Given my practice area, people often ask me why people commit white-collar crimes. I ask myself this question; and, just as often, I ask myself how can I help my corporate clients mitigate the risks of committing a crime? Despite my lifelong quest to answer both these questions, I have no good answers. Unfortunately, the…
There is something that the Trump and Biden Administrations agree on: Whenever possible, the Federal Government should buy American products with the goal of helping American businesses compete in strategic industries to help U.S. workers thrive. Both administrations issued EOs and rules with this goal in mind. Current Buy American Act Currently, the Buy American…
February 12th, 2018, 3:00 PM to 4:30 PM EST Attend live and/or watch later Register here. In this practical webinar, Margaret Cassidy, presenting for Clear Law Institute, will identify the laws and regulations that drive the requirements for an organization’s ethics and compliance program and explore practical solutions for executing the program, whether your organization…
I cannot look back on the happenings of corporate crime these past few years without commenting on the best bond revocation of possibly ever. Pharma Bro posted $5 million in bond to remain free pending his trial. (See 2018’s Most Noteworthy Conviction) However, while out on bond, on his Facebook page, which has about 70,000…
How a company treats employees who bring forth concerns is strong evidence of that company’s propensity to make legal and ethical decisions. A company that welcomes hearing about concerns and issues breeds trust with its employees and other stakeholders like investors and regulators. As a result, employees may share their concerns with an organization before…
Agency inspector general offices investigate complaints from persons in the federal government ecosystem who complain about waste, fraud, abuse of authority; violations of law, regulations or policies; or danger to public health or safety; and, suffer some type of adverse employment action for doing so. Since the enormous Department of Defense (DoD) gets so…
In my line of work, I collaborate with risk management executives a lot. I have learned much from them since they are indispensable to the process of conceptualizing and mitigating business risks and legal risks. When working through a challenging legal issue that may cause the &$%* to hit the fan, many risk management leaders…
In federal government contracting, small businesses that have been awarded the status by the federal government as a “small” business are eligible to receive federal government contracts that are specifically “set-aside” for small businesses and other benefits designed to help them grow and prosper. But, your status as a small business may be destroyed if…
It is difficult to keep a company on the path of legal compliance and to maintain its reputation especially since following the law does not necessarily protect an organization’s reputation. Recently, AT&T and Novartis experienced the pain a bad decision can have on reputation and financial value. The CEO’s for both Novartis and AT&T gave…
Walking my dog the other day, I passed a “drug-free zone” sign and, smelling marijuana, smiled at the three guys standing there passing a joint. (Even with the new DC marijuana laws you still can’t light up on the streets, especially in front of the drug-free school zone.) The three guys were not just standing…