Top-10 FCPA (Foreign Corrupt Practices Act) Settlements for 2014
By the C|C Whistleblower Lawyer Team
Here is our look-back at the top-10 FCPA (Foreign Corrupt Practices Act) settlements for 2014.
10. Bruker Corp. — The Massachusetts-based manufacturer of scientific instruments agreed to pay $2.4 million to settle charges of providing non-business related travel and improper payments to various Chinese government officials in an effort to win business there. Click here for more.
9. Layne Christensen Company — The Texas-based global water management, construction, and drilling company agreed to pay more than $5 million to settle charges of making improper payments to foreign officials in several African countries to obtain beneficial treatment and reduce its tax liability. Click here for more.
8. Dallas Airmotive — The provider of aircraft engine maintenance, repair and overhaul services paid a $14 million criminal penalty to resolve charges it bribed Latin American government officials in order to secure lucrative government contracts there. Click here for more.
7. Bio-Rad Laboratories — The medical diagnostics and life sciences manufacturer agreed to pay $55 million to settle charges the company made improper payments to foreign officials in Russia, Thailand, and Vietnam to win business there, falsified its books to hide the payments, and failed to implement adequate internal controls to prevent bribery and corruption.
6. Hewlett Packard — Hewlett-Packard subsidiary Hewlett-Packard Russia pleaded guilty and agreed to pay $58.8 million for bribing Russian government officials to secure a large technology contract with the Office of the Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation. Click here for more.
5. Marubeni Corp. — The Japanese trading company involved in products and services in a broad range of sectors around the world, including power generation, agreed to pay $88 million for paying bribes to high-ranking government officials in Indonesia to secure a lucrative power project. Click here for more.
4. Hewlett Packard — The company agreed to pay more than $108 million to settle charges its subsidiaries in Russia, Poland and Mexico made improper payments to government officials to obtain or retain lucrative public contracts. Click here for more.
3. Avon Products. — The New York-based cosmetics company pleaded guilty and paid more than $135 million to settle charges of making and concealing more than $8 million worth of illicit payments in the form of gifts, travel, meals and entertainment to Chinese officials to secure business there. Click here for more.
2. Alcoa — The global aluminum producer agreed to pay $384 million for repeatedly paying bribes, collectively valued at more than $110M, to government officials in Bahrain to maintain a key source of business. Click here for more.
1. Alstom S.A. — The French power and transportation company paid $772 million to settle charge of bribing government officials and falsifying books and records in connection with power, grid and transportation projects for state-owned entities around the world, including in Indonesia, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the Bahamas and Taiwan. Click here for more.