Companies in the United States often undertake extensive promotional activities to market and sell their products throughout the world. These efforts can include paying the expenses for customers to travel to company facilities. But there is the potential that the payments will run afoul of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. Attorneys Richard M. Strassberg and Kyle A. Wombolt discuss recent FCPA enforcement action involving promotional expenditures and outline some compliance best practices.

Beware Foreign Corrupt Practices Act Traps

Corporate Counsel’s 2008 GC Compensation Survey shows that top legal officers atFortune500 companies raked it in. And that was true even for those heading the law departments at financial institutions that are reeling after the collapse of the subprime mortgage market. Once again, general counsel can thank lucrative cash bonuses that swell year after year. The average bonus jumped 17 percent, to $1.1 million. That’s double the average salary. But will the good times last?

GC Compensation Survey: Party Like It’s 2001

Don’t forget to book your reservations for the Association of Corporate Counsel’s upcoming annual meeting in Seattle. If you haven’t joined the ACC, you are missing out on the leading international organization for in-house counsel. Membership is inexpensive and will keep you informed of all of the latest and greatest news and resources relevant to practicing law in an in-house environment.

Informed. In-house. Indispensable. - this describes the ACC member. In order for our members to continually excel in their organizations and prove themselves indispensable, ACC will achieve this with yet another stellar Annual Meeting in Seattle, October 19-22, 2008.

Join us for what promises to be another successful Annual Meeting that is packed with over 100 CLE programs, an abundance of networking opportunities and sponsors that can assist you so that you stay informed and indispensable.

See you in Seattle.

Visit the ACC to learn more about their upcoming annual meeting.

Wal-Mart, a leading corporate advocate of diversity in the legal profession, is deploying new software to keep a watchful eye on its law firms and make sure the attorneys working on its matters are diverse. The new software is an example of the evolving approach taken by general counsel to ensure more minorities and women are staffing their outside legal assignments. These efforts indicate diversity is entering a new era in corporate America, legal insiders say.

Corporate Push for Law Firm Diversity Enters a New Phase