Experience
Foreign Corrupt Practices Case Examples
- A large U.S. private company suspected that payments had been made to government officials in several eastern European countries in order for the company to obtain various work permits and significant tax credits. The work included selecting and investigating thousands of payments and transaction postings. Assisted counsel with the presentation and resolution of findings with the client, drafting and implementation of the company’s FCPA policies and procedures and personnel interviews.
- A fortune 50 company suspected that improper payments were being made to facilitate importation and exportation of goods in various countries in Africa and the Asia. The project included selecting on a risk assessment basis which transactions to test, then investigating those transactions and supporting contracts and additional documentation. Assisted counsel with personnel interviews and updates to the company’s FCPA policies and procedures.
- FCPA compliance monitoring and testing for a fortune 50 company. This work included FCPA reviews in countries throughout the world on a regular basis. The work included risk based selection of transactions, contracts and interviews, preparation of reports to management, and training of local country management and staff.
General Experience
Karen has worked for counsel on another major receivership involving a $55 million Ponzi scheme, a feeder fund on the Madoff investigation, and on a number of significant financial statement litigation matters where the alleged misstatements ranged from tens of millions to billions of dollars, working with counsel to provide information specifically for litigation purposes, to the board of directors and/or others. Often these matters included litigation support, fraud investigation, cooperation with regulatory investigators, and others services.
Karen has worked with many law firms in New York and other cities, as well as many regulatory or investigative agencies, including the Securities and Exchange Commission, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, and The City of New York Law Department. Karen works to coordinate activities of various entities and personnel to achieve the best overall results for her clients.
Karen has had a successful private practice for eighteen years specializing in fraud and litigation services, internal control evaluations and various business management issues. Prior to having her own practice, Karen served as the Senior Manager of Union Carbide Corporation’s Specialties & Services Group working on mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, litigations, arbitrations and other contract disputes for five and a half years; and earlier as an Internal Audit Manager where her responsibilities included domestic and international audits, operational and internal control audits, fraud investigations, and coordination with management and external auditors on public financial reporting and FCPA compliance. Earlier work experiences included positions as the senior financial officer for a group of privately owned broadcasting stations and with the audit practice of Ernst & Ernst, now Ernst & Young.