Overview
(February 28, 2017, Washington, DC) — Steptoe & Johnson LLP is pleased to announce the release of the 2016 FCPA Year in Review, an annual report written by members of the firm’s International Regulation & Compliance Group. This marks the ninth year of the report, which has evolved over the years from a focus on US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) enforcement to a multi-jurisdictional perspective with coverage of other key enforcement during the year.
“While there are a lot of annual reviews out there, we like to think this one stands out for its comprehensive and thoughtful approach,” said Lucinda Low, who leads Steptoe’s FCPA and anti-corruption practice. “In addition to covering trends in US enforcement over the past year, our report provides an in-depth look at other transnational law enforcement, including major matters in the United Kingdom, China and at the World Bank.”
Steptoe’s 80-page 2016 FCPA Year in Review discusses what the authors call “a banner year” for global anti-corruption and FCPA enforcement. Coming on the heels of 2015, a year in which the US Department of Justice and US Securities and Exchange Commission brought their lowest number of enforcement actions for a decade, 2016 not only resulted in the largest number and highest dollar-value of FCPA corporate enforcement actions in a single year, but also reflected the impact of new policy directions. The authors note that the 2016 enforcement resurgence is less the result of any renewed commitment to FCPA enforcement (as was explained in Steptoe’s 2015 FCPA Year in Review), than a reflection of a number of factors: the targeting of individuals; DOJ’s willingness to progress some investigations more quickly than in the past; multiple investigations arising out of common facts in the same industry or country; and unprecedented cooperation and coordination between US enforcement authorities and their counterparts in Brazil, the UK and other countries around the world.
Click here to read more on Steptoe’s 2016 FCPA Year in Review, or click here to view the full report.
About Steptoe
Steptoe & Johnson LLP is an international law firm widely recognized for vigorous advocacy in complex litigation and arbitration, successful representation of clients before governmental agencies, and creative and practical advice in guiding business transactions. The firm has more than 500 lawyers and other professionals in offices in Beijing, Brussels, Chicago, London, Los Angeles, New York, Palo Alto, Phoenix and Washington. For more information, visit www.steptoe.com.