Category Archives: Internal Controls

ChatGPT and Other AI Tools Use As Discoverable Evidence in Litigation and Government Investigations: What Business Leaders Must Know


Use of AI can have significant evidence, document retention, and other consequences for organizations and their legal exposure. Organizations in their leaders need to manage the use of AI to manage these risks and obligations. Continue reading

Posted in AI, Board of Directors, CEO, CFO, Compliance, Cyber, Director Liability, discrimination, Document Retention, E&O, Employee Benefits, Employment, Evidence, Fiduciary Responsibility, FinCEN, Fraud, Internal Controls, Labor Relations, management, Officers, Officers Liability, Performance Management, Regulatory Affairs, Risk Management, Securities, sentencing guidelines, Uncategorized, Workforce | Leave a comment

Justice Department Intervention Shows Commitment To ADA Website Accessibility Rule Enforcement


The Department of Justice intervention and private litigation warn public and private organizations to prioritize ADA accessibility, warning of potential enforcement actions if websites violate accessibility standards. Continue reading

Posted in Board of Directors, CEO, CFO, Compliance, discrimination, discrimination, education, Employment, Government Contractor, Internal Controls, Labor Relations, landlord tenant, Uncategorized, Website accessibility | Leave a comment

Public Companies Warned To Disclose Cyber Risks By $7 Million SEC Penalty


The $7 million in penalties the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) collected from four current and former public companies warns other public companies and their leaders of the growing risks of making materially misleading disclosures regarding cybersecurity risks and intrusions … Continue reading

Posted in Board of Directors, CEO, CFO, Compliance, Cyber, D&O, data breach, Data Security, Director Liability, Director Liabiloity, FinCEN, Internal Controls, Leadership, management, Officers, Officers Liability, Performance Management, Privacy, Privacy, Risk Management, SEC, sentencing guidelines, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Sex Harassment Lawsuit Against Landlord Reminder Federal Discrimination Bans Apply To Housing, Other Business Ops Beyond Employmenr


A new Fair Housing Act sexual harassment lawsuit filed against the owner and operator of rental properties in the Pulaski County, Kentucky area reminds business owners and leaders that sexual harassment and other federal civil rights and other discrimination and … Continue reading

Posted in CEO, CFO, Compliance, discrimination, Government Contractor, Internal Controls, landlord tenant, Leadership, management, Officers, Officers Liability, Performance Management, real estate, Risk Management, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

New DOJ Voluntary Self-Disclosure Policy Alerts Organizations To Strengthen Sentencing Guideline Compliance Programs


Since the Federal Sentencing Guidelines are key determinants on the criminal liability and sentencing of organizations and their leaders for federal crimes committed by their organization or their employees, organizations and their leaders need to clearly understand the multitude of laws that could trigger their application and the practices necessary to position themselves and their organizations to mitigate liability in the event of a potential criminal violation. Continue reading

Posted in agriculture, antitrust, bank secrecy act, Bankruptcy, Board of Directors, CEO, CFO, Compliance, Cyber, D&O, Director Liability, Director Liabiloity, Employee Benefits, Employment, Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, Fair Debt Collections Act, fda, Fiduciary Responsibility, Government Contractor, Internal Controls, management, Officers, Officers Liability, Reductions In Force, Risk Management, Securities, sentencing guidelines, Tax, Uncategorized, Workforce Management | Leave a comment

Automobile & Other Motor Vehicle Businesses Must Prepare For New FTC Rules


Automobile and other impacted motor vehicle businesses (“should begin preparations to comply with newly proposed Federal Trade Commission rules targeting certain motor vehicle seller’s marketing, sales, leasing and financing practices set forth in the recently published FTC Motor Vehicle Dealers Trade Rule Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (“Proposed Rule”) as well as submit any relevant comments on the Proposed Rule by the September 12, 2022 comment deadline. Continue reading

Posted in Board of Directors, Compliance, Internal Controls, marketing, Performance Management, Risk Management, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

