Morrison Foerster is an international law firm with lawyers practicing throughout the United States, Asia, and Europe. Click to discover more.

mofo_share_image.jpg

Morrison Foerster

common-default.jpeg

Terms / Notices

Cookies

Privacy Policy

Reporting Hotline

Attorney Advertising

Alumni

  Linkedin

MoFo LinkedIN

  Facebook

MoFo Facebook

YouTube

MoFo Youtube

Morrison Foerster - Footer

Navigating Crises amid Latin America’s Anti-Corruption Overhaul

You have not solved the recaptcha challenge yet or session expired, try again.

Email Disclaimer

Disclaimer

Unsolicited e-mails and information sent to Morrison Foerster will not be considered confidential, may be disclosed to others pursuant to our <a href="https://www.mofo.com/about/privacy-policy.html">Privacy Policy</a>, may not receive a response, and do not create an attorney-client relationship with Morrison Foerster. If you are not already a client of Morrison Foerster, do not include any confidential information in this message. Also, please note that our attorneys do not seek to practice law in any jurisdiction in which they are not properly authorized to do so.

Feedback

mofo-logo-2022.svg

People

Capabilities

Resources

About

Culture

Offices

Careers

Stay Connected

James Koukios, Ruti Smithline, Gerardo Gomez Galvis, and Eduardo Schneider published an article titled “Navigating Crises amid Latin America’s Anti-Corruption Overhaul” in Latin Lawyer that explored best practices for navigating certain complexities when managing corruption crises.

We are Morrison Foerster — a global firm of exceptional credentials. Our clients include some of the largest financial institutions, investment banks, and Fortune 100, technology, and life sciences companies. Our lawyers are committed to achieving innovative and business-minded results for our clients, while preserving the differences that make us stronger.Because of the generality of this update, the information provided herein may not be applicable in all situations and should not be acted upon without specific legal advice based on particular situations. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

About Morrison Foerster

people-default-header-desktop.jpg

people-default-header-mobile.jpg

Default Meta Data

James Koukios, Ruti Smithline, Gerardo Gomez Galvis, and Eduardo Schneider published an article titled “Navigating Crises amid Latin America’s Anti-Corruption Overhaul” in Latin Lawyer that explored best practices for navigating certain complexities when managing corruption crises.The authors considered background diversity in corruption risks, explored recent trends in anti-corruption enforcement in Latin America, and focused on important ways to mitigate the challenges of cross-border crises.Read the <a href="https://media2.mofo.com/v3/assets/blt5775cc69c999c255/blt04818e202a28ed48/65bbd1e1d2067b41288c70dd/240131-navigating-crises-amid-latin-america.pdf" target="_blank">full article</a>.

