Internal Corporate Investigations

corporate internal investigationscorporate internal investigations for government contractors experiencing a civil or criminal investigation – mitigate damages and possibly get your case dismissed.

Is your company facing a government investigation for criminal activity or civil fraud? Don’t panic, our corporate investigation firm can help.

Our team of government contractor attorneys specializes in conducting internal corporate investigations to help companies navigate the legal complexities of government investigations from the DOJ, OIG, or SBA. We understand the unique challenges and risks that federal government contractors face and have the expertise to guide you through the compliance investigation process.

By working with us, you can rest assured that your company is taking the right steps to protect itself and minimize any potential legal or financial consequences. Our experience and knowledge in this area can make all the difference in the outcome of your case.
Contact us today to schedule a consultation with our team of experienced government contractor attorneys and start taking control of your company’s future.

Introduction

No federal contractor wants to have to investigate misconduct. However, conducting internal corporate investigations when there is evidence of misconduct or noncompliance can go a long way when being faced with suspension and debarment or federal criminal liability. The key to success is to develop and maintain a viable compliance investigation process

Corporate internal investigations are crucial to ensuring that government contractors operate within legal and ethical boundaries. These investigations are necessary to detect and prevent any fraudulent, unethical, or illegal activities within a company. This article will explore the key elements of conducting internal corporate investigations as a government contractor.

Corporate internal investigations are an essential tool that government contractors can use to investigate and prevent potential fraud, waste, and abuse. These investigations are crucial to ensure that government contractors are operating within legal and ethical boundaries.

Considerations As a Government Contractor for Developing a Sound Compliance Investigation Process

To develop a corporate internal investigations process, government contractors should first seek legal professionals to investigate the immediate issues that can lead to possible criminal liability. The overall process should involve the following key steps:

1. Establish a policy-making body to develop and oversee internal investigations 

2. Designate an investigator or investigative team to handle inquiries 

3. Create accurate methods of collecting and documenting evidence 

4. Utilize confidential sources to collect pertinent information  

5. Analyze existing data that may have relevance to the investigation

6. Assess the facts to compare against immediate danger

 The Legal Landscape for Government Contractors

The legal landscape for government contractors is complex and constantly changing. Government contractors must be aware of the laws and regulations that affect them and the potential legal consequences of noncompliance. These regulations include the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), the Truth in Negotiations Act, and the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA).

Types of Internal Corporate Investigations for Government Contractors

There are various types of internal corporate investigations that government contractors may undertake, including financial investigations, compliance investigations, and data privacy and security investigations. These investigations can help government contractors identify and resolve potential issues before they escalate.

Preparing for Corporate Internal Investigations

Before undertaking corporate internal investigations, it is essential to develop a clear investigation plan, identify relevant personnel and resources, and understand the legal and ethical considerations involved. This involves creating a team to carry out the investigation, identifying key witnesses, and determining the scope of the investigation.

Conducting an Internal Corporate Investigation

The process of conducting an internal corporate investigation involves gathering and analyzing relevant evidence, interviewing witnesses and involved parties, and maintaining confidentiality and avoiding retaliation. This step requires conducting a thorough investigation and documenting all findings.

 Immediate Action is Needed to Save the Company

One of the common things that can save a company’s future is when a suspension and debarment official sees that your company immediately responded to evidence of noncompliance or information presented that can lead to criminal liability. It can certainly be a mitigating circumstance if other federal law enforcement agencies are considering fines or criminal liability.

From the moment an allegation of potential wrongdoing is reported, prompt action is vital to understanding the conduct at issue, preventing future misconduct, and promoting a culture of transparency and compliance within the company. This chapter outlines insights into conducting corporate internal investigations, which seek to minimize risk and disruption to the business while observing the need for thoroughness and consistency with guidance from the U.S. Department of Justice

There is no doubt that federal law enforcement agencies such as the SBA IG and the Department of Justice (DOJ) have increased the oversight and scrutiny over small businesses and larger DOD contractors. Yet, many of them are not planning ahead or conducting corporate internal investigations or preventing procurement fraud and enduring compliance with the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR).

Removal of Personnel as a Remedy?

A common question comes up when conducting internal corporate investigations concerning a federal government contracting matter.  If there seems to be evidence that points to a specific person or persons, can you remove that person? The first question to ask is whether your state is an ‘at will state.” If it is, then you might be in a safer position when you decide to remove personnel.  Indeed, you are allowed to make business decisions to protect the company’s interests. Speak to your HR department or business attorney when making such a decision. 

  • Should you choose to remove personnel after conducting an internal investigation, make detailed notes for your records.
  • For purposes of government contract investigations, keep records of what exactly you have done to mitigate risk and correct problems

What is an Investigation in the Workplace?

This information is focused on small businesses and larger federal government contractors seeking to ensure compliance. A viable company investigation in the workplace will either focus on the existing problem to make sure that business practices measure up to a specific regulation that covers the potential problem. In the alternative, the investigation can also focus on preventing a serious problem or lack of compliance or pinpointing potential wrongdoing. As you conduct internal interviews, document any documents that the interviewee refers to. This includes emails from other coworkers, articles in the newspaper etc.

When questioning employees, be mindful of statements that can be considered hearsay and how such evidence may or may not be

  • An investigation should not always occur after there is a problem
  • Most successful federal contractors conduct inspections and revamp internal policies and controls on a set schedule.

