Tom Fox

Sometimes it does not take active bribery or corruption by an individual to violate anti-corruption laws such as the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. It is one of the few laws which makes illegal consciously avoiding the actual knowledge of the underlying crime.

Image: In theory, U.S. and Swiss authorities are working in tandem to investigate allegations of misconduct by the leaders of the FIFA professional soccer organization. In practice … relations are a bit more complicated, and that leaves the law firm handling FIFA’s internal probe in a difficult spot. CW anti-corruption blogger Tom Fox has more.

Image: FIFA and NFL football are not the only sports mired in ethical controversy any more; now track and field has entered the race. The latest scandals include allegations of rampant doping among Russian athletes, and a clear conflict of interest from the new director of the sport’s oversight body. Our Man From FCPA, Tom Fox, has more.

Allegations of bribery can come to light in many ways, but one way not usually mentioned—that was prominently featured last week—is through news reports. This time the media outlet was the BBC, and the allegations were that bribery at British American Tobacco Co. had occurred in violation of the Bribery Act. Our Man From FCPA, Tom Fox, reviews what was exposed and the potential consequences for BAT.

Image: On Monday the U.K. Serious Fraud Office announced its first deferred-prosecution agreement under the Bribery Act for bribes ICBC Standard Bank Plc paid to government officials in Tanzania intended to sway their favor toward a proposed $600 million private placement. Inside, our anti-corruption blogger Tom Fox explores what lessons U.S. compliance officers might glean from the sanction.

When thinking through an FCPA risk assessment, one thing usually not considered adequately is a company’s sales culture. To see the consequences of that, one need look no further than GSK’s corruption troubles in China—but, CW blogger Tom Fox writes, the reforms GSK has implemented with its sales force are just as telling, too. Our Man From FCPA has more inside.

Image: One lesson from the FIFA corruption scandal is that when the U.S. government comes knocking, it requires a serious and thoughtful response. So far, now-suspended FIFA president Sepp Blatter (left) has responded in a way decidedly not serious and thoughtful. Our anti-corruption blogger Tom Fox takes a closer look at how companies should behave when U.S. authorities visit, whether the company likes it or not. More inside.

Image: A study by the Cranfield School of Management has identified five key concepts for companies to employ toward effective risk management. In a nutshell: anticipate problems; have adequate resources; flow information to the board; respond quickly to any incidents; and learn from the past. CW’s Tom Fox has more inside.