DOJ Civil Cyber-Fraud Initiative Pressures Federal Contractors & Grant Recipients To Tighten Cybersecurity Controls, Training & Other Safeguards


Federal contractors and grant recipients face heightened need to fix cyber security and data breach compliance as targeted by new Justice Department Civil Cyber-Fraud Initiative. Continue reading

Posted in bank secrecy act, Board of Directors, Compliance, Cyber, data breach, Director Liability, Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, Fair Debt Collections Act, Fraud, Government Contractor, Internal Controls, Labor Relations, Leadership, Officers, Officers Liability, patriot act, Performance Management, Privacy, Privacy, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Baseball Lesson on Servant Leadership & Teamwork


A lesson in servant leadership and teamwork provides invaluable insights on building and perpetuating great teams and servant leaders. At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves children with learning disabilities, the father of one of the students delivered … Continue reading

Posted in Employment, Internal Controls, Leadership, management, Performance Management, servant leadership, Workforce, Workforce Management | Tagged | Leave a comment

College Board Antitrust Settlement Warning To Other Associations About Anti-Competitive Policies & Practices


The National Association for College Admission Counseling and its member organizations (“NACAC”) will eliminate and no longer enforce a series of requirements historically limiting the ability of colleges and universities (“colleges”) to compete for the recruitment of first-year and transfer students long included in the NACAC’s Code of Ethics and Professional Practices ( “Ethics Rules”) under a proposed agreement reached with the Justice Department to settle a civil antitrust lawsuit that charged the NACAC and its members with violating the antitrust rules.  Along with eliminating barriers that previously limited competition among colleges for new and transfer students, the lawsuit and its settlement provide an important reminder to other associations and their members about the need to ensure contracts, codes of conduct or other policies or practices don’t improperly fix prices or bids, allocate market share or otherwise restrict or prohibit competition among competitors. Continue reading

Posted in antitrust, Compliance, Internal Controls, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Live Nation & Radio Music License Committee Targeted In Justice Department Antitrust Activity


Justice Department entertainment industry enforcement action to protect ticketholders & competitors highlights new general antitrust enforcement activism Continue reading

Posted in antitrust, Compliance, Cyber, Data Security, Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, Fair Debt Collections Act, Fraud, Internal Controls, marketing, Privacy, Risk Management, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Robocall Law Raises Fines, Tightens Requirements


Robocallers could be fined up to $10,000 and telephone and other voice providers will face more responsibility to identify and stop the burgeoning robocall epidemic under a bill passed by Congress and awaiting President Trump’s signature.  The new rules offer … Continue reading

Posted in Compliance, Cyber, Data Security, Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, Fair Debt Collections Act, Fraud, Internal Controls, marketing, Privacy, Risk Management, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Manage Better By Managing Emotion In Messages


Consciously manage the emotion in your message to manage others better. Research shows people don’t actually respond to language that’s positive or negative. They respond to language that’s emotional. Emotion in language can motivate or alienate, deliver criticism or coaching, … Continue reading

Posted in Arbitration, Board of Directors, CEO, CFO, Compliance, Director Liability, Dispute Resolutuon, Employment, Fiduciary Responsibility, Internal Controls, Labor Relations, Leadership, management, Officers, Performance Management, Reductions In Force, Risk Management, Workforce, Workforce Management | Leave a comment

Corporations As Human Bodies


People too often characterize corporation as if they are some amorphous entity disconnected from humanity. This is a mistake. Corporations by their very essence are collections of people interacting with and impacting other groups of people.. People run them. People … Continue reading

Posted in Board of Directors, CEO, CFO, Compliance, Employment, Internal Controls, Labor Relations, Leadership, Stock Plans, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Check Patriot Act Controls For New FinCEN Rules Targeting North Korea Connected Transactions


Banks and other financial institutions need to review their current USA PATRIOT Act procedures and safeguards in response to an alert and a new final rule relating financial institutions published by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement … Continue reading

Posted in bank secrecy act, Compliance, Cyber, Data Security, Internal Controls, Officers, Officers Liability, patriot act, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Reconstruct Records After a Disaster


