Covington & Burling LLP operates as a limited liability partnership worldwide, with the practice in England and Wales conducted by an affiliated
limited liability multinational partnership, Covington & Burling LLP, which is formed under the laws of the State of Delaware in the United States
and authorized and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority with registration number 77071..
Eric Carlson advises clients operating in China and other jurisdictions in Asia on a range of anti-corruption laws, including the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA). Having lived in China for more than a decade, he has deep experience leading highly sensitive anti-corruption/FCPA investigations in China and other jurisdictions in Asia, including investigations presenting complex legal, political, and reputational risks.
He also counsels clients on the corruption risks of proposed transactions, conducts anti-corruption due diligence as part of mergers, acquisitions, and joint ventures, assists companies in updating and strengthening their internal anti-corruption compliance programs and tailoring them to the unique features of Asian markets, and developing and presenting tailored compliance training in Chinese and English. Eric has advised scores of companies and organizations representing nearly every major industry. He speaks Mandarin and Cantonese and has led more than four hundred witness interviews in Chinese in 24 provinces in China, and conducted dozens of trainings in Chinese.
He also counsels clients on U.S. export controls and economic sanctions applied by the U.S. Departments of Commerce, State, and Treasury, and related Chinese trade control and encryption regulations, including conducting internal investigations into potential violations of these laws.
Chambers notes Eric as having “much more than just a conversational grasp of the language, but the ability to conduct interviews on specific subject matter details and get to the root of the issues." Chambers further notes that "his language skills are very impressive" and that he provides "great advice that is grounded in reality," adding: "They know the industry and their advice is very risk-based and balanced." One client noted to Chambers: "They have strong regional coverage both in terms of footprint as well as language skills. If I have a compliance investigation in region with a tight timeframe, I know they can get it done. They take a more realistic approach to scoping investigations." Other clients noted to Chambers that Eric is "really brilliant" and "an expert in this field." According to one client surveyed by Chambers, "he is particularly adept at 'right sizing' the scope of an investigation to get at the key issues without incurring unnecessary operational or financial burden. He is also incredibly responsive to client communications." He is a contributing editor to the FCPA Blog and has been quoted in publications such as The Wall Street Journal, The Economist, The Financial Times, Global Investigations Review, Compliance Week, FCPA Report, The Corporate Treasurer, Commercial Dispute Resolution, China Business Law Journal, and Economy and Nation Weekly.
Led internal investigation on behalf of a global company after its employee was interviewed by prosecutors in northern China.
Served as independent compliance monitor of an Asia-based multinational company related to its settlement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
Led internal investigation on behalf of a consumer products company after media reports alleged product safety problems.
Led internal investigation on behalf of a global technology company into allegations of improper payments to officials at state-owned entities, accepting kickbacks from vendors, and embezzlement.
Conducted multiple internal investigations into potential violations of U.S. export control laws at Chinese affiliates of multinational companies.
Led investigation on behalf of a global financial institution into allegations of connected hiring in China.
Led internal investigation into allegations of improper payments by a distributor in Indonesia.
Led internal investigation into allegations of improper payments made to customs officials in Vietnam.
Led internal investigation on behalf of a U.S. pharmaceutical company into allegations that academic meetings in China were faked to pay kickbacks to healthcare providers.
Led risk assessment of a global transportation company’s manufacturing facilities in India.
Provide ongoing counseling related to China-related corruption risks to more than 80 companies.
Brigham Young University, J. Reuben Clark Law School, J.D., 2005
BYU Law Review,Executive Editor
magna cum laude
Order of the Coif
Brigham Young University, B.A., 2001
summa cum laude
University Honors
Bar Admissions
District of Columbia
California
Languages
Cantonese
Mandarin
Pro Bono
Assisting a U.S. businessman detained by Chinese enforcement authorities for customs-related issues.
Assisting The Nature Conservancy with various regulatory compliance issues.
Representing a humanitarian organization with various registration and regulatory issues.
Accolades
Chambers Global, China, Corporate Investigations/Anti-Corruption (International Firms) and International Trade
Chambers Asia-Pacific, China, Corporate Investigations/Anti-Corruption (International Firms)
Chambers Asia-Pacific, China - International Trade
China Business Law Awards, Anti-bribery and Anti-corruption Firm of the Year - International Firms (2020)
Global Investigations Review and Who’s Who Legal: Investigations recognized Mr. Carlson in 2018 among the "leading lawyers worldwide in the field of investigations."
China Law & Practice, "Regulatory & Compliance Lawyer of the Year" (2016)
China Law & Practice, “Regulatory & Compliance Firm of the Year” (2016)
Who’s Who Legal: Thought Leaders – GIR 2019-2020 (Investigations)
The International Who's Who of Investigations Lawyers & Forensic Experts
Back
