Foreign Bribery Whistleblower Lawyer
Do you know of a bribe that’s been paid to a foreign official to secure a business deal? If so, you could be eligible for a reward from the SEC, and a foreign bribery whistleblower attorney can help you get it.
Bribery can take many forms, but when US persons or companies bribe foreign officials to obtain or retain business, they are in violation of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA). By extension, this means that the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) would be extremely interested to learn of the foreign bribery.
The SEC is so interested in this type of information, that it has actually increased the resources it applies to these investigations, and it is willing to pay whistleblowers a substantial financial award for any information they can contribute.
If you possess knowledge of this nature, a foreign bribery whistleblower lawyer from Meissner Associates can help you anonymously tip off the SEC and maximize your reward.
Grease Payment Versus Bribe
The definition of “bribery” used in the FCPA allows for substantial gray area that can make foreign bribery difficult to recognize. This is because the FCPA specifically allows for so-called “grease payments.”
A grease payment is essentially a payment, gift, or service given to a foreign official so that the official will expedite his or her duties in getting a business deal approved. This intention is the key to distinguishing grease payments from bribes.
A bribe, by contrast, is paid so that the foreign official will decide to approve of or engage in a business deal. A grease payment makes things go faster but doesn’t ultimately change the outcome. A bribe tips the scales.
When Is the SEC Interested in Foreign Bribery?
If a bribe is paid to a foreign official by a US person or business, and that bribe is paid with the intent of obtaining or retaining business, then the bribe is a violation of the FCPA and the SEC will likely be interested.
Your foreign bribery whistleblower attorney will help you submit your information to the SEC in the most effective way possible while protecting your identity and rights. Our firm can help you determine if the SEC will view the payment as a bribe or a grease payment, as well as how to demonstrate the distinction to the SEC.
By acting quickly and without hesitation, you can potentially increase the percentage of the whistleblower reward you receive. If the SEC enacts sanctions that recover over $1,000,000 and your information was original, then the SEC will pay you a bounty of between 10 and 30 percent of the funds recovered.
Become a Foreign Bribery Whistleblower
Meissner Associates has been representing whistleblowers since 2001, and we can help you maximize your reward while protecting your legal rights. When it’s time to blow the whistle, you want experienced and knowledgeable legal counsel on your side, and that’s precisely what we provide.
Use the form below to submit your tip for a free and confidential evaluation performed by a foreign bribery whistleblower lawyer. You can also contact us by phone at 1-866-764-3100.