November 1, 2017
Public companies face unique challenges as they confront and seek to manage OFAC, AML and FCPA compliance risk. Disclosure obligations and market reactions can intensify the pressures arising from alleged or actual violations of these laws. Companies preparing to go public must assess their compliance programs in order to avoid or mitigate incidents that could harm their business, disrupt the IPO process or damage their reputation as a newly public company. Companies also must be prepared to successfully respond to the scrutiny regarding compliance issues in the diligence and disclosure process associated with an IPO. Our highly experienced and distinguished panel of Gibson Dunn partners from the Capital Markets, Financial Institutions and White Collar Defense and Investigations Practice Groups will provide invaluable and practical advice and tips on how companies can prepare for public company reporting and scrutiny of their compliance programs.
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PANELISTS
Stephanie L. Brooker is a partner in the Washington, D.C. office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher where she is Co-Chair of Gibson Dunn’s Financial Institutions Practice Group and a member of the White Collar Defense and Investigations Practice Group. Ms. Brooker is a former Director of the Enforcement Division at the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) and a former federal prosecutor, where she served as the Chief of the Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, tried 32 criminal trials, and briefed and argued criminal appeals. Ms. Brooker’s practice focuses on internal investigations, regulatory enforcement, white collar criminal defense, and compliance counseling involving anti-money laundering (AML)/Bank Secrecy Act (BSA), sanctions, anti-corruption, securities, tax, and wire fraud.
Joel M. Cohen is a partner in the New York office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher where he is Co-Chair of Gibson Dunn’s White Collar Defense and Investigations Practice Group and a member of its Securities Litigation, Class Actions and Antitrust and Competition Practice Groups. Mr. Cohen’s experience includes all aspects of FCPA/anti-corruption issues, insider trading, securities and financial institution litigation, class actions, sanctions, money laundering and asset recovery, with a particular focus on international disputes and discovery. Mr. Cohen was the prosecutor of Jordan Belfort and Stratton Oakmont, which is the focus of “The Wolf of Wall Street” film by Martin Scorsese. He was an adviser to OECD in connection with the effort to prohibit corruption in international transactions and was the first Department of Justice legal liaison advisor to the French Ministry of Justice.
Andrew L. Fabens is a partner in the New York office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher where he is Co-Chair of Gibson Dunn’s Capital Markets Practice Group and a member of the Securities Regulation and Corporate Governance Practice Group. Mr. Fabens advises companies on long-term and strategic capital planning, disclosure and reporting obligations under U.S. federal securities laws, corporate governance issues and stock exchange listing obligations. He represents issuers and underwriters in public and private corporate finance transactions, both in the United States and internationally.
Stewart L. McDowell is a partner in the San Francisco office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher where she is Co-Chair of Gibson Dunn’s Capital Markets Practice Group and a member of the Steering Committee of the Securities Regulation and Corporate Governance Practice Group. Ms. McDowell’s represents business organizations as to capital markets transactions, mergers and acquisitions, SEC reporting, corporate governance and general corporate matters. She represents both underwriters and issuers in a broad range of both debt and equity securities offerings, in addition to buyers and sellers in connection with U.S. and cross-border mergers, acquisitions and strategic investments.
Adam M. Smith is a partner in the Washington, D.C. office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher where his practice focuses on international trade compliance and white collar investigations with a focus on economic sanctions and export controls. Mr. Smith served as Senior Advisor to the Director of the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and as the Director for Multilateral Affairs on the National Security Council. While at OFAC he played a primary role in all aspects of the agency’s work, including briefing Congressional and private sector leadership on sanctions matters, shaping new Executive Orders, regulations, and policy guidance for both strengthening sanctions and easing measures. Mr. Smith counsels a global roster of clients in the financial, services, manufacturing and technology sectors to help them understand, navigate and comply with increasingly complex financial regulations.
Peter W. Wardle is a partner in the Los Angeles office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher where he is Co-Chair of Gibson Dunn’s Capital Markets Practice Group. Mr. Wardle represents issuers and underwriters in equity and debt offerings, in addition to both public and private companies in mergers and acquisitions, including private equity, cross border, leveraged buy-out, distressed and going private transactions. He also advises clients on a wide variety of general corporate and securities law matters, including corporate governance issues.