By Adam Turteltaub

There is a lot written and discussed about ethical business practices.  Not so much, though, if anything, on ethical business regulation.

Ruth Steinholtz of AreteWork wants to change that.  A former general counsel with a passion for ethics, she works with numerous companies on making their values real.   She is also the co-author of Ethical Business Practice and Regulation.

In her book, and in this podcast, Ruth argues for the development of a new approach to regulation based on informed trust.  In a nutshell, companies with a strong commitment to ethical, compliant behavior, and, critically, with the evidence to prove it, should be able to bring their data to regulators.  The goal:  to lay a foundation of trust, which leads to a more constructive relationship both day to day, and when things go bad.

Listen in for her thought-provoking ideas that are already being piloted with one government.