Order 13477 on behalf of Muammar al-Qadhafi.” Mulva is currently ConocoPhillips Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.
Wal-Mart
Add Wal-Mart to the list of company’s under FCPA scrutiny. In a 10-K filing yesterday, the company disclosed as follows. “During fiscal 2012, the Company began conducting a voluntary internal review of its policies, procedures and internal controls pertaining to its global anti-corruption compliance program. As a result of information obtained during that review and from other sources, the Company has begun an internal investigation into whether certain matters, including permitting, licensing and inspections, were in compliance with the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. The Company has engaged outside counsel and other advisors to assist in the review of these matters and has implemented, and is continuing to implement, appropriate remedial measures. The Company has voluntarily disclosed its internal investigation to the U.S. Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission. We cannot reasonably estimate the potential liability, if any, related to these matters. However, based on the facts currently known,
we do not believe that these matters will have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.”
Given the reference to permits, licenses and inspections in the disclosure, it is useful to review the holding of U.S. v. Kay, the only appellate court decision to directly address payments outside the context of directly securing a foreign government contract. In Kay, the 5th Circuit said that such payments “could” violate the FCPA, but that “there are bound to be circumstances” in which such payments merely increase the profitability of an existing profitable company and thus, presumably does not assist the payer in obtaining or retaining business. The court specifically stated as follows. “If the government is correct that anytime operating costs are reduced the beneficiary of such advantage is assisted in betting or keeping business, the FCPA’s language that expresses the necessary element of assisting in obtaining or retaining business would be unnecessary, and thus surplusage – a conclusion that we are forbidden to reach.”
Embraer
Bloomberg has additional information (here) regarding Embraer’s FCPA scrutiny (discussed in this previous post). The article suggests that the “probe started more than a year ago in Argentina with government-controlled Aerolineas Argentinas SA’s $700 million purchase of 20 E-190 jets in 2009.” The airline has switched between private ownership and government ownership a number of times over the years.
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A good weekend to all.