Sign Up

James Koukios is co-chair of Morrison Foerster’s Securities Litigation, Enforcement, and White Collar Defense Group and serves as co-head of the FCPA + Global Anti-Corruption Practice. James represents companies and individuals in high-stakes government enforcement actions and complex internal investigations. He has handled matters across a wide range of jurisdictions including Brazil, China, Greece, India, Russia, Venezuela, and Vietnam, among others. James draws on his experience as a federal prosecutor, when he tried over 20 federal jury cases and supervised hundreds of white collar investigations, to obtain the best results for his clients. He is consistently praised for his judgment and advocacy in complex investigations and enforcement actions. Chambers USA notes that he is “super experienced with excellent judgement regarding what the government is looking for and concerned about,“ while Chambers Global describes James as, “a forceful advocate when appearing before the government.”Before joining Morrison Foerster, James spent 10 years at the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), beginning as an Assistant United States Attorney in Miami and finishing as Senior Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section in Washington, D.C., where he supervised investigations, prosecutions, and resolutions in the Fraud Section’s FCPA, Health Care Fraud, and Market Integrity and Major Fraud Units. While at DOJ, James investigated and prosecuted health care fraud, procurement fraud, domestic and foreign corruption, money laundering, and export control offenses, working closely with state, federal, and foreign law enforcement officials, as well as the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the U.S. Departments of Defense, State, and Commerce, and intelligence agencies.While at DOJ, James assisted in drafting the widely acclaimed DOJ and SEC joint publication A Resource Guide to the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, which followed a series of consultations with business and compliance leaders. He was also a lead examiner for the Phase 2 examination of Russia’s compliance with the Anti-Bribery Convention of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).From 2010 to 2011, James served as Special Counsel to then-FBI Director Robert S. Mueller, III, advising the Director and other FBI executives on criminal policy issues, preparing FBI Executive Management for congressional testimony, representing the FBI at interagency meetings, and acting as a liaison between FBI and other DOJ components.James has been recognized as: a leading lawyer in FCPA (Nationwide and Global) by Chambers USA and Chambers Global; a recommended lawyer for corporate investigations and white collar defense by Legal 500; an “Expert” and a “Thought Leader” in investigations by Who’s Who Legal; and an “Attorney Who Matters” by the Ethisphere Institute for making an impact in the area of ethics and compliance. He also received the Assistant Attorney General’s Distinguished Service Award in recognition for his work on two landmark FCPA-related trials: United States v. Esquenazi and United States v. Duperval. James also served as a lead prosecutor in United States v. AEY Inc., a defense procurement fraud and export licensing case that served as the basis for the 2016 film War Dogs.James is a recognized thought leader on the latest legal trends and industry developments. Chambers Global notes that, “James has a keen ability to distill trends and enforcement down to their core. He is a crisp thinker and discerning with regards to the market.” He is the lead editor of our award-winning monthly newsletter, Top 10 International Anti-Corruption Developments, which succinctly summarizes important case and policy developments for busy in-house counsel, compliance professionals, and anti-corruption lawyers. James also served as an adjunct professor of trial advocacy at the Georgetown University Law Center for over 10 years and regularly guest lectures at leading law and business schools on investigations, white collar enforcement, and anti-corruption issues.<h4>Selected Significant Representations</h4><h5>FCPA and Global Anti-Corruption</h5><ul><li>Successful resolution of a transnational bribery investigation of a multinational pharmaceutical company, securing cooperation credit, avoiding the imposition of a corporate compliance monitor, and negotiating a deferred prosecution agreement with DOJ and an administrative resolution with the SEC.</li><li>Successful representation of a multinational medical device company in conducting an internal investigation into allegations of bribery in Vietnam that led to a deferred prosecution agreement with DOJ.</li><li>Representation of an international consulting firm in extensive, government-facing international corruption and money laundering investigations involving China, India, and other jurisdictions.</li><li>Representation of a multinational automotive company in an internal investigation into allegations of bribery in its Latin America operations and antitrust violations and whistleblower retaliation in its U.S. operations.</li><li>Representation of a consumer retail company in an internal investigation into allegations of bribery in its Indonesian operations.</li><li>Representation of business executives in government-facing FCPA investigations involving Brazil, China, Venezuela, and other jurisdictions.</li><li>FCPA legal advice, anti-corruption counseling, transactional due diligence, and post-acquisition integration advice to multinational corporations in several industries, including defense, extractive, financial services, food, gaming, health care, and technology.</li><li>Review of a multinational company’s compliance management system in connection with the spin-off of a subsidiary and investigations by multiple enforcement agencies.</li></ul><h5>Consumer Protection and Product Safety</h5><ul><li>Successful representation of a multinational consumer electronics company in the first-ever corporate criminal resolution of an alleged Consumer Product Safety Act (CPSA) violation, securing cooperation credit, avoiding the imposition of a corporate compliance monitor, and negotiating a deferred prosecution agreement for the parent company with DOJ.</li><li>Representation of a multinational vehicle manufacturer in a criminal CPSA investigation being led by DOJ’s Consumer Protection Branch.</li><li>Representation of the CEO of a consumer electronics company in a criminal CPSA investigation being led by DOJ’s Consumer Protection Branch.</li><li>Representation of the Supervisory Board of a car manufacturer in an investigation by DOJ, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the California Air Resources Board, SEC, various state Attorneys General, German Prosecutors and the German vehicle admissions agency into potential violations of environmental, capital markets, consumer protection, antitrust and criminal laws.</li></ul><h5>Other White Collar and Civil Fraud Defense Matters</h5><ul><li>Representation of a multinational technology company in responding to a subpoena issued by the U.S. House of Representatives’ Judiciary Committee related to an investigation into alleged suppression or restriction of conservative opinions through “content moderation” policies on social media platforms.</li><li>Successful representation of a multinational defense contractor in conducting an internal investigation that led to a declination from the State Department for potential International Trafficking in Arms Regulation (ITAR) violations without referral to DOJ.</li><li>Representation of a consumer retail company in a DOJ insider trading investigation.</li><li>Representation of a company and several of its employees in connection with the Special Counsel investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 Presidential election.</li><li>Representation of Anthony Ornato, a former senior career civil servant who served as White House Deputy Chief of Staff of Operations, in the January 6 Select Committee investigation and related government investigations.</li><li>Representation of two former high-level executives of a public company in internal and external investigations concerning allegations of fraud, misuse of company funds, record violations, and disclosure violations and in a derivative lawsuit in the Delaware Chancery Court regarding alleged violations of fiduciary duty, corporate waste, and unjust enrichment.</li><li>Representation of business executives in anti-money-laundering, criminal securities fraud, whistleblower retaliation, government procurement fraud, and other DOJ investigations.</li><li>Defended independent directors against breach-of-fiduciary-duty claims in federal bankruptcy court, successfully moving to dismiss all claims against the directors with prejudice.</li></ul>

James Koukios é co-líder do grupo de Contencioso de Valores Mobiliários e Defesa de Colarinho Branco e atua como co-líder global do grupo FCPA (Foreign Corrupt Practices Act) + Anticorrupção. James representa empresas e indivíduos em ações governamentais de alto risco e investigações internas complexas.James, um experiente advogado de litígios e ex-promotor federal, litigou mais de 20 casos federais de júri, inclusive sendo o principal promotor em dois julgamentos históricos relacionados à FCPA: Estados Unidos v. Esquenazi e Estados Unidos v. Duperval. James também atuou como promotor-chefe nocaso Estados Unidos v. AEY Inc., um caso de fraude de aquisição de defesa e licenciamento de exportação que serviu de base para o filme de 2016 chamado "Cães de Guerra".<h4>Casos Representativos</h4><ul><li>Representou empresas multinacionais de dispositivos médicos e farmacêuticos em investigações da FCPA perante o governo.</li><li>Representou empresas e organizações multinacionais em vários setores a conduzir investigações internas sobre possíveis violações de FCPA, ITAR, sobre informações privilegiadas, entre outras violações.</li><li>Representou uma empresa e vários de seus funcionários em investigações do Conselho Especial.</li><li>Representou uma empresa de produtos de consumo em uma investigação criminal de segurança de produtos perante o governo.</li><li>Forneceu consultoria jurídica sobre FCPA, consultoria anticorrupção, due diligence transacional e consultoria de integração pós-aquisição a empresas multinacionais em vários setores, incluindo defesa, extração, serviços financeiros, alimentos, assistência médica e tecnologia.</li><li>Representou indivíduos em casos de investigações anti-corrupção, lavagem de dinheiro, fraude criminal em valores mobiliários, retaliação de denunciantes, fraude de compras do governo, dentre outras.</li><li>Defendeu conselheiros independentes contra reclamações por quebra de obrigações fiduciárias no tribunal federal de falências.</li></ul>Antes de ingressar na Morrison Foerster, James trabalhou  por 10 anos no Departamento de Justiça dos Estados Unidos, começando sua carreira como Advogado Assistente dos Estados Unidos em Miami e encerrando seu mandato no Departamento de Justiça como Chefe Adjunto de Seção de Fraude da Divisão Criminal em Washington, DC, onde supervisionou investigações, processos e resoluções na Seção de Fraude em FCPA, Fraude em Assistência Médica, e em Valores Mobiliários e na Unidade de Fraude Financeira. Enquanto estava no Departamento de Justiça, James investigou e processou fraudes na área da saúde, fraude de compras, corrupção doméstica e estrangeira, lavagem de dinheiro e infrações de controle de exportação, trabalhando em estreita colaboração com autoridades estaduais, federais e estrangeiras, bem como a Comissão de Valores Mobiliários dos Estados Unidos (SEC); Departamentos de Defesa, Estado e Comércio dos Estados Unidos; e agências de inteligência. Ele ajudou na redação da amplamente divulgada publicação conjunta da SEC e do Departamento de Justiça, “Guia de Recursos da Lei de Práticas de Corrupção no Exterior dos Estados Unidos (“A Resource Guide to the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act”), que seguiu uma série de consultas com os líderes de negócios e conformidade. Ele também foi examinador principal da Fase 2 da avaliação de conformidade da da Rússia com a Convenção Anti-suborno da Organização para Cooperação e Desenvolvimento Econômico (OCDE).De 2010 a 2011, James atuou como consultor especial do então diretor do FBI Robert S. Mueller, III, assessorando o diretor e outros executivos do FBI em questões de política criminal, preparando a Diretoria Executiva do FBI para testemunhar perante o Congresso, representando o FBI em reuniões entre agências e atuando como uma ligação entre o FBI e outros componentes do Departamento de Justiça.James foi reconhecido como um dos principais advogados da FCPA, nacional e globalmente, pela Chambers USA e pela Chambers Global, "recomendado" para investigações corporativas e advocacia de colarinho branco pelo Legal 500, um "especialista" e um "líder de pensamento" nas investigações do Who is Who Legal e um "advogado que importa" pelo Instituto Ethisphere por ter um impacto na área de ética e conformidade. Ele também recebeu o Prêmio de Serviço Distinto do Procurador Geral em reconhecimento ao seu trabalho nos julgamentos de Esquenazi e Duperval durante seu período no Departamento de Justiça.James é professor adjunto de defesa de julgamento no Centro de Direito da Universidade de Georgetown e é regularmente convidado para palestras nas principais faculdades de administração e direito sobre investigações, fiscalização de colarinho branco e questões anticorrupção.

