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- Home
- Practices and Industries
- Litigation and Investigations
- Anti-corruption/FCPA
GIR Ranks Covington Among the
World's Top 30 Investigations Practices
The world’s most sophisticated business organizations turn to Covington for anti-corruption advice and investigative counsel.
With roots in the conception of the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), Covington has been a leading voice on U.S. legislation and policy relating to anti-corruption enforcement and compliance, as well as on new legislation around the world, including the U.K. Bribery Act.
Our global practice has garnered the attention of numerous publications, including Global Investigations Review, Chambers and Legal 500.
As the home to a former U.S. Attorney General, three former heads of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Criminal Division, and numerous other former high-ranking prosecutors, Covington has unmatched expertise in guiding clients safely through this prevailing climate of heightened enforcement.
We are also one of the few firms in the world to have a senior lawyer resident in China who focuses on anti-corruption counseling and investigations.
Across both counseling and investigations, our anti-corruption team is able to provide “24-hour” real-time support to our clients with seamless coordination across the Americas, Europe, Asia, and Africa. Our team has handled matters throughout the world, including in Brazil, China, Eastern Europe, Germany, India, Indonesia, Mexico, the Middle East, Russia, South Korea, and the UK.
We are further distinguished by our ability to translate nuanced legal analysis into practical advice that makes sense to business clients. With more than 35 years of experience advising companies on the toughest compliance questions, conducting internal investigations, and helping to design and implement effective compliance programs, we have the experience and sophistication to guide clients through the prevailing climate of heightened enforcement.
China pharma bribery investigation
Representation of a major pharmaceutical company in its response to a Chinese government commercial bribery investigation in China.
China Regulatory and Compliance
Conducting internal investigation on behalf of a multinational pharmaceutical company into whistleblower allegations of corruption at its Chinese subsidiary.
Internal investigation for global company in China
Conducted a large-scale internal investigation of a leading global company’s business practices in China.
Manufacturing company SEC enforcement action
Persuaded the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission not to pursue enforcement action against a leading manufacturing company following an 18-month investigation of business practices in Europe and Asia.
World Bank bribery allegations
Investigating allegations of fraud, bribery, and collusion in a contract financed by the World Bank and representing the client before the World Bank Integrity Vice Presidency in anticipation of a potential debarment action.
September 4, 2020, Covington Alert
It has been over twenty years since the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention came into force, over a decade since the enactment of the UK Bribery Act, and over three years since the passage of France’s Sapin II law. Alongside those ground-breaking developments have come a host of other measures across the Europe, Middle East, and Africa (“EMEA”) region to strengthen ...
May 2020, Covington Alert
On April 13, 2020, China’s National Healthcare Security Administration (“NHSA”) released a draft opinion titled “Guiding Opinions on Establishment of a Drug Pricing and Procurement Creditworthiness System (the “Draft Opinion”; Covington’s translation is available here) setting forth proposed requirements for a creditworthiness evaluation and disciplinary system ...
April 27, 2020, Covington Alert
Companies should ask themselves five key questions about their compliance programs to ensure they are ready to face any crises—including the coronavirus pandemic—and be ready for current and future business disruptions.
March 4, 2020, Covington Alert
The following alert is a summary of the district court’s acquittal of UK citizen Lawrence Hoskins, a former senior vice president at the French power and transportation company Alstom S.A. (“Alstom”), on FCPA bribery and conspiracy charges. Alstom pleaded guilty in 2014 to two counts of violating the FCPA in connection with a worldwide bribery scheme that ...
December 12, 2019, Covington Alert
On November 8, 2019, a federal jury convicted Lawrence Hoskins, the former senior vice president of Alstom, of violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (“FCPA”) for his role in a multi-million dollar bribery and money laundering scheme in Indonesia.
October 11, 2019, Covington Alert
On September 27, 2019, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) announced a $4.1 million settlement with Westport Fuel Systems, Inc. (“Westport”) and its former chief executive officer, Nancy Gougarty. Based in Vancouver, Canada, Westport is a clean fuel technology company that has shares listed on the NASDAQ. The SEC’s cease-and-desist order finds that ...
September 5, 2019, The FCPA Blog
China takes on bribery and corruption
May 29, 2019, Commercial Dispute Resolution
Eric Carlson is quoted in Commercial Dispute Resolution regarding China’s actions to take on bribery and corruption. Mr. Carlson says that alongside targeting corrupt government officials, China is increasingly targeting the bribe-givers as well. Additionally, he says that while agencies such as the NSC do not have enforcement jurisdiction over private companies ...
November 14, 2018, Covington Alert
China recently amended its Criminal Procedure Law (CPL) to codify rules encouraging cooperation in government investigations, align with the new national supervision system, and introduce trials in absentia for certain crimes, including bribery and corruption.
November 8, 2018, Covington Alert
Last week, the U.S. Department of Justice announced a new “China Initiative.” According to the press release, the Initiative “reflects the Department’s strategic priority of countering Chinese national security threats and reinforces the President’s overall national security strategy.”
China: Government Reorganization and Trade War Suggest More Anti-Corruption Enforcement in China
March 29, 2018, Covington Alert
China’s biggest government reorganization in a generation, coinciding with rapidly escalating U.S.-China trade tensions, will impact many aspects of doing business in China, including an uptick in anti-corruption enforcement.
