Digging Deep into M&A Anti-Corruption Due Diligence Best Practices: An Interview with William Michael, Partner at Mayer Brown LLP

Anti-corruption due diligence before, during and after a merger or acquisition is an area of increasing focus for companies.  Members of the FCPA bar report that more and more of their work involves ensuring target companies are free from corruption, and handling the situation if corruption is discovered.  The Anti-Corruption Report recently spoke with William Michael, Co-Chair of the White Collar Defense & Compliance group at Mayer Brown LLP in Chicago, about his experience with these issues.  Previously, Michael served for more than 10 years as a federal prosecutor with the Department of Justice.  Among other things, Michael discussed important questions to ask during a risk assessment; strategies for negotiating for more access to the target company during due diligence; the effect of blocking statutes on due diligence; the risks and benefits of voluntarily disclosing a violation before or after a transaction; whether and how the Resource Guide clarified best practices; and advice on increasing the odds of achieving a declination from the SEC or DOJ if misconduct is discovered post-transaction.  See also “How to Perform Effective FCPA Due Diligence in Private Equity Transactions and Strategic Mergers and Acquisitions” (Mar. 6, 2013).

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