Corporate internal investigations best practices, …

1 Corporate internal investigations best practices, pitfalls to avoid INTRODUCTION: THE BENEFITS OF AN EFFECTIVE Corporate internal INVESTIGATION. Corporations are being scrutinized today as never before. Each of these benefits can be achieved if the investigation Public and private companies alike are examined and in- is well designed with a specific work plan that addresses vestigated not only by the government, but by increas- document collection and review, witness interviews, care- ing numbers of local, state, and foreign government agen- ful analysis, and periodic reporting in the format that best cies.

2 Private plaintiffs are also filing more and more cases serves the client's interests. with significant allegations that attempt to call a corpora- tion's conduct into question. Frequently, Corporate scrutiny Jones Day has developed one of the deepest benches focuses on compliance issues: that is, whether companies in the world of former prosecutors and regulators and of comply with the legal obligations to run the business ethi- lead trial lawyers, all of whom guide and defend companies cally around the world. Corporations are clearly facing sig- every day through their most sensitive and urgent issues.

3 Nificant challenges. The materials in this collection, written by the partners and associates within the Firm's Corporate Criminal Investiga- There is a path, though, for corporations to best protect tions Practice, describe different aspects of our practice themselves in the harsh glare of the spotlight on compli- as related to Corporate internal investigations . The materi- ance issues. That is: When a company is confronted with als cover best practices in witness interviews, reflections evidence or allegations of potential wrongdoing, the com- on the Corporate attorney-client privilege, representation pany is well served to respond deliberately and thought- issues in internal investigations , joint defense agreements, fully by making sure that it understands all the facts.

4 If the the effective use of experts, the growing prevalence of facts evidence a violation of policy or worse, of law the global Corporate investigations , and protecting a compa- company should respond promptly with appropriate dis- ny's interests after self-disclosure. cipline, remediation, and (in certain cases) perhaps even discussions with the government. We hope that you find these materials instructive and helpful. Under the right circumstances, conducting an effective Corporate internal investigation protected by the attorney- Charles Carberry and Richard Deane client privilege can benefit the company in a number of Practice Leaders ways: Corporate Criminal investigations Revealing all of the relevant facts so that management and/or the board can make a fully informed decision as to how best to proceed.

5 Stopping the conduct to prevent further violations;. Memorializing the company's good-faith response to the facts as they become known;. Insulating management and/or the board against allega- tions of complicity; and Promoting a culture of transparency and compliance throughout the organization. Contents Best Practices for Conducting Witness Interviews 1. The Corporate Attorney-Client Privilege Today: Is Waiver Still a Worry? 10. Representation Issues in Corporate internal investigations : Identifying and Addressing Risks 16. Best Practices Regarding Joint Defense Agreements 23.

6 Choosing and Using Experts Effectively 29. The Weight of the World: Meeting the Challenges of Global Corporate investigations 37. Protecting a Company's Interests After Self-Disclosure 45. Endnotes 58. Best Practices Witness interviews are a critical part of virtually every inter- nal Corporate investigation. Witnesses have the facts the who, what, where, when, and why and how successfully For Conducting interviewers extract those facts can make or break the in- ternal investigation. Witness In any particular investigation, witnesses can, and often do, run the gamut; some may truthfully recite what they do and do not know and also offer leads that further advance the Interviews investigation, while others may obscure the facts, if not flat- out lie, and thereby sidetrack or even obstruct the investi- gation.

7 Finally, there are witnesses who come clean at the last minute. From this perspective, a good interview is, fundamentally, one that enables: (i) the discovery of as many relevant facts (or sources of such facts) from the witness as possible; and (ii) an accurate assessment of the witness's credibility. This section sets forth certain considerations and best prac- tices for conducting an effective witness interview. It should be emphasized, however, that conducting a good interview is at least as much art as science. Meticulous preparation, well-crafted questions, and facility with documents can en- sure that the relevant substantive topics are covered during 1.

8 The interview, but well-honed soft skills are often neces- once the investigation goes overt. The element of sur- sary for eliciting information that the witness may be reluc- prise can be an especially valuable tool for investigators . tant to share and determining whether the witness is telling substantial covert investigative activity leading up to un- the truth. In particular, interviewers should be adept at de- scheduled drop-in interviews of key subjects can help tecting and interpreting various indicia of veracity, such as ensure both that the interviewers are knowledgeable about signals the witness gives about her candor, interests, and the conduct within the scope of the investigation and the motivations through her body language, speech patterns witness's participation therein and that the witnesses are and other verbal cues, and overall demeanor.

9 Not afforded the opportunity to individually or collectively rehearse or, worse, fabricate answers to difficult ques- Against this backdrop, it should be clear that each inter- tions. Of course, when dealing with a witness, investigators view in each investigation is a distinctly unique event de- should refrain from misleading or harassing her and should serving of careful planning and its own strategy, tailored to adhere to any applicable legal rules, contractual rights, or the witness in question. Corporate policies governing the scheduling and conduct of an interview.

10 Even when an investigation has remained covert, the best investigative approach may very well be to give witnesses ample and explicit notice of the existence Consider Factors That May Impact and nature of the investigation so that they can likewise be Whether, When, Where, and/or How to fully prepared (factually and mentally) when they eventually Conduct the Interview sit for their interviews. The salient point, as with most of the internal investigations and related interviews do not oc- other practice tips outlined in this section, is not that there cur in a vacuum.