Reporting Findings and Taking Action

After completing an investigation, it is essential to present the investigation results to relevant parties, take corrective action, and implement preventative measures. This step involves creating a report detailing the investigation’s findings, implementing changes to prevent future issues, and notifying relevant government agencies when necessary.

Common Challenges and Best Practices for Conduction Internal Investigations

Government contractors face unique challenges when conducting internal investigations, such as balancing transparency and confidentiality, managing potential conflicts of interest, and ensuring independence and objectivity. Best practices include creating a written investigation plan, ensuring confidentiality, following any duty to dislose requirements, and following up with all parties involved.

Working with Outside Corporate Investigation Firms and Other Experts

Determining when to involve outside counsel and other experts is crucial to ensuring a thorough and independent investigation. Identifying and engaging qualified outside counsel and coordinating with relevant experts can help ensure that all aspects of the investigation are conducted effectively.

Maintaining Compliance and Preventing Future Issues

After conducting an internal corporate investigation, it is essential to conduct regular compliance training and assessments, establish clear policies and procedures for internal investigations, and implement ongoing monitoring and oversight mechanisms. This step involves creating a culture of compliance within the organization and taking steps to prevent future issues.

How to Conduct an Internal Corporate Investigation

The first step in conducting a corporate internal investigation for a government contractor is to identify what goal you are trying to accomplish.  You must be aware of many contract clauses such as mandatory disclosure, contractor code of ethics, limitations on subcontracting, and so on.

A thorough internal company investigation would focus on these things.

When looking at how to conduct internal corporate investigations, you must also tailor the process to suit your specific company operations. If you become subject to a government contract investigation, you may be asked questions about how your specific company works through the day-to-day issues. Failure to produce or show that you have a viable plan in place can hurt the company in the long run.

Is the Attorney-Client Privilege Applicable to Company Internal Investigations?

This question often comes up. The best approach is to first understand who is the client. Normally, the company will be the client. This allows for more openness in communication.

The attorney-client privilege during company internal investigations helps the company to prevent further violations, adopt better business practices that minimize risk and certainly allow corporate management full access to information in order to make informed decisions.

All contractors should focus on minimizing business disruption, improving public relations and improving the government’s perception of them as a contractor. The most important aspect of developing company investigations is to avoid being charged with criminal liability or potential civil liability or fines.

When you conduct an inspection you should conduct it as though there was an actual government investigation taking place.

  • Taking proactive measures will almost always minimize liability in the long run
  • You always want to make sure that if there is an ongoing federal investigation against your company your internal investigation does not tamper with witnesses or evidence.

Government Contractor Investigations on the Rise

Internal corporate investigations allow you to conduct a self-assessment of managers, supervisors, and your employees to comply with federal government contract laws in addition to your internal policies and controls. Government contractors are now increasing the frequency of their internal investigations.  The penalty for procurement fraud is very high and sometimes can be aggravated by companies not investigating their operations for indicators of fraud.

When you conduct internal corporate investigations, you should be looking to gather facts so if the Department of Justice (DOJ), Security Exchange Commission (SEC) or another agency wants to investigate you to conduct witness interviews, the investigator can make a fair determination about what happened and whether a violation occurred. See information on responding to government investigations.

OIG is Active in Company Investigations: In its January 6, 2014 Semiannual Report to Congress, the office of Inspector General (OIG) stated that it “completed many more important audits and reviews covering many Department operations and programs.”For corporations involved in federal government contracts, this is especially true in suspension and debarment cases.

For medium-sized or large companies, you should be especially cognizant of allegations of employment discrimination, Service Disabled Veteran requirements (SDVOSB) or other employment law concerns. These are also situations where you might want to conduct corporate internal investigations.

Trends are showing that corporations are now left to conduct their own internal business corporate investigations. State and Federal Government agencies are increasing corporate investigations nationwide. For example, according to a Washington Post article, the U.S. government is stepping up investigations of corporations suspected of paying bribes overseas.  This is especially true for the Department of Justice and the Security Exchange Commission.

Conduct Routine Investigations: Both small businesses and large corporations simply have to implement internal controls and policies, and conduct internal company investigations on a routine basis. They should not wait until the DOJ or SEC comes knocking on their doors.

As the U.S. government steps up investigations of companies suspected of paying bribes overseas, law enforcement officials are leaving much of the detective work to the very corporations under suspicion.

DOJ Conducting Government Contractor Investigations

The following show clear examples of how the federal government is cracking down on corporations and launching nationwide corporate investigations.

Former Federal Agent Charged with Embezzlement and Thirty Counts of Making False Statements, November 21, 2013

Correctional Institution Employee Sentenced on Bribery Related Offense, December 20, 2013

Seminole, Oklahoma Resident Sentenced for Committing Federal Program Theft, December 19, 2013

Former FBI Special Agent Pleads Guilty to Illegal Cash Deposits, December 17, 2013

Former FBI Assistant Director Who Violated Federal Criminal Ethics Law is Fined, December 17, 2013

Two Florida Residents Sentenced on Bribery Charges, November 25, 2013

Conclusion

In conclusion, conducting internal corporate investigations is essential for government contractors to operate within legal and ethical boundaries. By developing a clear investigation plan, gathering and analyzing relevant evidence, and taking corrective action, government contractors can identify and resolve potential issues before they escalate. With the right tools and practices, government contractors can ensure compliance and prevent future issues.

If you are a medium-sized company, small business or a large federal government contractor, you want to seriously consider developing periodic company internal corporate investigations. Contact our federal government contractor corporate investigation firm of lawyers for legal advice at 1-866-601-5518. Free Initial Consultation.

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