As a result of increasing US investment in foreign financial markets, cheaper foreign labor, and a greater foreign corporate presence given intensifying competition for market share from abroad, NOS. companies are flocking to international sites to conduct business, making the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) an increasingly useful tool for whistleblowers abroad faced with the possibility of termination should they object to pressure from their employers to pay bribes to foreign government officials or commit other acts of corruption. As the US economy is increasingly dependent on on foreign markets, so have US corporations and their employees become more dependent on foreign governments they must deal with in order to conduct business abroad, including countries which require bribes or other unlawful payments as a cost of doing business.
In the late 1970’s, El Congreso reconoció la importancia de abordar la falta de recursos para los denunciantes en el extranjero y la posibilidad de que sus empleadores presionarían a involucrarse en prácticas corruptas como un costo de negocio y pasó la FCPA en 1977 con la intención de impedir que las empresas estadounidenses y sus empleados dar dinero o "cualquier cosa de valor" a funcionarios extranjeros para obtener o retener un negocio. En una palabra, la FCPA es el modelo de la Ley de Reclamaciones Falsas y otros estatutos qui tam que permiten a los demandantes para recuperar una recompensa económica por parte del gobierno de Estados Unidos para la acción ba aplicación civil contra los empleadores estadounidenses que están dispuestos a participar en prácticas corruptas en el extranjero y la cooperación con el Departamento de Justicia en todo La acción legal civil o criminal por separado pueden tomar, así.
Aunque el número de casos de la FCPA y las investigaciones ha fluctuado durante las últimas dos décadas, empleo expertos de la industria ley se están centrando cada vez más en los juicios de alto perfil de la FCPA y la predicción de una oleada de litigios en el futuro cercano dados los cambios recientes en la ley que permiten a los civiles «relatores» in DOJ or SEC enforcement actions to recover a financial reward and which protect FCPA whistleblowers from retaliation.
Some of the more recognizable illegal activities under the FCPA include bribes given under the fictitious guise of a “commission payment,” “consulting fee,” “marketing item,” “cost of goods expense (including payment of improper travel and entertainment expenses)” or any conspiracy or knowing aid in furtherance of these activities. Corrupt illegal payments can also include campaign contributions paid in connection with a foreign government. Even offers made for such payments to foreign officials, party candidates, and representatives can give rise to an FCPA violation. The corrupt payments can be made by U.S. citizens, corporations, business trusts, unincorporated organizations, joint stock companies, or sole proprietorships that have been organized under U.S. law or whose main place of business is predominantly within the U.S.
If you are an employee and know of or have reasonable belief of a FCPA breach, you can contact the Securities Exchange Commission and retain your anonymity by reporting your information through an attorney. Not only will this ensure that U.S. business transactions continue to be transparent and ethical, but you may also stand to be rewarded by the U.S. government should it decide to bring an enforcement action. Retaining an attorney will similarly afford you the ability to determine before law enforcement becomes involved if pursuing an enforcement action is worthwhile or not. La SEC y el Departamento de Justicia no litigan todos los casos que se les presentan por los denunciantes, y la navegación por los requisitos jurisdiccionales enredadas un cálculo complicado de responsabilidad en virtud de la FCPA, para todos los propósitos prácticos, requiere la intervención de un abogado y un bufete de abogados con experiencia en litigios qui tam o delator.