Are you trying to help your business or family clean up the mess and recover from a hurricane, flood, fire or other disaster? Reconstructing records to prove a loss for tax purposes, getting federal assistance, or insurance reimbursement often is … Continue reading

Posted in CEO, CFO, Compliance, Internal Controls, Risk Management, Tax, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Hurricane Impacted Financial Institutions Tell FinCEN If BSA Reports Delayed


FINRA Reporting by Hurricane Impacted Financial Institutions
Continue reading

Posted in bank secrecy act, Bankruptcy, Board of Directors, CEO, CFO, Compliance, Director Liability, Internal Controls, Officers, Tax, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Use Lessons Of Past Mistakes or Injustice To Build Better Future


Moving beyond mistakes & injustice Continue reading

Posted in Board of Directors, CEO, CFO, Compliance, Director Liability, discrimination, Employment, Fiduciary Responsibility, Internal Controls, Labor Relations, Leadership, Officers Liability, Performance Management, Uncategorized, Workforce, Workforce Management | Leave a comment

Improving Education To Better Train US Workers To Fill US Jobs


What can the US do to better train and educate our workforce to have skills to fill US jobs? Continue reading

Posted in Board of Directors, CEO, CFO, Compliance, education, Employment, Internal Controls, Labor Relations, Risk Management, Uncategorized, Workforce | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Leadership Starts & Ends At The Top


Business leaders expecting better ethical, legal and operational compliance and leadership achieve their goals easier when leaders lead by example.   Recent media coverage of sexual harassment and other transgressions by senior management at Fox News, Uber, Enron and a … Continue reading

Posted in Board of Directors, CEO, CFO, Compliance, D&O, Director Liability, Director Liabiloity, Internal Controls, Leadership, Officers, Officers Liability, Performance Management, Risk Management, Workforce Management | Leave a comment

Take Your Preventive Medicine


Better planning and management can head off most but not all problems. Sometimes stuff happens even when you do everything right. Either way, better management usually minimizes the damage and makes it easier to clean up the mess. It’s never … Continue reading

Posted in Bankruptcy, Board of Directors, CEO, CFO, Compliance, Cyber, D&O, Data Security, Director Liability, E&O, Employee Benefits, Employment, ESOP, Fiduciary Responsibility, Fraud, Health Plans, Internal Controls, Labor Relations, Leadership, M&A, Officers, Officers Liability, Performance Management, Privacy, Reductions In Force, Reengineering, Retirement Plans, Risk Management, Shareholder Liability, Stock Plans, Tax, Teaming, Turnaround Management, Workforce Management | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Businesses Must Prepare To Respond For Potential Data Breach To Timely Meet Notice & Other Response Duties


Businesses that experience data breaches affecting customer banking credit card, tax, social security or certain other personal financial or other sensitive information like those reported by like Chipotle, Target, Home Depot and a growing multitude of other businesses generally bear a legal … Continue reading

Posted in Board of Directors, CEO, CFO, Compliance, Cyber, D&O, data breach, Data Security, Director Liability, E&O, Employee Benefits, Employment, Fiduciary Responsibility, Fraud, Health Plans, Internal Controls, Leadership, Officers, Officers Liability, Performance Management, Privacy, Retirement Plans, Tax | Leave a comment

Supreme Court Ruling Boosts Arbitration Agreements’ Enforcability 


Employers and businesses should review their options to use arbitration and possible enhanced duty to arbitrate under arbitration agreements based on new SCOTUS Kindred Health decision. Continue reading

Posted in Arbitration, Board of Directors, CEO, CFO, Compliance, Data Security, Deferred Compensation Plans, Director Liability, Dispute Resolutuon, E&O, Employee Benefits, Employment, Fraud, Health Plans, Internal Controls, Labor Relations, M&A, Officers, Officers Liability, Performance Management, Privacy, Reductions In Force, Reengineering, Retirement Plans, Risk Management, Shareholder Liability, Stock Plans, Turnaround Management, Workforce Management | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Homeland Security Issues Urgent Cyber Warning To US Businesses


