Webcast: Anti-Corruption Enforcement and Recent Developments in Latin America

Webcasts  |  December 10, 2024

Latin America is one of the most important regions for the U.S. and other companies conducting business abroad. Not only is it geographically proximate to the U.S., but the region’s economic promise is substantial. Indeed, the World Bank estimates that, region-wide, the middle class has grown by 50% during the last decade. Some markets, including Mexico and Colombia, have made particularly noteworthy strides in boosting the ranks of their middle classes. Yet, despite its economic promise, conducting business in Latin America continues to be challenging. One key challenge has been corruption, which The Economist recently described as “surging across Latin America,” due in part to “political blowback from a period of intense anti-corruption campaigns[.]” Several governments in the region have collapsed in recent years due to corruption scandals, and in various countries, widely heralded anti-corruption reforms have not yielded the expected results.

This webcast surveys anti-corruption enforcement and developments in the region, including overviews of:

  • Recent U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (“FCPA”) enforcement actions involving the region;
  • Recent, locally led anti-corruption enforcement actions;
  • Noteworthy legislative and judicial developments; and
  • Potential mitigation strategies for businesses operating in the region.

PANELISTS:

Michael M. Farhang is a former federal prosecutor and a partner in the Los Angeles office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. He is a member of the firm’s White Collar Defense and Investigations and Securities Litigation Practice Groups. Michael is an experienced litigator and trial attorney who has earned recoveries totaling nearly $70 million for private equity and corporate clients pursuing fraud, contract, and M&A-related claims. In the white collar area, Michael regularly represents corporate and individual clients and has specific subspecialties in Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and Anti-Money Laundering (AML) matters and Latin American corporate investigations. Michael has conducted investigations and compliance work relating to FCPA, AML, and OFAC issues in ten countries and regularly leads investigations for clients conducted in Spanish. Michael is a member of the California Bar and is admitted to practice in the Central District of California and the Ninth Circuit.

Patrick Stokes is a litigation partner in Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher’s Washington, D.C. office. He is the co-chair of the Anti-Corruption and FCPA Practice Group and a member of the firm’s White Collar Defense and Investigations, National Security, Securities Enforcement, Trials, and Litigation Practice Groups. Prior to joining Gibson Dunn, Patrick headed the FCPA Unit of the U.S. Department of Justice, where he managed the FCPA enforcement program and all criminal FCPA matters throughout the United States. Patrick also served as the DOJ’s principal representative at the OECD Working Group on Bribery, working with law enforcement and policymakers from 41 signatory countries on anti-corruption enforcement policy issues. He is a member of the Maryland State Bar and the District of Columbia Bar.

Pedro G. Soto is of counsel in the Washington, D.C. office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. He is a member of the White Collar Defense and Investigations group, and his practice focuses primarily on anti-corruption and fraud matters. He has more than 13 years of experience representing corporations and individuals under investigation by government authorities. He has also conducted compliance due diligence for over 100 transactions around the world. Pedro has particularly deep experience in Latin America, where he has worked on matters in more than 15 different countries. He also represents foreign governments and private claimants in significant litigation and arbitration matters.

A native Spanish speaker, Pedro has extensive experience in Latin America. He has worked on matters involving Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Uruguay, and Venezuela. Pedro also has experience in matters throughout Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. Pedro is admitted to the District of Columbia Bar.

MCLE CREDIT INFORMATION:

This program has been approved for credit in accordance with the requirements of the New York State Continuing Legal Education Board for a maximum of 1.0 credit hour, of which 1.0 credit hour may be applied toward the areas of professional practice requirement. This course is approved for transitional/non-transitional credit.

Attorneys seeking New York credit must obtain an Affirmation Form prior to watching the archived version of this webcast. Please contact [email protected] to request the MCLE form.

Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP certifies that this activity has been approved for MCLE credit by the State Bar of California in the amount of 1.0 hour in the General Category.

California attorneys may claim “self-study” credit for viewing the archived version of this webcast. No certificate of attendance is required for California “self-study” credit.

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Attorney Advertising: These materials were prepared for general informational purposes only based on information available at the time of publication and are not intended as, do not constitute, and should not be relied upon as, legal advice or a legal opinion on any specific facts or circumstances. Gibson Dunn (and its affiliates, attorneys, and employees) shall not have any liability in connection with any use of these materials.  The sharing of these materials does not establish an attorney-client relationship with the recipient and should not be relied upon as an alternative for advice from qualified counsel.  Please note that facts and circumstances may vary, and prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.