Features
Proactive Fraud Prevention
<b><i>Part One of a Two-Part Article</i></b> Way back in the 80s, companies in the U.S. Defense industry determined that it was in their best interests to band together and develop the Defense Industry Initiatives as a method of policing themselves during a time when their industry was fraught with fraud and corruption. As an aftermath, ethics and compliance programs have been developed and implemented by the majority of U.S. companies. To further entice companies to establish an effective and proactive program designed to detect and, to the extent possible, prevent violations of law The Federal Sentencing Guidelines for Organizations, passed in late 1991, rewards these companies with relief when sentenced for violations of law.
Features
'Theft or Bribery': The Circuit Split Over the Federal Nexus Element
When federal prosecutors encounter corrupt conduct by a state or local official, they may reach for a potentially useful tool ' Congress's attempt to prevent theft or bribery 'concerning programs receiving Federal funds,' 18 U.S.C. ' 666. In applying this statute, however, a federal prosecutor's reach must not exceed Constitutional limits on what Congress may grasp. Defining those limits has proved particularly challenging in recent years, as three circuits have inferred different Constitutional limits on ' 666's enforcement.
E-mail: The Prosecutor's New Best Friend
Over the past 10 years, e-mail has replaced the telephone as the favored method of communication within Fortune 500 companies. The typical employee might send or receive dozens of e-mails per day, with the amount of e-mail traffic growing exponentially the higher up the employee sits on the corporate ladder. In a large company, the CEO might receive hundreds of e-mails daily, leaving to an assistant the task of 'screening' them. This explosive growth in e-mail has not been lost on prosecutors. In case after case, prosecutors are securing convictions with carelessly written e-mail.
Features
Lien Creation and Lien Perfection: What's the Difference?
It is generally understood that materialmen, contractors, subcontractors and others (collectively called 'contractors') who perform labor or furnish materials on construction projects are entitled under state law to assert a mechanics' lien against real property for the value of the labor or materials they provide. What is less clear is the effect of a bankruptcy petition that is filed before the contractor has taken the necessary steps to create or perfect its rights.
Sigh of Relief: Derivative Actions Safe for Now
Much to the relief of many in the Third Circuit, its long-awaited en banc ruling in the Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors of <i>Cybergenics Corp. v. Chinery</i>, (<i>en banc</i>) No. 01-3805 (May 29, 2003) disagreed with the decision of one of its panels and upheld the right of parties other than a debtor or trustee to pursue avoidance actions under the Bankruptcy Code on a derivative basis. In doing so, the court supported the well-established practice allowing these derivative actions, and eschewed a slavish plain-language interpretation of Section 544(b) in favor of a broader, multi-section reading.
THE LEASING HOTLINE
Highlights of the latest commercial leasing cases from around the country.
Fool's Gold: Avoiding Pitfalls of 'Gold Clauses' in Long-Term Leases
All lawyers dealing with transactions involving transfers, assignments or amendments of long-term leases entered into prior to 1934 need to be aware of the possible ramifications of a 'gold clause' in the original lease.
Protecting Your Leasehold: Keeping Competitors at Bay
It is happening more and more — anchor stores going dark and landlords scrambling to fill the void. Unfortunately, in their zeal to relet, often landlords offer their empty spaces to prospective tenants who will change the structure of the center and compete with existing tenants. This article will discuss several bases upon which tenants may be able to rely to prevent a competitor from moving in, quite literally, next door.
In the Spotlight: Tenants Should Seek Flexibility in Negotiating Parking Privileges
Lease provisions that provide for the tenant to make periodic payments to the landlord for parking privileges are often unclear as to whether the tenant is required to pay for the availability of such spaces, whether or not the tenant utilizes them.
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MOST POPULAR STORIES
- The DOJ's Corporate Enforcement Policy: One Year LaterThe DOJ's Criminal Division issued three declinations since the issuance of the revised CEP a year ago. Review of these cases gives insight into DOJ's implementation of the new policy in practice.Read More ›
- Navigating the Attorney-Client Privilege and Work Product Doctrine in BankruptcyWhen a company declares bankruptcy, avoidance actions under Chapter 5 of the Bankruptcy Code can assist in securing extra cash for the debtor's dwindling estate. When a debtor-in-possession does not pursue these claims, creditors' committees often seek the bankruptcy court's authorization to pursue them on behalf of the estate. Once granted such authorization through a “standing order,” a creditors' committee is said to “stand in the debtor's shoes” because it has permission to litigate certain claims belonging to the debtor that arose before bankruptcy. However, for parties whose cases advance to discovery, such a standing order may cause issues by leaving undecided the allocation of attorney-client privilege and work product protection between the debtor and committee.Read More ›
- Use of Deferred Prosecution Agreements In White Collar InvestigationsThis article discusses the practical and policy reasons for the use of DPAs and NPAs in white-collar criminal investigations, and considers the NDAA's new reporting provision and its relationship with other efforts to enhance transparency in DOJ decision-making.Read More ›
- Revised Proposal: Understanding the Interagency Statement on Complex Structured Finance ActivitiesMany U.S. financial institutions that have participated in equipment leasing transactions (particularly in the large-ticket and municipal markets) in the last 20 years will be keenly aware that as the structures grew ever more complicated, Congress and the federal regulatory agencies grew intensely interested. Whether the institution had a major role in the transaction or simply provided a service, some degree of scrutiny could be expected, often in conjunction with a tax audit of its client. The risks to financial institutions from participating in complex structured finance transactions of all types became a source for concern for banking and securities regulators. The principal federal regulators responded in 2004 with a proposal that financial institutions investigate, and bear responsibility for evaluating, the legal, tax, and accounting basis of their clients' complex structured finance transactions. The goal: to limit the institutions' own credit, legal, and reputational risk from such participation.Read More ›
- The DOJ's New Parameters for Evaluating Corporate Compliance ProgramsThe parameters set forth in the DOJ's memorandum have implications not only for the government's evaluation of compliance programs in the context of criminal charging decisions, but also for how defense counsel structure their conference-room advocacy seeking declinations or lesser sanctions in both criminal and civil investigations.Read More ›
