Best Practices For Responding To Government Investigations

In the current business environment, companies must have a documented plan for responding to government investigations. Shifts in tariffs, dynamic export controls, and a potentially less strict enforcement environment around international bribery all increase the risk that an employee or representative could violate the law – inadvertently or intentionally.

A strong investigation process can make the difference between identifying and addressing a problem early or it becoming a major issue. And a company that can demonstrate an investigative process that works has a solid foundation for productive conversations with enforcement authorities.

It is well recognized that an effective compliance program both prevents and detects violations of law and/or company policy. Perhaps just as importantly, an effective program must also have a written process for investigating and remediating violations. Below we summarize the steps that should be included in that process.