“While guidance by definition can never provide the same certainty as an affirmative statute, we’re hopeful that this document will help companies seeking to comply with the law in good faith and prosecutors charged with enforcing it. The business community will continue to engage with the DOJ and the SEC as they enforce the statute consistent with today’s guidance.”

New law enforcement guidance doesn’t add the specifics sought by business on a who, exactly, can’t be bribed overseas under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. But the U.S. Chamber of Commerce still praised release of the document.

The commission has denied the oil industry’s request to stay implementation of the Dodd-Frank Section 1504 rule pending resolution of a lawsuit to overturn it.

On the eve of the presidential election, the Criminal Division chief called the Justice Department’s Foreign Corrupt Practices Act enforcement a “signature achievement.”

Few surprises in a list compiled by Reuters: Most are former top Bush I and II-era Justice Department officials.

The oil industry and transparency watchdog groups are continuing to battle over Dodd-Frank payment disclosure rule.

In a paper rolled out at Wednesday’s 13th Annual Legal Reform Summit at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, prominent practitioners called for the Justice Department to give more public information about its decisions not to prosecute corporations for white collar crimes.

But rather than stress broad FCPA reform, the business lobby this year is focusing on the subsidiary issue of prosecution declinations, while also spotlighting hard-ball “exclusion” tactics used against companies in health care fraud enforcement.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Manufacturers filed a challenge Oct. 19 to rules requiring U.S.-listed companies to disclose whether their products contain minerals blamed for fueling violence in central Africa.

The lawsuit said potentially billions of dollars in oil contracts with foreign governments are at stake in the implementation of Section 1504 of the Dodd-Frank Act, since many governments prohibit disclosure of payments.

The oil industry claims in a lawsuit that the SEC’s extractive industries rule violates the First Amendment.

Nearly half of the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2012 docket concerns business cases, a big change from the last term, experts said Friday at an business lobby event previewing the coming court term.

Advocates of Foreign Corrupt Practices Act reform returned to Capitol Hill on Friday to press their case, signalling that business interests haven’t given up on persuading Congress eventually to amend the statute despite recent adverse publicity over such foreign bribery cases as Wal-Mart Stores Inc.

Whistleblower attorneys say they are working to submit nearly ready-made cases to the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Transparency groups say the SEC caved to business, though the approval of the long-awaited rule is still considered a victory.

The Chamber of Commerce wants law enforces to clarify the definition of “foreign official” in upcoming FCPA guidance.

Despite a growing judicial consensus for a “fact-based” analysis of the definition of a “foreign official,” the business lobby insists that only a standard based on foreign government ownership or control will provide meaningful guidance to companies.

After months of silence, details on the Justice Department’s much-anticipated new guidance on the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act are emerging.

A probe that began with reflective material on Turkish licence plates has expanded to other countries.

In a point-by-point response to the business lobby’s suggestions for FCPA guidance, several NGOs point to hypocrisy on beneficial ownership.

The Dodd-Frank rule requiring manufacturers to verify they aren’t using minerals from conflict-wracked Democratic Republic of Congo has been delayed for 18 months.

To download materials related to our “FCPA Training for Journalists and Policy Professionals” webinar, please click on the link in the box on the right.

Prosecutors have disclosed that more than 150 companies are under Foreign Corrupt Practices Act investigation. Learn how to approach this important foreign anti-bribery law with a complimentary Main Justice webinar.
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Reps. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) and Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) pressed for answers on potential conflicts of interest between the Chamber of Commerce’s push to amend U.S. foreign bribery laws and corporate representatives on its board. UPDATE: 4:14 p.m.

The investigation by Reps. Waxman and Cummings will be limited by their status as minority House Democrats. UPDATE April 26, 2012 with additional comment.

The world’s largest retailer makes all the wrong moves as a Mexican bribery problem it thought it could bury lands on the front page of the New York Times.

A large contingent from the government showed up for a meeting roundly described as “productive.”

The meeting will include representatives from the SEC and Commerce Department.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski and her father, former Alaska Sen. and Gov. Frank Murkowski, were close friends of Stevens.

Another judge is on record against the kind of “bright line” definition that the business lobby would like to see.