Monthly Archives: October 2014
Costs for FCPA Investigations Can Be Huge, Making Insurance Coverage Important
Investigations under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) can quickly become extremely costly. In fact, Walmart recently spent more than $439 million within a two-year span on these types of investigations alone. While this is a rather extreme example, companies that have any sort of internal operations should at least be familiar with how they […]
NLRB Rules that Facebook “Likes” are Protected By Labor Law
One provision of the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) states that employees are protected from any form of employer retaliation when they commit “concerted protected activity,” which essentially means any form of activity that involves workers airing their concerns or opinions about their treatment or pay at work. A recent decision from the National Labor […]
Sixth Circuit Rules FedEx Failed to Properly Explain FMLA to Employee
The Sixth Circuit Court recently affirmed a jury verdict in favor of an employee in a major Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) interference claim. According to the decision, FedEx was liable for failing to provide the claimant employee with proper written notice of all of the consequences of not returning a completed medical certification […]
D.C. Circuit Court Expands Privilege in Internal Corporate Investigations
There are numerous federal regulations requiring investigations into possible fraud, related to both mandatory disclosure and simply performing some fact gathering while seeking legal advice. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit recently ruled in In re Kellogg Brown & Root that investigations into possible fraud associated with these regulations are privileged. In […]
13 Fired After Department of Watershed Management Internal Investigation
The Atlanta Department of Watershed Management recently conducted an internal investigation after reports of theft and mismanagement arose from within the organization. Soon afterward, the department fired 13 unnamed employees, although the Atlanta mayor’s spokeswoman declined to comment on whether they were fired as a direct result of the investigation’s findings. The agency has been […]
Important Considerations for Cohesive Internal Investigations
After potentially illegal or unethical wrongdoing is exposed within an organization, the most important step to take is to launch a comprehensive internal investigation. This can be a major challenge, and there are a number of key considerations to keep in mind as your team engages in this process. To begin a sound internal investigation, […]
Product Safety Groups Seek Transparency in Whistleblower Suit
A pair of organizations that advocate for safe consumer products have asked for the unsealing of court documents related to a major whistleblower case. The case, recently declared a mistrial, is related to Texas-based Trinity Industries and potentially unsafe guardrails the company produces, which have been used on highways across the United States. The Center […]
Fortune: Women More Effective Whistleblowers
A recent article in Fortune magazine explored the issue of whistleblowing and how it appears that women are more likely than men to call out illegal or unethical activities within their organizations. The article features the story of Carmen Segarra, a New York Federal Reserve examiner who recognized a problematic relationship between her agency and […]
DynCorp Targeted with $150 Million Fraud Claim for Northrop Subcontract
Two employees have filed a lawsuit against DynCorp International Inc., a private military contractor that specializes in aviation facilities, training and equipment. According to the complaint, the employees allege that the company illegally overcharged for labor when it subcontracted its services to Northrop Grumman Corp. as part of a U.S. Army contract in Afghanistan. If […]