U.S. agencies are warning U.S. businesses to batten down their cyber security defenses to guard against a WannaCry ransomware cybersecurity threat sweeping the Globe. Continue reading

Posted in Board of Directors, CEO, CFO, Compliance, D&O, Data Security, Director Liability, Director Liabiloity, E&O, Employee Benefits, Employment, Fiduciary Responsibility, Fraud, Internal Controls, Leadership, Officers, Officers Liability, Privacy, Risk Management, Shareholder Liability, Uncategorized | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Real Leadership Speaks For Itself


Check out this discussion from Microsoft CEO about self-proclaimed “experts” and “leaders.”    #cynthiamarcottestamer #solutionslawpreas #leadership #coaching

Posted in Bankruptcy, Board of Directors, CEO, CFO, Compliance, Director Liability, Director Liabiloity, Employment, Fiduciary Responsibility, Internal Controls, Leadership, Officers, Performance Management, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Leadership Starts From Within


Posted in Board of Directors, CEO, CFO, Compliance, Internal Controls, Leadership, Officers, Performance Management, Reengineering, Risk Management, Teaming | Leave a comment

Lead Right


Posted in Board of Directors, CEO, CFO, Internal Controls, Leadership, Performance Management, Reengineering, Risk Management, Teaming, Uncategorized | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Data Breach & Cyber Securities & Investor Risk Management


Corporations and their leaders to add reviewing prospectus and investor cyber security and data breach disclosures to their data breach and cyber security risk management and response to do lists help guard against  post event  shareholder claims and regulator investigations. … Continue reading

Posted in Board of Directors, CEO, CFO, Compliance, D&O, Data Security, Director Liability, Director Liabiloity, E&O, Employee Benefits, Employment, Fiduciary Responsibility, Fraud, Internal Controls, Officers, Officers Liability, Risk Management, Shareholder Liability, Turnaround Management, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

10 Practical Pointers To Use Law To Better Strengthen The Legal Defensibility Of Your Business & Its Leaders


Businesses and their leaders struggling to managing the ever-changing and constantly growing regulatory and other legal risks inherent in operating a business in today’s litigation and enforcement-charged environment often miss invaluable opportunities by failing to take certain basic steps that strengthen their liability defenses and the effectiveness of their risk management and compliance efforts.

While each organization and leader needs to carefully tailor its organizational risk management and compliance programs to meet the unique needs and challenges of its operations, all risk management and compliance efforts generally should incorporate and operate on at least each of the following 10 Corporate Governance processes:
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Posted in Bankruptcy, Board of Directors, CEO, CFO, Compliance, D&O, Data Security, Deferred Compensation Plans, Director Liability, Director Liabiloity, Employee Benefits, Employment, Fiduciary Responsibility, Fraud, Health Plans, Internal Controls, Labor Relations, M&A, Officers Liability, Privacy, Reductions In Force, Reengineering, Retirement Plans, Risk Management, Shareholder Liability, Stock Plans, Tax, Turnaround Management | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Money Services Business Pays $45K CMP For Violating BSA Reporting Requirements


Mian, Inc., doing business as Tower Package Store, a money services business (MSB) is learning an expensive of the risks of failing to report cash transactions and other anti-money laundering (AML) requirements of the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA).  It’s paying … Continue reading

Posted in Bankruptcy, CEO, D&O, Director Liabiloity, Employment, Fiduciary Responsibility, Fraud, Internal Controls, M&A, Officers, Reengineering, Shareholder Liability, Tax, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

FFI List Search and Download Tool Added To FATCA Website


The FFI List Search and Download Tool located on the FATCA Website is now available.  Use the Search and Download Tool to find out if a Foreign Financial Institution (FFI) has registered.  Download an entire list of Financial Institutions or … Continue reading

Posted in Bankruptcy, CEO, D&O, Director Liabiloity, Employment, Fiduciary Responsibility, Fraud, Internal Controls, M&A, Officers, Reengineering, Shareholder Liability, Tax, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment