Tag:Corporate Accountability
Nowhere to Hide: The Corporate Transparency Act Seeks to Unmask the Beneficial Owners of Shell Companies
In January of 2021, Congress adopted substantial changes to the nation’s anti-money-laundering laws, including enacting a new federal statute, the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA or Act), that will establish a centralized database of corporate beneficial ownership. The CTA mandates that by 2025 (or, in some cases, by 2024) all domestic and foreign companies doing business in the U.S. must provide information about the true beneficiaries of their operations by complying with new reporting requirements. The legislation is designed to capture information on an estimated 32 million companies that operate in unregulated areas or are too small to trigger disclosure obligations under other federal laws yet can be used by criminals, terrorists, and other bad actors to hide money laundering and other illicit financial activities. The Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network bureau (FinCEN) explained the need for a beneficial ownership database, stating, “Illicit actors frequently use corporate structures such as shell and front companies to obfuscate their identities and launder their ill-gotten gains through the U.S. financial system. Not only do such acts undermine U.S. national security, but they also threaten U.S. economic prosperity: shell and front companies can shield beneficial owners’ identities and allow criminals to illegally access and transact in the U.S. economy, while creating an uneven playing field for small U.S. businesses engaged in legitimate activity.” FinCEN issued its final rule on the CTA’s reporting requirements on September 29, 2022. Although the regulations resolve many of the issues that arose after the Act’s passage, a number of compliance challenges and questions still remain.
Department of Justice Announces The Second Monaco Memo
On September 15, 2022, Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco issued a memorandum to the Department of Justice (DOJ) titled “Further Revisions to Corporate Criminal Enforcement Policies Following Discussions with Corporate Crime Advisory Group”. This memorandum is otherwise known as the “Second Monaco Memo”, named after the Deputy Attorney General. This is the second memorandum Monaco has issued in the past year, as the first memorandum was issued in October of 2021. The first memorandum announced the establishment of a Corporate Crime Advisory group, its purpose was to guide and review the DOJ’s approach to corporate criminal enforcement. These memorandums are important to both the defense bar and corporate counsel, as they establish rules and guidelines for corporate criminal enforcement.
Will The FTC Target Corporate Greenwashing In 2022?
“Soft on You, Softer on the Planet” declares an advertisement for the Icon-Impact Collection from UGG® which debuted this fall in a store near you. Touted as an innovative product with a positive impact on the environment, the newly introduced collection uses reclaimed wool, a sole made of sugarcane, and repurposed plastic from at least two recycled plastic bottles. It’s all part of the brand’s Feel Good initiative, and in partnership with One Tree Planted, UGG® promises to plant one tree for every pair of shoes bought at select UGG® stores and online. It’s also an example of “green marketing,” the practice of appealing to consumers’ preferences for sustainable and eco-friendly products, especially Millennial and Gen Z consumers who are willing to pay a little bit extra for their purchases.
The Story That Sounded Too Good to Be True Was, Indeed, Too Good to Be True.
The process of the criminal trial of the youngest woman self-made billionaire, has recently started up again after being stalled due to Covid restrictions in the past year. Former CEO and founder of Theranos, Elizabeth Holmes, and her former president and one-time boyfriend, Ramesh Balwani, have been accused of misleading investors and raising hundreds of millions of dollars by making false or exaggerated claims in defiance of the anti-fraud provisions of federal securities laws. While she is currently facing a federal indictment on twelve different charges, including two counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and ten counts of wire fraud, Holmes has already settled her civil charges, which were brought forth by the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC). The civil charges brought forth by the SEC have now put Silicon Valley on alert by ensuring that technology companies who claim that they have a new groundbreaking technology that can change the world must be based on factual evidence, not purely myths.
How Proxy Access for Shareholders Can Hold Corporations Accountable
Proxy access is not about giving shareholder’s rights, it is about checking C-suite power so that everyone wins instead of just the CEOs. Proxy access has the potential to address some of the pressing issues with corporate power. Corporate power and influence are concentrated in the board of directors, proxy access gives shareholders the opportunity to infiltrate this exclusive “inner circle” of power. Shareholder access to the board can push change towards greater diversity in the boardroom and demand greater transparency and compliance.
Evolving Regulatory Conditions Spur the Creation of Novel Insurance Protections for Corporate Officers
Consistent with modern financial regulation, United States regulators are increasingly focusing upon individual accountability of corporate officers and directors. Once a regulatory agency contacts a corporation regarding an inquiry into the actions of its agents, it is the duty of the corporation to front the costs of legal defense and representation. Historically, corporate directors and officers liability insurance (“D&O”) covered the costs of legal defense and costs associated with the regulatory investigation. In light of the increasing government emphasis on individual liability within corporations, traditional D&O liability insurance is no longer guaranteed to protect corporate exposure to regulatory inquiry. As a result of these changes to corporate exposure, insurance agencies have begun to create novel insurance solutions to solve the problems created by the new regulatory policy.