How can companies make the most of the time, money and manpower invested in an investigation after the case at hand is closed? FRA Founding Partner Frances McLeod and Partner Jenna Voss contributed a chapter to GIR’s Investigations Review of the Americas 2019, about the sometimes missed opportunity to use lessons learnt from investigations to strengthen a company’s resilience and culture of compliance.
A thorough investigation can be grueling, time-consuming, expensive and damaging to a company’s reputation and morale, but companies who think strategically can find a way to learn and move forward instead of simply moving on. This chapter outlines the factors that companies should consider as an investigation draws to a close and practical suggestions for designing effective remediation plans and a strong control environment. Frances and Jenna suggest best practices for companies positioning themselves to better detect and investigate future fraudulent or non-compliant behavior. The examples and case studies used in the article are specific to companies based or operating in the Americas, with particular focus on bribery and corruption given the current relevance of these issues in the region today.