Simultaneous Dawn Raids
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Transcript Simultaneous Dawn Raids
Global Cartel Enforcement
Practical Information for Companies
Jennifer Dinsdale
Juriste, Nexans HQ
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SCOPE OF PRESENTATION
Introduction to Global Cartel Enforcement & Multi-jurisdictional
Antitrust Investigations
How it starts
Drivers
Followers
Simultaneous Dawn Raids
Why so effective?
Technical practicalities: What to Do
Legal reaction: Protocol, What not to do
Multi-jurisdictional Enforcement & Document Retention
Legal obligations
Technical Headaches
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Global Investigation: How it starts
Internal
Investigation
US Jail Time
Cover all
bases
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Multi-Jurisdictional
Antitrust Enforcement
THE DRIVERS
1.United States Department of Justice
2.European Commission
3. Office of Fair Trade (UK)
4. Bundeskartellemt (Germany)
5. Japanese Free Trade Commission
6. Australia Competition and Consumer Commission
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Multi-Jurisdictional
Antitrust Enforcement pt. 2
THE FOLLOWERS
1. Canadian Competition Bureau
2. Administrative Council for Competition Defense
(CADE – Brazil)
3. South Korea Fair Trade Commission (but
sometimes a driver)
4. New Zealand Commerce Commission (follows Australia)
5. South Africa Competition Commission
6. Mexican Federal Competition Commission
7. Other National Authorities
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Multi-Jurisdictional
Antitrust Enforcement Part 3
Best Cartel : International Competition Network
“ICN will encourage the dissemination of antitrust experience and best
practices, promote the advocacy role of antitrust agencies and seek to
facilitate international cooperation.”
Meets several times a year
Bi-lateral Agreements allow for vast information sharing
US-EU Cooperation agreement
US-Japan MLAT
EU-Japan
Enforcers talk
"The Division’s cooperation and coordination with foreign anti-cartel
enforcers has strengthened our ability to investigate and prosecute
international cartel activity.” (Scott Hammond, Acting Assistant
Attorney General, Antitrust Division)
Stagiaire Programs/Exchanges
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Simultaneous Dawn Raids
Increasingly Sophisticated Means by Competition Authorities to carry out
Dawn Raids
Training
Software
Increased Knowledge of what they are looking for
Leniency or Amnesty Applicants
Interviews
Surveillance Tapes
Technical Practicalities and Legal Headaches
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Simultaneous Dawn Raids:
Technical Practicalties
What to do IN ADVANCE of a dawn raid:
Have a protocol in place: staff should know what to do and who to call
Legal should be notified immediately, as well as out-side lawyers (who will
you call? Same law firm? Different local firms?)
Organise coordinated response by all personnel across the Company
(unified approach should be memorialised in Company procedure)
Is your IT outsourced? They need to be informed of protocol
What to do DURING a dawn raid
Assign on-site responsibility to designated personnel
Establish the location and jurisdiction of the network drive(s) which are to be
searched
A designated Company IT expert should assist the inspectors with respect to
IT searches/access to electronic documents or data
Never impede access to IT hardware
Ensure you can get a copy of everything that inspectors have taken
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Simultaneous Dawn Raids: Legal
Headaches
Establish a “key team” to manage the investigation – consisting of
lawyers and executives
Manage your outside team of lawyers – have contact group set-up
with phone numbers
Manage IT experts
What to AVOID
Any Destruction of Documents or Email
IT manager deletes back-up tape or erases over
Inform other companies about investigation
Email from Mr. X to friend at Company Y “We are being raided, Destroy
Everything”
Obstruct the investigation or be hostile
Give the investigators documents in the original
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EXAMPLE OF DOCUMENT
RETENTION OBLIGATIONS
After the Dawn Raid, What comes next? US Subpoena !
PRODUCTION OF DOCUMENTS
Applies to entire Company
Related to Investigation (Enormous Scope)
Electronic or Hard-copy format
All Original drafts, versions, copies
DOCUMENT RETENTION
All electronic mail and attachments
All user-created files
All databases
All logs of activity
All electronic data files
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DOCUMENT RETENTION
OBLIGATIONS
Things to Consider:
How to inform the company – is there a procedure in place?
Where are your servers located? Are they accessible from the US?
Data protection laws? Do you need to notify that the system is in place?
COST: back-up tapes become expensive
Hiring of Outside technical expert to ensure control of retention
How to define the scope of the retention (factories, SAP, etc)
Can you limit the obligation to certain businesses
How to ensure compliance? Certificates? Management communication?
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- CONCLUSION
Global Antitrust Enforcement is Increasing
Companies need to be prepared in Advance for Investigations
IT and Technology more important than ever
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