The retail giant said that “given the inherent uncertainties in such situations, we can provide no assurance that these matters will not be material to our business in the future.”

The overseas defendants have asked a judge to pause an SEC lawsuit, arguing their jurisdictional issues are so distinctive that they should not have to incur millions of dollars in discovery costs while the questions remain unsettled.

The company expects to spend as much as $45 million in its first quarter.

Defense attorneys for ex telecoms execs from Hungary strike out in their bid for the dismissal of the SEC’s foreign bribery complaint against them.

Investigative reporter David Barstow discusses the thinking behind Wal-Mart’s failure to self-report corruption in Mexico.

The New York Times strikes another blow, alleging in lurid detail how Wal-Mart’s Mexican subsidiary paid bribes to open 19 different locations.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. sees a jump in legal costs and acknowledges it is investigating possible foreign bribery in at least three new countries.

The scope is of the remediation efforts is staggering: 300 lawyers and accountants have spent 79,000 hours reviewing Wal-Mart’s compliance programs in 27 countries.

The company anticipates spending $35 million to $40 million in each of the remaining quarters.

The big-box retailer may have issues complying with laws against anti-money laundering and tax evasion, Democratic Reps. Henry Waxman and Elijah Cummings assert in a new letter.

Wal-Mart has hired outside attorneys to look at compliance measures in other corruption-prone countries.

The filing of the voluntary dismissal, late on the evening before a long holiday weekend, appeared timed to minimize media attention. UPDATE: 5/27.

Before joining Wal-Mart in 2004, Tom Gean was the top federal prosecutor in the Western District of Arkansas during George W. Bush’s first term.

The German telecom giant and a Hungarian subsidiary agreed to pay more than $95 million in combined criminal and civil penalties to resolve foreign bribery violations in Macedonia and Montenegro.

Henry M. Greenberg of Greenberg Traurig LLP will work pro bono in a special assignment.

“It became clear at a certain point that since I was not willing to incriminate Congressman Doolitle and others that I was going to pay a heavy price,” the convicted ex-Jack Abramoff associate wrote in a letter to his judge seeking leniency.

A case that has already sparked serious accusations shows no sign of cooling.

Venable LLP announced yesterday that white collar defense attorney Jan Handzlik joined the firm as a partner in its SEC/White-Collar Group.

In concluding that Kevin Ring’s recommended sentence should be no more than 4 years 9 months, U.S. District Judge Ellen Huvelle suggested prosecutors had tried to retaliate against him for exercising his constitutional right to a trial.

The defendants characterize “honest mistakes” as misconduct and strain to find misconduct where there is none, the Justice Department said.

Michael Scanlon, a former Abramoff associate, wants the court to drop part of a plea deal reached with the government.

Attorneys for the company say the misconduct was “pervasive.”

The former lobbyist says he cannot afford to pay his attorneys.

An FBI agent takes center stage at the Lindsey Manufacturing trial.

The legislative history was “inconclusive,” the judge, A. Howard Matz, said.

Former D.C. lobbyist Kevin Ring already has been convicted on charges stemming from an influence-peddling scheme.

The ruling is a decisive win for the DOJ as it defends its Foreign Corrupt Practices Act enforcement record.

The DOJ would much rather watch the fight over restitution from the sidelines.

Judge throws out some government evidence.