James Koukios es copresidente del grupo de Litigios de Valores, Aplicación de la Ley y Defensa de Cuello Blanco de la firma y se desempeña como codirector global del grupo de FCPA (Foreign Corrupt Practices Act) + Anticorrupción de la firma. James representa a empresas e individuos en acciones gubernamentales de alto riesgo e investigaciones internas complejas.James, un abogado con experiencia litigando y ex fiscal federal, ha litigado más de 20 casos de jurado federal, incluyendo ser el fiscal principal en dos juicios históricos relacionados con la FCPA: Estados Unidos v. Esquenazi y Estados Unidos v. Duperval. James también se desempeñó como fiscal principal en Estados Unidos v. AEY Inc., un caso de fraude de adquisición de defensa y licencias de exportación que sirvió de base para la película de 2016 llamada “War Dogs”.<h4>Experiencia Representativa</h4><ul><li>Representó a compañías multinacionales de dispositivos médicos y farmacéuticos en investigaciones de la FCPA ante el gobierno.</li><li>Asistió a compañías y organizaciones multinacionales en varios sectores llevando a cabo investigaciones internas sobre posibles FCPA, ITAR, abuso de información privilegiada y otras violaciones.</li><li>Representó a una empresa y a varios de sus empleados en relación con las investigaciones sobre delitos de investigación del Consejo Especial.</li><li>Representó a una compañía de productos de consumo en una investigación criminal de seguridad de productos del gobierno.</li><li>Brindó asesoramiento legal de FCPA, asesoramiento anticorrupción, diligencia debida transaccional y asesoramiento de integración posterior a la adquisición a corporaciones multinacionales en varias industrias, incluyendo defensa, extracción, servicios financieros, alimentos, atención médica y tecnología.</li><li>Representó a personas en anticorrupción, anti-lavado de dinero, fraude de valores criminales, represalias de denunciantes, fraude de compras gubernamentales y otras investigaciones.</li><li>Defendió a directores independientes contra demandas por incumplimiento de obligaciones fiduciarias en un tribunal federal de quiebras.</li></ul>Antes de unirse a Morrison Foerster, James trabajó 10 años en el Departamento de Justicia de los Estados Unidos, comenzando su carrera como Asistente del Fiscal de los Estados Unidos en Miami y terminando su mandato en el Departamento de Justicia como Subjefe Principal de la Sección de Fraude de la División Criminal en Washington, D.C., donde supervisó investigaciones, enjuiciamientos y resoluciones en la FCPA de la Sección de Fraude, Fraude de Atención Médica y Unidades de Valores y Fraude Financiero. Mientras estuvo en el Departamento de Justicia, James investigó y procesó el fraude a la atención médica, el fraude de adquisiciones, la corrupción nacional y extranjera, el lavado de dinero y los delitos de control de exportaciones, trabajando en estrecha colaboración con los funcionarios estatales, federales y extranjeros encargados de hacer cumplir la ley, así como con la Comisión de Bolsa y Valores de EE. UU. (SEC); Departamentos de Defensa, Estado y Comercio de los Estados Unidos; y agencias de inteligencia. Asistió en la redacción de la publicación conjunta del Departamento de Justicia y la SEC, ampliamente aclamada, “Guía de recursos de la Ley de prácticas corruptas en el extranjero de EE. UU.” (“A Resource Guide to the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act”), que siguió a una serie de consultas con líderes empresariales y de cumplimiento. También fue un examinador principal para el examen de Fase 2 del cumplimiento de Rusia con la Convención Antisoborno de la Organización para la Cooperación y el Desarrollo Económico (OCDE).De 2010 a 2011, James se desempeñó como Asesor Especial del entonces Director del FBI Robert S. Mueller, III, asesorando al Director y a otros ejecutivos del FBI sobre cuestiones de política criminal, preparando a la Dirección Ejecutiva del FBI para el testimonio ante el Congreso, representando al FBI en las reuniones interinstitucionales, y actuando como enlace entre el FBI y otros componentes del Departamento de Justicia.James ha sido reconocido como abogado líder en FCPA tanto nacionalmente como globalmente por Chambers USA y Chambers Global, "recomendado" para investigaciones corporativas y defensa de cuello blanco por Legal 500, un "experto" y un "líder de pensamiento" en investigaciones de Who's Who Legal, y un "Abogado que importa" por Ethisphere Institute por tener un impacto en el área de ética y cumplimiento. También recibió el Premio al Servicio Distinguido del Fiscal General Adjunto en reconocimiento por su trabajo en los juicios de Esquenazi y Duperval durante su tiempo en el Departamento de Justicia.James es profesor adjunto de defensa de juicios en el Centro de Leyes de la Universidad de Georgetown y regularmente es invitado a conferencias en las principales escuelas de derecho y de negocios sobre investigaciones, aplicación de cuello blanco y temas anticorrupción.

James M. Koukios

Partner

Ruti Smithline is co-chair of the firm’s Investigations + White Collar Criminal Defense group and co-chair of the firm’s Latin America Desk. Her practice focuses on complex litigation, with an emphasis on white collar criminal defense, SEC enforcement, and corporate internal investigations.Ruti is a member of the firm’s global FCPA + Anti-Corruption Task Force. She regularly advises clients on cross-border investigations, global compliance programs and anti-corruption due diligence for acquisitions, joint ventures, and private equity transactions. Ruti has represented individual and corporate defendants in cross-border criminal investigations, SEC enforcement matters, and other regulatory proceedings, including matters related to trade sanctions and anti-money laundering. She has experience conducting corporate internal investigations both domestically and internationally, often advising clients on remedial measures responsive to the issues investigated.Ruti was born and raised in Colombia and is fluent in Spanish. She has conducted investigations, seminars and anti-corruption training in Spanish throughout Central and South America.Ruti has been recognized by industry leading publications including Chambers & Partners, where she is ranked in the USA guide for Litigation: White Collar Crime & Government Investigations in New York and nationally for their FCPA category, in addition to being ranked in the Latin America guide for Corporate Crime & Investigations across the LatAm region. She has also been recommended by Legal 500 US in their Corporate Investigations and White Collar Criminal Defense category, was recently selected by LatinVex as one of "Latin America's Top 100 Lawyers: FCPA & Fraud" for 2022, and has also been named to Global Investigations Review's "Women in Investigations" 2018 survey, which recognizes the top 100 leading female investigations specialists from around the world.Ruti received her J.D. from The George Washington University School of Law, where she graduated with honors and as a member of the Order of the Coif. She received her B.A. degree cum laude from Cornell University. She is admitted to practice law in New York and New Jersey.

