Corporate Compliance Lawyer

Corporate compliance is how the company ensures that it follows the regulations and laws that apply to it. To ensure corporate compliance, companies must create training, practices, and monitoring policies. Without these things in place, you leave your company open to legal liability and risk. Speak to a corporate compliance attorney to ensure you have a strong plan in place.

Vital Internal Compliance Instruments

A vital part of a corporate compliance program is regulations that ensure every employee complies with the programs. There are three things that do this:

• Code of Conduct – The code of conduct sets the tone for the ethics and principles for your company. It ensures everyone in the company, from top to bottom, know what behavior is expected.
  
  
• Compliance Standards and Policies – This lays out the rules and expectation for the key areas of compliance.
  
  
• Compliance Procedures – These procedures detail the daily practices and requirements to ensure compliance with the company’s policies and standards.
  
  

Key Areas of Concern for Corporate Compliance

All of your company’s compliance procedures, policies, and standards must address the main areas of concern. Here are the main areas that all American businesses must address:

Securities Laws

All companies that privately or publicly trade securities must comply with securities laws like SEC regulations. They must ensure they use proper accounting procedures, make appropriate disclosures, and release the proper financial reports.

Antitrust Laws

Companies are not permitted to be anti-competitive as per antitrust laws. This means that all activities, and mergers and acquisitions must be reviewed to ensure they do not restrict trade or limit the market.

FTC Regulations

If your company sells products, advertises, or interacts with the public, they must treat the public fairly. FTC compliance includes e-commerce practices, financing, loan practices, advertising, and fraud.

Environmental Laws and Regulations

Every company must comply with federal, state, and local environmental laws regulating waste management, water use, pollution, and energy management.

FCPA

All companies who operate internationally must comply with the FCPA which prohibits bribery.

Facilities Management

Company facilities must all comply with laws, regulations, and codes, including DOT, OSHA, and zoning laws.

Compliance Training

A successful corporate compliance program must include training to ensure all employees know they must follow the compliance programs. The employees must understand all of the policies, procedures, and standards of corporate compliance. They must also understand the policies for reporting violations.

Compliance Monitoring and Auditing

Monitoring and auditing are essential for ensuring adherence to corporate compliance. These programs must be able to detect problems quickly, and there must be processes in place to correct any violations. Auditing compliance programs regularly means you can find any issues in the programs and make changes as needed.

FAQs

Are there other areas of corporate compliance that my company may need to worry about?

Yes, there are many aspects of corporate compliance and even some industry-specific regulations. It is best to seek legal advice to create a corporate compliance program that will completely cover your company.

Do all companies need a corporate compliance program?

Yes, all companies need some kind of corporate compliance program to ensure they adhere to relevant laws and regulations.