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 20th 12:00 PM EST Attend live and/or watch later Register here. Federal Government inspector general offices are required to investigate whistleblower complaints against contractors in certain circumstances. Margaret Cassidy, presenting Westlaw/CLEESQ webinar on Inspector General Investigations, will discuss: who are inspector generals, what is their authority, special requirements for inspector general’s to investigate whistleblower concerns,…
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…
It kills me to delete files or to shred files. I am not alone in my pack rat ways – many of us hoard our files (and other “stuff”). Businesses try everything under the sun to get their employees to comply with well-crafted, legally appropriate document destruction policies. Some businesses have a designated document destruction…
Question: What do: Cuban cigars A gas line to a heated pool Dinners at a French restaurant A job with a prestigious bank A charitable contribution Have in common? Answer: Each was considered a bribe in a corruption and/or racketeering scheme to improperly influence a government official or government employee to use their position to…
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…
Entering a relationship with a new client, sales consultant, joint venture partner, or any other entity merits thoughtful consideration to protect your business’ value. Likewise, once you enter a relationship, you need to make sure the relationship stays healthy and productive over time. This is especially true when working with governments or doing business internationally…