RANE Network

In a global marketplace where enterprises increasingly rely on a worldwide network of suppliers, vendors, subcontractors, and partners, the need for thorough due diligence on those relationships has become an integral part of doing business to avoid potential problems that can lead to risks down the road. As a result, companies have embraced research and screening to help avoid certain costly and preventable mistakes. A wide array of investigative tools is used to discover warning signs in potential employees, clients, vendors, and acquisition targets across geographic markets.

Unfortunately, choosing the right approach for the amount of risk involved can be challenging. Not all backgrounds checks are the same, and a “one-size-fits-all” approach or an over-reliance on automated tools can lead to potential oversights. Information can also be incomplete or inaccurate, and can vary widely from country to country.

In this podcast, RANE founder David Lawrence sits down with Jim Mintz, founder and CEO of the Mintz Group to help unpack the background check industry. Jim has spent more than thirty years conducting investigations all over the world and helped pioneer the use of sophisticated resources by law firms in the 1970s at the DC law firm of Wald, Harkrader & Ross. In 1980, Newsweek said about their unique in-house group: “What sets [them] apart…is their ability to take comprehensive looks at complicated situations and make sense out of them.” Jim co-founded The Investigative Group in 1984, which became one of the leading investigative firms in the country and was cited by the New York Times as being “the gold standard for financial private detection.”

In this podcast, RANE founder David Lawrence sits down with Jim Mintz, founder and CEO of the Mintz Group to help unpack the background check industry. Jim has spent more than thirty years conducting investigations all over the world and helped pioneer the use of sophisticated resources by law firms in the 1970s at the DC law firm of Wald, Harkrader & Ross. In 1980, Newsweek said about their unique in-house group: “What sets [them] apart…is their ability to take comprehensive looks at complicated situations and make sense out of them.” Jim co-founded The Investigative Group in 1984, which became one of the leading investigative firms in the country and was cited by the New York Times as being “the gold standard for financial private detection.”

The recent avalanche of sexual harassment cases has marked a cultural turning point in human capital management. For too long, employees – especially women – have been subject to unwanted and inappropriate behavior from colleagues and others in positions of power. Until now, fear and futility has often kept the victims of harassment from speaking up.

But we’ve hit a watershed moment, where a hostile workplace environment is no longer acceptable or tolerated. In its place, companies are focused on fostering a positive work environment for all employees. And as we’ve seen, the risks to companies for not acting are many – reputational, financial, and legal, among others.

In this podcast, RANE’s Executive Director of Governance, Risk, and Compliance Serina Vash sits down with Katherin Nukk-Freeman, Partner, Nukk-Freeman & Cerra PC to explore this issue further. Katherin enables companies to proactively address and effectively manage workplace issues related to harassment and discrimination complaints, unconscious bias, disability and leave law, wage and hour disputes, social media risks, staff reductions in force, and high-risk terminations. She works with human resources management professionals providing guidance and instruction to help them better manage and proactively address their training programs and many other employment law issues. As an employment law training instructor and industry thought leader, Katherin partners with clients to develop and implement strategies to manage risk, comply with the law, increase productivity and create an overall better workplace.

In this podcast, RANE’s Executive Director, GRC and General Counsel, Serina Vash sits down with Katherin Nukk-Freeman, Partner, Nukk-Freeman & Cerra PC to explore this issue further. Katherin enables companies to proactively address and effectively manage workplace issues related to harassment and discrimination complaints, unconscious bias, disability and leave law, wage and hour disputes, social media risks, staff reductions in force, and high-risk terminations. She works with human resources management professionals providing guidance and instruction to help them better manage and proactively address their training programs and many other employment law issues. As an employment law training instructor and industry thought leader, Katherin partners with clients to develop and implement strategies to manage risk, comply with the law, increase productivity and create an overall better workplace.

In this podcast, RANE founder David Lawrence sits down with David Pitofsky, General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer at News Corp, where he oversees global legal operations including litigation, mergers and acquisitions, ethics and corporate governance matters and chairs the company’s Compliance Steering Committee. In June 2015, he was recognized on the “Attorneys Who Matter” list by Ethisphere Institute, the global leader in defining and advancing the standards of ethical business practice.

