Brazil Summit on Anti-Corruption

PRLog (Press Release) - Jan. 7, 2011 - Every year, more and more cases of companies and individuals violating the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (“FCPA”) in Latin America surface, exposing the unique anti-corruption compliance challenges faced by companies doing business in the region. The heavy reliance on third-parties, such as customs brokers and sales agents, the frequent presence of state-controlled entities in the business sector, ownership interests that Latin American governments have in certain sectors including oil, pharmaceutical, infrastructure, and telecommunications industries, and the general culture of hospitality, all increase exposure to FCPA liability. Recent cases including Universal Corp., Control Components, Nature’s Sunshine Products, Latin Node, Pride International, Hioki, Helmerich & Payne, Alcatel and Siemens  highlight the dire financial and reputational consequences of non-compliance with global anti-bribery regulations.

Companies doing business in Latin America, particularly in Brazil, must also be cognizant of local anti-corruption measures and their impact. Under the Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business (“OECD Convention”) and the Inter-American Convention Against Corruption (“IA Convention”), signatories are required to criminalize the bribery of foreign public officials, and several countries in Latin America, including Brazil, are taking steps to enact legislation to implement this provision. When the proposed bill in Brazil is passed, it will dramatically change Brazil’s anti-corruption legal landscape and impact compliance priorities for both local and foreign companies.

With heightened international anti-bribery standards, growing cooperation between international government agencies, and enforcement of the FCPA at an all time high, the importance of ethics and compliance programs has never been greater. If your company is doing business in Latin America, you must have a robust anti-corruption compliance program in place and be prepared to act promptly and effectively to remedy any problems that do arise.

After the success of its conferences in Asia, Europe and North America, American Conference Institute is pleased to present the inaugural Brazil Summit on Anti-Corruption. Featuring an exceptional line up of senior corporate ethics and compliance executives, attorneys, accountants and government officials, this event is an unprecedented opportunity to benchmark your compliance program. Get a comprehensive update on the anti-bribery landscape in Latin America and learn how to implement robust anti-corruption compliance policies that withstand increased scrutiny by foreign and local regulators.

Topics will include:

   * How global anti-bribery enforcement affects companies and individuals in Latin America
   * Setting up adequate internal fi nancial controls to prevent books and records violations
   * Dealing with requests for bribes for permits, government approvals, public procurement contracts and customs clearance
   * Conducting a thorough and effective internal investigation into questionable payments
   * Upgrading your anti-corruption compliance program to meet more rigorous standards under the new UK Bribery Act
   * The anti-corruption regulatory and enforcement landscape in Argentina

This is the only event of its kind on the market. No other conference delivers more comprehensive and practical information on anti-corruption compliance. Register today by calling 1-416-926-8200; faxing your registration form to 416-927-1563; or registering online at www.americanconference.com/Brazil.

Read more about this at http://www.americanconference.com/blog

# # #

A unique organization, American Conference Institute is devoted to providing the business intelligence that senior decision-makers need to respond to challenges both here in the US, and around the world.