Shareholders seeking damages worth €9.2 billion (U.S. $10.6 billion) have taken German car giant Volkswagen to court in Germany for failing to inform them fully of the financial impact that the emissions cheating scandal would have on the company’s share price.

The European Commission wants to strengthen supervision over banks and other financial institutions to toughen up its fight against money laundering and terrorist financing after admitting that present measures have “failed all too often.” 

An English Court of Appeal decision giving companies the right to protect documentation gathered during an internal investigation is a blow to both U.S. and U.K. regulators, who have grown increasingly concerned that firms may be hiding critical evidence under the guise of it being “privileged.”

The beauty of being in the compliance field (or writing about it) is that within any day’s news cycle, there are lessons to learn and debates to be had. This past week has been chock full of both. 

For years, a battle over the place of guidance in the regulatory world has been hotly debated. Now, there may be some clarity.

Head of the Serious Fraud Office Lisa Osofsky laid out her priorities for the agency in the coming months and provided CCOs a glimpse into what the SFO will expect.

In her first mailbag on some of the softer skills effective compliance leaders need, executive coach Amii Barnard-Bahn tackles your questions on change management, compliance training, creating a culture of compliance, and more. 

A slate of new technologies is poised to push the compliance function to new horizons of efficiency and effectiveness. It may be easier said than done, however—especially without a plan of attack.