When the US passed the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act in 1977, it was a world leader in setting up legal mechanisms to battle bribery and corruption. The FCPA made it illegal for US companies and their officers to influence foreign officials with anything of value.

Now questions are being raised about our interest in enforcing the law. US Attorney General Jeff Sessions said his department is committed to enforcing the FCPA, but echoed the objections of President Trump and other critics who say companies can’t compete when barred from paying bribes in locales where it is routine to do so.

Since Trump took office, there has been a dramatic drop-off in FCPA enforcement proceedings. Those numbers may be an administrative anomaly but bear watching because a continued decline in enforcement numbers may undermine US credibility in combatting international corruption.

In this podcast, RANE founder David Lawrence sits down with Joel M. Cohen, Co-Chair of Gibson Dunn's White Collar Defense and Investigations Group and a member of its Securities Litigation, Class Actions and Antitrust Practice Groups. A trial lawyer and former federal prosecutor, his experience includes all aspects of FCPA and anti-corruption issues, insider trading, securities and financial institution litigation, class actions, sanctions, money laundering, and asset recovery, with a particular focus on international disputes and discovery.

Notably, Mr. Cohen was the prosecutor of Jordan Belfort and Stratton Oakmont, the focus of the film "The Wolf of Wall Street."

In this podcast, RANE founder David Lawrence sits down with Joel M. Cohen, Co-Chair of Gibson Dunn's White Collar Defense and Investigations Group and a member of its Securities Litigation, Class Actions and Antitrust Practice Groups. A trial lawyer and former federal prosecutor, his experience includes all aspects of FCPA and anti-corruption issues, insider trading, securities and financial institution litigation, class actions, sanctions, money laundering, and asset recovery, with a particular focus on international disputes and discovery.

Much has been made of the focus of the Trump administration on rolling back regulations, but less attention has been paid to its approach to enforcement.

In this podcast, RANE founder David Lawrence sits down with David Cohen, Partner at WilmerHale in their Regulatory and Government Affairs and Litigation/Controversy Practices to discuss the likely regulatory and enforcement focus for the US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control – also known as OFAC which focuses on financial and economic sanctions – and the Financial Crime Enforcement Network – also known as FinCEN which focuses on anti-money laundering regulation and enforcement.

Before rejoining WilmerHale, Mr. Cohen served for eight years in senior presidentially appointed positions, including Deputy Director of the CIA. He was the Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence at the US Department of the Treasury, and directly supervised OFAC and FinCEN. Mr. Cohen was instrumental in developing and implementing sanctions against Iran, Russia, North Korea, ISIS, al Qa’ida and other terrorist organizations, for which he was described as “President Obama’s favorite combatant commander” and as the administration’s “financial Batman.”

December marked the end of Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe’s 37-year rule over the southern African nation. While the people of Zimbabwe rejoiced over this change, the country continues to face serious challenges to its economic future, including a cash crisis, unemployment, and economic malaise.

In this podcast, RANE founder David Lawrence sits down with Steve Taylor, Senior Partner at Askari Safari and Director of Safety and Security at Bain & Company.

An international safety and security expert, Steve was appointed as Harvard’s first International Safety and Security Director in 2011, bringing proactive risk mitigation to the University and its constituents on matters of health, safety, and security.

Prior to joining Harvard, Steve worked for more than a decade as a security consultant and as Vice President of Global Security at State Street Corporation, where he was responsible for emerging market analysis, international travel security, and executive protection.

Steve’s deep love of Africa stems from his childhood growing up in Zimbabwe, where he worked as a Game Ranger, combating poaching operations for the Zimbabwean Department of National Parks and Wildlife Management.

In this podcast, RANE founder David Lawrence sits down with David Cohen, Partner at WilmerHale in their Regulatory and Government Affairs and Litigation/Controversy Practices to discuss the likely regulatory and enforcement focus for the US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control – also known as OFAC which focuses on financial and economic sanctions – and the Financial Crime Enforcement Network – also known as FinCEN which focuses on anti-money laundering regulation and enforcement.