Overview
Timothy L. Dickinson is a Senior Counsel in the firm's Washington, DC office, with more than 40 years of experience in anti-corruption law. His practice encompasses a wide range of areas, including all aspects of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), US export laws, economic sanctions, ITAR regulations (including enforcement actions), and political risk insurance.
Timothy advises clients across various industries on anti-corruption matters, including the establishment and implementation of compliance programs, conducting due diligence for third parties and acquisitions, and leading special investigations and defense before regulators in the US and abroad, including the UK's Serious Fraud Office. In 2005, he was appointed Independent Expert by Monsanto as part of a Deferred Prosecution Agreement with the Department of Justice, and he also served as Independent Monitor for another company from 2010-2013. Timothy has also represented a number of companies through mentorships following dispositions with the DOJ and SEC.
Timothy has significant experience working with multilateral development banks, including the World Bank and the African Development Bank. He was selected by The World Bank to assist with developing their Voluntary Disclosure Program and has contributed to evaluating and recommending improvements to compliance programs of VDP participants. Timothy's practice also includes counselling on political risk insurance claims, disputes with insureds and arbitrations. Timothy is also recognized for his unique capabilities in recovery actions post claims payments on behalf of political risk insurers worldwide.
In addition to his legal practice, Timothy has an extensive academic career. Currently, he is a professor of practice at the University of Michigan Law School, where he teaches Anti-Corruption Law and Practice and International Commercial Transactions. He is also a founding faculty member of the International Transactions Clinic, providing students practical experience in international commercial law. Previously, He was an adjunct professor of law at Georgetown University Law Center from 1983 to 1993.
Mr. Dickinson has served as the chair of the ABA Section of International Law and Practice, the Executive Council of the American Society of International Law, and as a Director for the International Law Institute's Governance and Anti-Corruption Methods course. He also chaired the ABA's International Legal Resource Center and currently serves on the Executive Board of the CEELI Institute.
Chambers USA has consistently recognized Timothy as a top-tier FCPA attorney. His career includes significant international experience, having worked as an extern in the Office of the Legal Adviser of the Department of State and the Legal Service of the Commission of the European Communities in Brussels, Belgium.
- Michigan
- New York
- District of Columbia
Areas of Work
Representative Matters
- Representation of a Fortune 20 corporation in connection with a corruption-related enforcement action brought by a multinational development bank.
- Represented a Fortune 10 corporation in connection with a corruption-related DOJ and SEC investigation in Africa.
- Represented a Fortune 500 engineering and construction corporation in connection with corruption-related sanctions actions brought by the World Bank and the African Development Bank.
- Assisted a Fortune 500 manufacturing and retail corporation with the development of its anti-corruption compliance program and a global anticorruption risk assessment.
- Represented a Fortune 250 global conglomerate in connection with multiple corruption-related internal and DOJ and SEC investigations in Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Africa.
- Represented a Fortune 500 engineering, construction and services company in its investigations, negotiations, and settlement with the DOJ and SEC in a complex FCPA matter.
- Advised a Fortune 500 engineering, complying and services company in all aspects of its adoption and implementation of a comprehensive compliance program, due diligence on its third-party relationships, compliance training, and anti-corruption audits.
- Represented a number of insurers in coverage disputes and claims against foreign sovereigns.