Ruti Smithline é co-líder do grupo de investigação criminal e defesa de colarinho branco e co-líder do Latin America Desk. Sua prática se concentra em litígios complexos, com ênfase em defesa criminal de colarinho branco, conformidade com a Securities and Exchange Commission dos Estados Unidos (SEC), litígios sobre valores mobiliários e investigações corporativas internas.Smithline é membro da equipe e do grupo de trabalho FCPA (Foreign Corrupt Practices Act) + Anticorrupção escritório. Ela representa regularmente clientes em investigações internacionais, programas de conformidade global e due diligence anticorrupção para aquisições, joint ventures e transações de private equity. Ruti representou indivíduos e empresas acusadas em investigações criminais cross-border, questões de conformidade com a SEC e outros procedimentos regulatórios, incluindo questões relacionadas a sanções comerciais e lavagem de dinheiro. Ruti tem experiência na condução de investigações corporativas internas, nacionais e internacionais, assessorando frequentemente clientes em ações corretivas que respondem aos problemas investigados.Smithline nasceu e foi criada na Colômbia e fala espanhol fluentemente. Ela conduziu pesquisas anticorrupção, seminários e treinamento em espanhol nas Américas Central e do Sul.Smithline foi nomeada recentemente na pesquisa "Mulheres em Investigações” da Global Investigations Review em 2018, que reconhece as 100 principais especialistas em investigações no mundo todo. Ela também foi recentemente selecionada pela LatinVex como uma das "100 melhores advogadas da América Latina: FCPA e fraude" em 2018. Ela também foi anteriormente reconhecida pelo Ethisphere Institute como uma das "Advogadas que importam" em 2016 e pela Global Investigations Review como uma dentre 40 dos principais advogados de investigação do mundo com menos de 40 anos. Além disso, Ruti foi selecionada para a Lista de Estrelas em Ascensão do Metrô de Nova York em 2014 e 2015 pela Super Lawyers, com base no reconhecimento de colegas e em conquistas profissionais.Smithline recebeu se formou em direito na Faculdade de Direito da Universidade George Washington, onde se formou com honras e como membro da Order of the Coif. Ela recebeu seu diploma de bacharel cum laude da Universidade de Cornell. Ela é admitida para exercer advocacia em Nova York e Nova Jersey.<h4>Casos Representativos de FCPA</h4><ul><li>Comércio varejista global. Representou um executivo sênior de um comerciante de varejo global em uma investigação do Departamento de Justiça, da SEC e de outras agências sobre possíveis violações do FCPA no México, Brasil e outros países.</li><li>Empresa Fortune 500. Conduziu uma investigação interna sobre possíveis violações do FCPA em uma subsidiária estrangeira de uma corporação multinacional Fortune 500. Conduziu mais de 60 entrevistas com funcionários, revisou linhas de negócios e relacionamentos com os principais clientes e canais de distribuição, e realizou análise forense de registros contábeis e controles internos. A pesquisa incluiu uma análise de unidades de negócios em mais de 15 países para avaliar os riscos de FCPA.</li><li>Empresa Fortune 50. Representou uma empresa multinacional Fortune 50 com sede nos EUA em uma investigação interna sobre supostas violações de FCPA e compliance na região Ásia-Pacífico. Após a conclusão da investigação e compliance, nem a SEC nem o Departamento de Justiça tomaram medidas contra nosso cliente.</li><li>Comitê de Auditoria de Empresa Internacional. Representou o comitê de auditoria de um fornecedor internacional de produtos agrícolas em sua investigação interna, oriunda de uma denúncia de irregularidades alegando violações de FCPA no Oriente Médio. Esse assunto foi um dos primeiros casos a serem relatados à SEC sob suas regras de denúncia decretadas em maio de 2011. Após concluir a investigação e relatar o resultado à SEC, a SEC desistiu de conduzir sua própria investigação e arquivou o caso.</li><li>Empresa de investimento global. Representou uma empresa de investimento global com a due diligence anticorrupção com operações no Japão, China, Tailândia e México. Com base nos resultados da devida diligência, aconselhamos a empresa sobre a implementação de um programa de conformidade pós-aquisição.</li><li>Empresa Fortune 500. Representou uma empresa Fortune 500 em due diligence anticorrupção relacionada à aquisição de uma empresa estrangeira de telecomunicações com operações substanciais na África, América Latina, Sudeste Asiático e Oriente Médio.</li><h4>Outros casos representativos</h4><li>OFAC e BSA/AML. Conduziu a investigação interna de um grande banco estrangeiro sobre possíveis violações de sanções da OFAC e de práticas de combate à lavagem de dinheiro.</li><li>BSA/AML. Representou várias pessoas na América do Sul que trabalham para um Banco com sede na União Europeia em uma investigação do Departamento de Justiça dos Estados Unidos sobre possíveis violações da Lei de Sigilo Bancário e leis sobre lavagem de dinheiro.</li><li>Ex-executivo de hipoteca. Representou o Diretor Financeiro de um dos maiores emissores nacionais de hipotecas, agora falido, em uma investigação da SEC e em litígios relacionados aos seus acionistas decorrentes da crise de crédito.</li><li>Investigação multifacetada de bolsas universitárias. Assessorou uma importante universidade de pesquisa nos EUA em uma investigação criminal e civil sobre alegações falsas relacionadas a subsídios e contratos federais de pesquisa.</li></ul>