March 7, 2018
WASHINGTON—Global Investigations Review and Who’s Who Legal: Investigations have recognized Covington’s White Collar Defense and Investigations Practice Group in its 2018 report. The publication named Covington partners Tammy Albarrán and Steven Fagell to the inaugural Future Leaders issue, a ranking of “the most eminent lawyers in the field under 45,” and ...
January 19, 2018, Law360
Covington was named a 2017 International Trade Group of the Year by Law360. According to Peter Lichtenbaum, the Bombardier trade remedies case, which "presents very significant economic, legal, and political issues," was one of the group's biggest from the past year. "The company remains confident that the ITC will conclude that Boeing will not be harmed by the ...
September 11, 2017, The FCPA Blog
March 2, 2017, Covington Alert
The Fraud Section of the U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”) quietly released new guidance last month entitled “Evaluation of Corporate Compliance Programs” (the “Guidance”). While noting that “the Fraud Section does not use any rigid formula to assess the effectiveness of corporate compliance programs,” the eight-page Guidance outlines 11 “Sample Topics and ...
January 3, 2017, Covington Alert
On December 29, 2016, General Cable Corporation (“GCC”), a global manufacturer of wire and cable products, agreed to pay approximately $75.8 million in connection with a non-prosecution agreement with the Department of Justice (“DOJ”) and a cease and desist order with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) to settle allegations that it violated the ...
Managing Data Privacy Challenges in Performing Due Diligence and Internal Investigations in China (Part Two of Two)
September 28, 2016, The FCPA Report
Eric Carlson is quoted in an FCPA Report article regarding China’s data privacy and cybersecurity laws and how they apply to companies doing business in China. Commenting on performing due diligence while avoiding data privacy issues, Carlson says, “For due diligence purposes, it is still safe and appropriate to gather corporate information such as whether a ...
July 18, 2016, Covington Alert
On July 11, 2016, Johnson Controls, Inc. (“JCI”) agreed to pay $14.4 million to settle allegations by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that JCI, through its subsidiaries in China, violated the books and records and internal controls provisions of the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. The SEC alleged that, from 2007 to 2013, nearly all of the ...
April 21, 2016, Covington Alert
On April 5, 2016, the United States Department of Justice (“DOJ”), through the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, announced a one-year Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (“FCPA”) enforcement pilot program (the “Pilot Program”) intended to motivate companies to voluntarily disclose FCPA-related misconduct and increase transparency around the Fraud Section’s approach ...
April 2016, Covington Alert
On April 7, 2016, Las Vegas Sands Corp. (“LVSC”) agreed to pay $9 million to settle allegations by the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) that LVSC, through its subsidiaries in China and Macao, violated the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (“FCPA”). The settlement resolves allegations that, from 2006 through at least 2011, LVSC and its subsidiaries ...
China Releases Judicial Interpretation Clarifying Application of Law to Criminal Bribery Cases
April 2016, Covington Alert
On April 18, 2016, the Chinese government released a judicial interpretation that clarifies certain aspects of the PRC Criminal Law with regard to bribery and corruption. The Interpretation provides additional clarity in understanding the amendments to the Criminal Law that took effect last year, most notably by (1) expanding the definition of bribes to include ...
March 25, 2016, Covington Alert
On March 23, 2016, Novartis AG (“Novartis”) agreed to pay $25 million to settle civil charges with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) alleging that it violated the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (the “FCPA”) by paying bribes to healthcare professionals (“HCPs”) in China from 2009 to 2013 to increase sales. Employees and managers of its two ...
March 2016, Covington Alert
On March 1, 2016, the Securities and Exchange Commission announced an agreement with Qualcomm Incorporated to settle charges that it violated the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act by hiring relatives of Chinese government officials to gain business advantages in the Chinese telecommunications market. The SEC also alleged that Qualcomm provided gifts, travels, and ...
February 29, 2016, Covington Alert
February 21, 2016, Covington Alert
February 9, 2016, Covington Alert
October 9, 2015, Covington Alert
July 29, 2015, Covington Alert
March 28, 2013
WASHINGTON, DC, March 28, 2013 — Lanny A. Breuer, most recently the Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division at the U.S. Department of Justice, is returning to Covington & Burling as Vice Chair of the firm. Mr. Breuer’s practice will encompass a wide range of civil and criminal litigation matters, as well as governmental and internal investigations. ...
- The American Lawyer - White Collar/Regulatory Litigation Department of the Year "Finalist" (2018)
- National Law Journal, "Washington Litigation Department of the Year" Finalist (2015)
- Global Investigations Review recognized the firm's FCPA practice among Washington’s “elite,” the highest tier in its “Washington DC’s FCPA Bar” survey (2016).
- Global Investigations Review 30 (2016-2017)
- Global Investigations Review 100 (2015)
- Latinvex Top International Law Firms: Top FCPA & Fraud Firms (2016-2019)
- Chambers Global for Corporate Investigations: Anti-Corruption (2018-2020)
- Chambers USA for FCPA (2018-2019)
- Chambers Latin America for Fraud & Corporate Investigations (2017)
- Chambers Europe for Corporate Investigations (2017)
- Chambers UK for Financial Crime (2017)
- Legal 500 UK (2016)
- Legal 500 US (2016)
- Covington’s China anti-corruption practice was recognized by China Law & Practice as the Regulatory & Compliance Firm of the Year (2016).
- Eric Carlson was recognized by China Law & Practice as the Regulatory & Compliance Lawyer of the Year (2016).
- Recognized as a Leading Anti-Corruption Practice by Latin Lawyer (2015).
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