Speaking Engagements
- Panelist, "Cutting-Edge Issues of Corruption in International Business," Georgetown Law School, Center for Transnational Business and the Law, April 2021,
- "A Discussion on Transnational Corruption with Drago Kos, Chair of the OECD's Working Group on Bribery", November 2020
- "Inside a Recent Monitorship: What Every Organization Should Know - Whether Under the Enforcement Microscope (or Not)," 36th International Conference on the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, December 2019
- Moderator, "Interview with SBM Offshore NV," 35th International Conference on the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, November 2018,
- American Conference Institute's 20th Anniversary New York Conference on the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, American Conference Institute, New York, NY, May 2018
- "World Bank and IADB Enforcement," American Conference Institute's 34th International Conference on the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, American Conference Institute, Washington, DC, November 2017
- "Corruption in Sports Law: The FIFA Affair and How Corruption Impacts Global Sports, "The University of Michigan European Alumni Reunion, The University of Michigan, Rome, Italy, June 2017
- "Employees on Your Watch: Dealing with Employees under Suspicion: How to Fully Cooperate with the U.S. Government," 33rd International Conference on the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, American Conference Institute, Washington, DC, November 2016,
- "International Organisations and the Fight Against Corruption: Implementation and Policy Trends," International Bar Association Annual Conference, International Bar Association, Washington, DC, September 2016
- "Rule of Law Initiatives Regarding the Judiciary," International Judicial Conference, Washington, DC, May 2016
- "Transparency and Judicial Reasoning," International Judicial Conference, Washington, DC, May 2016
- "An International Perspective on Corporate Monitorships," International Bar Association Anti-Corruption Conference, International Bar Association and the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation, Paris, France, June 2015
- "International Law in Domestic Legal Systems," International Judicial Conference, Antalya, Turkey, May 2015,
- "Judicial Independence and Outside Influence," International Judicial Conference, Antalya, Turkey, May 2015,
- "Successful Anti-Corruption Campaigns," Drivers of Corruption and Institutional Responses: Are Current Anti-Corruption Instruments Effective?, George Washington University, Washington, DC, March 2015
- "Developing a Comprehensive FCPA Module for Internal Audit," American Conference Institute's 31st International Conference on the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, American Conference Institute, Washington, DC, November 2014,
- "For a World with Global Rules and Standards: 50 Years of Experience of Japan at the OECD," International Bar Association Annual Meeting, International Bar Association, Tokyo, Japan, October 2014
- "The Rule of Law in Diverse Cultures," International Judicial Conference, Valletta, Malta, June 2014
- "New Legal Frontiers: How to Deal with Multilateral Development Banks in Corruption Cases?," International Bar Association Anti-Corruption Conference, the International Bar Association and the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation, Paris, France, June 2014
- Global Forum on Law, Justice and Development, Suspension and Debarment Colloquium, The World Bank, Washington, DC, May 2014
- "Joint Ventures,“ The Practising Law Institute's Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and International Anti-Corruption Developments 2014, The Practising Law Institute, New York, NY, May 2014
- "Declinations: Is Cooperation Paying Off in Corruption Prosecutions?," The American Bar Association Section of International Law Spring Meeting, American Bar Association, New York, NY, April 2014
- "Moot Court Program," American Conference Institute's 30th International Conference on the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, American Conference Institute, Washington, DC, November 2013
- "Due Diligence When Retaining Third Parties: When is Enough Enough?," International Bar Association Annual Conference, International Bar Association, Boston, MA, October 2013
- "Can We Talk About This: Voluntary Disclosure, Settlement and Plea Bargaining in Anti-Bribery Cases," International Bar Association Anti-Corruption Conference, International Bar Association and the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation, Paris, France, June 2013
- "The World Bank and MDBs," The Practising Law Institute's Foreign Corrupt Practices Act 2013, The Practice Law Institute, New York, NY, May 2013
- "World Bank Enforcement for Anti-Corruption Violations: An Inside Look at How Investigations are Conducted and Sanctions Applied, and How they Differ from FCPA Investigations," American Conference Institute's National Conference on the FCPA, American Conference Institute, New York, NY, April 2013
- "Corruption Challenges for Foreign Investors on M&A Transactions," International Bar Association Anti-Corruption Conference, International Bar Association, Jakarta, Indonesia, April 2013
- "Cross-Border Investigations," International Bar Association Anti-Corruption Conference, International Bar Association, Jakarta, Indonesia, April 2013
News & Publications
Noteworthy
- Chambers USA, FCPA, Nationwide, Senior Statespeople (2009-2024)
- Global Investigations Review, Outstanding Career Award (2021)
- Global Investigations Review, GIR 100 (2015-2021)
- Ethisphere, FCPA, List of Attorneys Who Matter (2009)
Publications
- The Russia-Ukraine War: Establishing a Claims Compensation Process - November 14th, 2023
- Co-author, "The Growing Importance of ESG Due Diligence Post-COVID-19," July 2020
- General Counsel Interview with Eileen Akerson, KBR
- Ask the Experts: Q&A with ACI's Global Anti-Corruption Advisory Board
- While Safeguarding Your Business, and Complying with Foreign Labor and Privacy Laws
Professional Affiliations
- Member, Anti-Corruption Committee Advisory Board, International Bar Association, 2023-2024
- Member, Management Board, CEELI Institute, Prague, Czech Republic
- Member, Audit Committee, American Society of International Law
- Co-chair, International Bar Association Anti-Corruption Committee, 2012-2013
- Founding faculty member, University of Michigan Law School's International Transactions Clinic
- Director, International Law Institute's course on government integrity and anti-corruption initiatives
- Chairman, ABA's International Legal Resource Center, American Bar Association and the United Nations Development Programme
- Chairman, ABA Section of International Law, 1997-19998