Ruti Smithline es copresidenta del grupo de Investigaciones + Defensa Criminal de Cuello Blanco de la firma y copresidenta del Latin America Desk de la firma. Su práctica se centra en litigios complejos, con énfasis en defensa criminal de cuello blanco, cumplimiento de la Comisión de Bolsa y Valores de EE. UU. (SEC), litigios de valores e investigaciones internas corporativas. Ruti es miembro del equipo de trabajo FCPA (Foreign Corrupt Practices Act) + Anticorrupción de la firma. Regularmente asesora a clientes en investigaciones transfronterizas, programas de cumplimiento global y diligencia debida anticorrupción para adquisiciones, empresas conjuntas (joint ventures) y transacciones de capital privado (private equity). Ruti ha representado a individuos ​​y corporaciones acusadas en investigaciones penales transfronterizas, asuntos de cumplimiento de la SEC y otros procedimientos regulatorios, incluyendo asuntos relacionados con sanciones comerciales y contra el lavado de dinero. Tiene experiencia llevando a cabo investigaciones corporativas internas tanto a nivel nacional como internacional, con frecuencia asesorando a clientes sobre medidas correctivas que responden a los problemas investigados.Ruti nació y se crió en Colombia y habla español con fluidez. Ha llevado a cabo investigaciones, seminarios y capacitación anticorrupción en español en América Central y del Sur.Ruti fue nombrada recientemente en la encuesta "Investigaciones de mujeres" de Global Investigations Review en 2018, que reconoce a las 100 mujeres principales especialistas en investigaciones de todo el mundo. También fue seleccionada recientemente por LatinVex como una de las "100 mejores abogadas de América Latina: FCPA y fraude" para 2018. También fue reconocida anteriormente por Ethisphere Institute como una de las "Abogados que importan" en 2016 y por Global Investigations Review como una de 40 de los principales abogados de investigaciones del mundo con menos de 40 años. Además, Ruti fue seleccionada para la lista de estrellas en ascenso del metro de Nueva York en 2014 y 2015 por Super Lawyers con base en el reconocimiento de pares y el logro profesional.Ruti recibió su J.D. de la Facultad de Derecho de la Universidad George Washington, donde se graduó con honores y como miembro de la Orden de la Cofia. Ella recibió su título de B.A. cum laude, de la Universidad de Cornell. Está admitida para practicar leyes en Nueva York y Nueva Jersey.<h4>Asuntos Representativos de la FCPA</h4><ul><li>Comerciante al por menor global. Representó a un alto ejecutivo de un comerciante al por menor global en relación con una investigación realizada por el Departamento de Justicia, la SEC y otras agencias sobre posibles violaciones de la FCPA en México, Brasil y otros países.</li><li>Compañía Fortune 500. Llevó a cabo una investigación interna sobre posibles violaciones de la FCPA en una subsidiaria extranjera de una corporación multinacional Fortune 500. Realizó más de 60 entrevistas a empleados, revisó líneas de negocios y relaciones con clientes clave y canales de distribución, y realizó análisis forenses de registros contables y controles internos. La investigación incluyó una revisión de las unidades de negocio en más de 15 países para evaluar los riesgos de la FCPA.</li><li>Compañía Fortune 50. Representó a una compañía multinacional Fortune 50 con sede en E.E.U.U. En una investigación interna de presuntas violaciones de la FCPA y el auto-trato en la región de Asia y el Pacífico. Tras la conclusión de nuestra investigación y autoinforme, ni la SEC ni el Departamento de Justicia tomaron ninguna medida contra nuestro cliente.</li><li>Comité de Auditoría de Empresa Internacional. Representó al comité de auditoría de un proveedor internacional de productos agrícolas en su investigación interna resultante de una denuncia de irregularidades alegando violaciones de la FCPA en el Medio Oriente. Este asunto fue uno de los primeros casos en ser reportados a la SEC bajo sus reglas de denuncia de irregularidades promulgadas en mayo de 2011. Después de completar la investigación e informar el resultado a la SEC, la misma se negó a realizar una investigación propia y cerró el archivo.</li><li>Empresa de inversión global. Representó a una empresa de inversión global con la debida diligencia anticorrupción de un objetivo estadounidense con operaciones en Japón, China, Tailandia y México. En base a los resultados de la diligencia debida, asesoramos a la compañía con respecto a la implementación de un programa de cumplimiento posterior a la adquisición.</li><li>Compañía Fortune 500. Representó a una compañía Fortune 500 con la debida diligencia anticorrupción en relación con la adquisición de una compañía de telecomunicaciones extranjera con operaciones sustanciales en África, América Latina, Sudeste de Asia y Medio Oriente.</li></ul><h4>Otros Asuntos Representativos</h4><ul><li>OFAC y BSA / AML. Llevó a cabo una investigación interna de un gran banco extranjero con respecto a posibles violaciones de las sanciones de la OFAC y las prácticas contra el lavado de dinero.</li><li>BSA / AML. Representó a varias personas en Sudamérica que trabajan para el Banco con sede en E.E.U.U. en una investigación del Departamento de Justicia sobre posibles violaciones de la Ley de Secreto Bancario (Bank Secrecy Act) y las leyes contra el lavado de dinero.</li><li>Ex ejecutivo hipotecario. Representó al Director Financiero de uno de los mayores emisores de hipotecas nacionales, ahora en bancarrota, en una investigación de la SEC y litigios relacionados con los accionistas que surgieron de la crisis crediticia.</li><li>Investigación multifacética de subvenciones universitarias. Asesoró a una importante universidad de investigación de E.E.U.U. en una investigación penal y civil de presuntas afirmaciones falsas relacionadas con subvenciones y contratos federales de investigación.</li></ul>

Ruti Smithline

Gerardo Gomez Galvis is of counsel in the firm’s Securities Litigation, Securities Enforcement, and Investigations + White Collar Groups in the New York office who focuses on conducting internal and government-facing investigations, global compliance exercises, and related civil litigation, with particular experience in matters involving Latin America.Gerardo has deep experience representing multinational corporations, financial institutions, and business executives in investigations and white collar defense matters alleging Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) violations, anti-money laundering violations, accounting and disclosure fraud, insider trading, manipulation of foreign exchange rates, misrepresentations and false statements, marketplace lending issues, and federal securities law violations, among other areas. He also regularly evaluates and enhances compliance programs related to the same. Gerardo’s investigations matters have included inquiries and enforcement actions led by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), U.S. Commodity and Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), state attorneys general offices, U.S. Congress, and a number of non-U.S. law enforcement agencies across Latin America, Europe, and Africa. His work on high-profile investigations and white collar defense matters has earned him recognition by Best Lawyers in the Criminal Defense: White Collar category, and he has also been named to the National LGBTQ+ Bar Association’s 2024 Top 40 Under 40 list and Crain’s New York Business’s 2024 Notable LGBTQ Leaders list for his significant contributions to LGBTQ+ equality in the workplace and larger legal community. He also has deep experience representing clients in administrative regulatory actions, securities class actions, and commercial litigation in both federal and state courts.Mr. Gomez Galvis was born and raised in Colombia and is fluent in Spanish. He has conducted investigations in Spanish throughout Central and South America, including in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama, Peru, and Venezuela.Before joining Morrison Foerster, Gerardo worked for another international law firm, where he handled corporate investigations and securities litigation, and he also served as a judicial intern to the Honorable Denny Chin of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in New York. Gerardo graduated from New York University School of Law, where he was a recipient of an AnBryce merit scholarship and was active as an editor of the New York University Law Review. Prior to that, he received a B.A. summa cum laude from Florida International University, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa and the Honors College.<h4>Select Experience</h4><h5>FCPA + Global Anti-Corruption</h5><ul><li>Serving as a key team member for the independent compliance monitor as appointed by the DOJ and two separate multilateral development banks for Odebrecht S.A. (now known as Novonor) in the wake of a multijurisdictional resolution worth billions of USD. </li><li>Representation of a multinational consulting firm in a cross-border investigation into allegations of bribery and corruption in South Africa, which involves investigations on multiple continents by DOJ and the National Prosecuting Authority in South Africa, parliamentary inquiries, and a Judicial Commission of Inquiry in South Africa.</li><li>Representation of a privately held corporation in an investigation of potential FCPA violations concerning payments to government officials in Latin America, which included conducting an extensive internal investigation and assisting the company in self-reporting the matter to DOJ. DOJ is currently investigating the matter along with the U.S. Commodity and Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).</li><li>Representation of an executive in a DOJ-led FCPA investigation involving allegations of bribery in Latin America.</li><li>Representation of a business executive in an investigation being led by DOJ and non-U.S. authorities into alleged money laundering and Travel Act violations involving Latin America.</li></ul><h5>SEC Accounting + Disclosure Fraud Investigations</h5><ul><li>Representation of a large private fund that invested in a publicly traded company in an SEC investigation into COVID-19-related insider trading, which resulted in successful negotiation with the SEC to narrow the fund’s production obligations.</li><li>Representation of a global technology company in an SEC accounting fraud investigation.</li><li>Representation of a senior employee of a private company in an accounting fraud investigation being led by SEC and DOJ.</li></ul><h5>Select Other Corporate Investigations + Compliance Counseling and Litigation Matters</h5><ul><li>Representation of an international consulting firm related to its work for opioid manufacturers, which involves complex, multidimensional work involving state attorneys general, DOJ, and congressional investigations, as well as more than 140 civil lawsuits that are now in a Multi-District Litigation.</li><li>Representation of a major consulting firm related to its pandemic work for the State of New York and certain government investigations including the EDNY and the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office and related investigations by the NYAG. </li><li>Representation of a global company in advising on compliance issues related to document preservation and collection. </li><li>Representation of a private equity fund in conducting various compliance-related due diligence exercises on investments involving Latin America, including complex anti-corruption, OFAC sanctions, and anti-money laundering assessments.</li><li>Representation of several offshore companies in litigation arising out of investments made with Bernard L. Madoff.</li><li>Representation of a Fortune 500 multinational company in conducting a post-acquisition risk assessment throughout Latin America in relation to its acquisition of a major agricultural company.</li><li>Parker v. United Industries Corp. (S.D.N.Y.) Won summary judgment for United Industries Corp. in a consumer class action concerning United Industries’ Cutter Natural Insect Repellent, where client sought nearly $100 million in damages. (2020)</li></ul><h4>Memberships</h4><ul><li>Federal Bar Council's Diversity Taskforce</li><li>Inaugural Board Member for the Brazil-U.S. 40 and Under White Collar Lawyers Initiative</li></ul>

