Law.com Subscribers SAVE 30%

Call 855-808-4530 or email [email protected] to receive your discount on a new subscription.

Sentencing of Individuals in FCPA Cases

By Gary Stein
December 21, 2010

As part of their stepped-up enforcement of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) in recent years, Justice Department officials have emphasized
the importance of prosecuting ' and sending to prison ' individual executives who violate the statute. Calling “aggressive prosecution of individuals” a “cornerstone of our FCPA enforcement policy” in a speech last year, Assistant Attorney General Lanny Breuer warned that “the prospect of significant prison sentences for individuals” should “make clear to every corporate executive” that they will be held “personally accountable for FCPA violations.”

The DOJ exercises virtually unlimited discretion in deciding who gets charged in FCPA cases and, for all practical purposes, in deciding the amount of the financial penalty imposed against corporate violators. But sentencing of individual defendants, particularly after United States v. Booker, 543 U.S. 220 (2005), is ultimately a matter of judicial, not prosecutorial, discretion. And it has become apparent that there is a wide and growing rift between the views of the DOJ and the courts as to the appropriate sentences for individual violators in FCPA cases.

This premium content is locked for Entertainment Law & Finance subscribers only

  • Stay current on the latest information, rulings, regulations, and trends
  • Includes practical, must-have information on copyrights, royalties, AI, and more
  • Tap into expert guidance from top entertainment lawyers and experts

For enterprise-wide or corporate acess, please contact Customer Service at [email protected] or 877-256-2473

Read These Next
Bankruptcy Sales: Finding a Diamond In the Rough Image

There is no efficient market for the sale of bankruptcy assets. Inefficient markets yield a transactional drag, potentially dampening the ability of debtors and trustees to maximize value for creditors. This article identifies ways in which investors may more easily discover bankruptcy asset sales.

Law Firms are Reducing Redundant Real Estate by Bringing Support Services Back to the Office Image

A trend analysis of the benefits and challenges of bringing back administrative, word processing and billing services to law offices.

Bit Parts Image

Summary Judgment Denied Defendant in Declaratory Action by Producer of To Kill a Mockingbird Broadway Play Seeking Amateur Theatrical Rights

Risks of “Baseball Arbitration” in Resolving Real Estate Disputes Image

“Baseball arbitration” refers to the process used in Major League Baseball in which if an eligible player's representative and the club ownership cannot reach a compensation agreement through negotiation, each party enters a final submission and during a formal hearing each side — player and management — presents its case and then the designated panel of arbitrators chooses one of the salary bids with no other result being allowed. This method has become increasingly popular even beyond the sport of baseball.

One Overlooked Element of Executive Safety: Data Privacy Image

Executives have access to some of the company's most sensitive information, and they're increasingly being targeted by hackers looking to steal company secrets or to perpetrate cybercrimes.