After a Protracted Battle About Reporting Requirements, Judge Leon Approves a $10 Million FCPA Settlement Between IBM and the SEC

One of the most judicially contested civil settlements in FCPA history reached a conclusion on July 25, 2013, when U.S. District Judge Richard J. Leon of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia signed off on a $10 million agreement between IBM and the SEC.  The agreement resolves civil FCPA charges arising from IBM’s alleged bribery schemes in China and Korea.  The settlement agreement has been pending for more than two years, with Judge Leon accusing the SEC of “rolling over” during negotiation of the reporting requirements in the agreement, and warning IBM that if corruption problems arise in the future, it “won’t be a happy day.”  See also “Judge’s Refusal to Approve Civil FCPA Settlement Raises Concerns for Future FCPA Settlements with the SEC” (Jan. 9, 2013); “District Court Judge Modifies Demands in Push for Stricter Judicial Review of Civil FCPA Settlements” (Feb. 6, 2013).

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