Gerardo Gomez Galvis

Of Counsel

Eduardo is an associate in the firm’s Investigations + White Collar Defense practice who focuses his practice on internal and government-facing investigations, white-collar defense matters, and regulatory and global compliance. As a native Portuguese speaker and fluent Spanish speaker, Eduardo has particular experience in matters involving Latin America.Eduardo has extensive experience in matters involving allegations of bribery and other wrongdoings related to the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and other global anti-corruption laws, accounting violations, misappropriation of confidential information, and fraud, among other areas. He has particular expertise in multijurisdictional matters, often involving both U.S. and non-U.S. regulators, such as the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and Brazilian Ministério Público Federal (MPF).  Eduardo has experience working in cases in most major jurisdictions in Latin America including Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Mexico, Panama, Peru, and Venezuela.Prior to joining Morrison Foerster full-time, Eduardo was a legal extern at the Office of Internal Oversight Services, Investigations Division, for the United Nations in New York where he supported investigations related to corruption, fraud, and sexual harassment. Prior to that, Eduardo was a Visiting International Attorney at Morrison Foerster and worked at several prominent law firms in Brazil as a senior associate and associate, where he focused on compliance, investigations, and white collar defense matters. He also served as a law clerk and intern for the Superior Tribunal de Justiça, Brazil’s highest appellate court for non-constitutional questions of federal law.Eduardo received his Bachelor of Laws from the University of Brasilia and also studied Compliance at Fundação Getulio Vargas (FGV). He received his Master of Laws from New York University School of Law (NYU), where he was a Student Fellow in the Program on Corporate Compliance and Enforcement. Eduardo is admitted to the bar in Brazil.<h4 dir="ltr">Representative Experience</h4><ul><li dir="ltr">Serving as a key team member for the independent compliance monitor as appointed by the DOJ and two separate multilateral development banks for Odebrecht S.A. (now known as Novonor) in the wake of a multijurisdictional resolution worth billions of USD.</li><li dir="ltr">Representation of a global customer solutions company in conducting an internal investigation of the client’s operation in Mexico regarding accounting irregularities with respect to inventory control. </li><li dir="ltr">Representation of an Asia-based multinational company in conducting an internal investigation into allegations raised by a whistleblower that a business contract was won through misappropriated confidential information involving a subsidiary in Mexico.[A2] </li><li dir="ltr">Representation of a multinational agricultural company in conducting an internal investigation into allegations of improper payments made to a government official in Costa Rica, which included assessing appropriate remedial measures and incorporation of the lessons learned from the matter into the continual enhancement and improvement of the company’s compliance program.</li><li dir="ltr">Representation of a multinational pharmaceutical company in investigating allegations that employees in Brazil sought improper discounts for certain clinics, which were in turn using the extra margin to pay referral fees to doctors who prescribed our client’s products. If true, this practice could violate the FCPA and cause significant issues for our client under DOJ’s tough new stance on corporate recidivism.</li><li dir="ltr">Representation of a Colombian company in conducting an internal investigation into internal controls issues.</li></ul>