The Davis LLP International Corporate Governance Practice Group provides expert advice to Canadian companies involved in international business to ensure compliance with Canada’s anti-corruption and criminal laws, and ethical codes. We assist our clients in identifying risks in their international business operations, and we design and implement customized robust compliance programs and policies for large and small companies. Our Group has experience with foreign agents and representatives and is familiar with the issues that surround them. Our firm is a member of Transparency International and is the representative law firm for TRACE in Canada. Our services include: * Development and implementation of international anti-corruption compliance programs, codes of conduct and training programs, including advice on identifying warning signs of corruption and measures to take to ensure vigilance and legal compliance. We also provide due diligence practice advice and our Davis Anti-Bribery Threat Assessment (“DATE”) tool * Advice on the Canadian Corruption of Foreign Public Officials Act (“CFPOA”), including the interpretation of the operative provisions of the legislation, such as the exclusions permitted under the CFPOA regarding the qualification for “grease” payments and other legally permissible expenses * Advice regarding Federal, Provincial, and Municipal ethical codes of conduct in Canada for public officials with respect to lobbying, conflict of interest, gifts, hospitality and entertainment * Advice to corporate counsel, management, and boards of directors on legal liability relating to bribes and other corrupt practices, such as money laundering * Advice on ethical and legal practices to be followed in doing business in high-risk countries, for example: the acceptability of gifts and hospitality provided in connection with foreign officials * Assistance relating to the engagement by Canadian companies of agents, representatives and intermediaries in foreign jurisdictions, including drafting of legally compliant agency agreements, representation agreements, consulting agreements and other legal documents relating to international business * Advice on the implications of international anti-bribery conventions on the purchase and sale of goods and services outside of Canada * Guidance to Canadian companies on the implications of contraventions of Canada’s anti-bribery laws in connection with the sale of their business. * Structuring commercial transactions to address business ethics and to reduce risk of reputational loss and eliminate risk of criminal liability Recognition Our Group’s members include lawyers who have achieved the highest ratings from Martindale-Hubbell and LEXPERT, and who frequently write and lecture on topics in international business.
