Anti-Corruption Enforcement in China on the Rise

Presenting a live 90-minute webinar with interactive Q&A Anti-Corruption Enforcement in China on the Rise Minimizing Risk of FCPA and Chinese Law Vio...
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Presenting a live 90-minute webinar with interactive Q&A

Anti-Corruption Enforcement in China on the Rise Minimizing Risk of FCPA and Chinese Law Violations and Responding to Investigations TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2013

1pm Eastern

|

12pm Central | 11am Mountain

| 10am Pacific

Today’s faculty features: Michael S. Diamant, Partner, Gibson Dunn & Crutcher, Washington, D.C. Robert Hunt, Partner, Herbert Smith Freehills, Hong Kong, China Michael Li-Ming Wong, Partner, Gibson Dunn & Crutcher, San Francisco

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Webcast: Anti-Corruption Enforcement in China Robert Hunt Michael S. Diamant Michael Li-Ming Wong March 5, 2013



Topics To Be Discussed I.

Corruption Risks in China

II. Chinese Anti-Corruption Laws III. FCPA Enforcement and China IV. Coordination Between U.S. and Chinese Authorities

V. Compliance Strategies for Mitigating Corruption Risk in China

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Topics To Be Discussed I.

Corruption Risks in China

II. Chinese Anti-Corruption Laws III. FCPA Enforcement and China IV. Coordination Between U.S. and Chinese Authorities

V. Compliance Strategies for Mitigating Corruption Risk in China

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Predominant risks of operating in China Third-Party Risk • Organizations often enter the Chinese market through joint ventures with local parties. Local requirements, lack of infrastructure and language/cultural differences lead to the frequent use of third-party sales agents and consultants. Use of these third party agents without conducting appropriate due diligence increases corruptionrelated risk.

Culture of Gift Giving • Gift giving is a prevalent social custom in China and cultural mores related to gift giving differ from Western countries. Multinationals often experience difficulty making distinction between a “gift” and a “bribe.”

Travel Expenses • Requests for travel from PRC government officials is common in China. The potential for abuse is significant.

• Notably, the use of travel agents to make kickbacks is becoming a more common practice and accentuates thirdparty risk that can arise in connection with travel requests.

Ubiquity of “Foreign Officials” • FCPA’s broad definition of “foreign official” encompasses all employees of state-owned entities (“SOEs”).

• The bulk of China’s domestic market is still composed of SOEs; more than 200,000 across a broad range of industries. • SOEs such as Sinopec and CNOOC have shares listed in New York. 7



Topics To Be Discussed I.

Corruption Risks in China

II. Chinese Anti-Corruption Laws III. FCPA Enforcement and China IV. Coordination Between U.S. and Chinese Authorities

V. Compliance Strategies for Mitigating Corruption Risk in China

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Chinese Anti-Corruption Laws Chinese law punishes both the giving and taking of bribes.

1. Official Bribery

2. Commercial Bribery

3. Foreign Bribery

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PRC’s domestic legal landscape China has two primary pieces of anti-corruption legislation: the Criminal Law and the Anti-unfair Competition Law. They cover: Public sector bribery :

• Accepting bribes by or giving bribes to “State personnel” to seek illegitimate benefits

 “State personnel” include all personnel working in SOEs • Giving bribes to foreign officials or officials of international public organization to secure illegitimate commercial benefits (May 2011 amendment to the Criminal Law) Private sector bribery:

• Accepting bribes by or giving bribes to private sector individuals or entities to secure illegitimate benefits 10



PRC’s domestic legal landscape Key concepts under the Chinese law: What constitutes a bribe?

• Anything of value with no de minimis exception. In practice, however:  Low value meals or reasonable travel expenses offered in the course of normal social networking activities should be less likely to fall foul of the law What are the penalties? • Bribery of State personnel – maximum life imprisonment plus fine; confiscation of property and illegal proceeds may also be imposed • Bribery of private individuals – maximum 10 years of imprisonment plus fine; confiscation of property and illegal proceeds may also be imposed

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China: Anti-Corruption Enforcement Agencies Central Commission for Discipline Inspection

Supreme People’s Procuratorate (Prosecutor’s Office)

State Council (Government Agencies) • Ministry of Supervision • State Administration for Industry and Commerce (SAIC)

Public Security Bureau (Law Enforcement)

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China’s Anti-Corruption Enforcement: The New Regime

“A great deal of facts tell us that the worse corruption becomes, the only outcome will be the end of the party and the end of the state! We must be vigilant!” -Xi Jinping, Communist Party Chief (11/19/2012)

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China’s New Leadership Brings Changes in Anticorruption Laws and Enforcement Recent changes to anti-bribery laws and policies include:

• Limits on party officials • Increased criminal prosecutions • Incentives for confessing to bribery

• A new five-year plan • Asset disclosure for public officials

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PRC’s recent enforcement trends The Chinese authorities’ enforcement tends to focus on the demand / receipt side of bribery (passive corruption), particularly involving State personnel. Between 2003 and 2011, it is reported that more than 42,000 CPC members faced corruption charges. But employees of foreign corporates have also been targeted for receiving bribes. And now China’s highest court and top prosecutorial body has issued a joint policy statement regarding enforcement of PRC anti-corruption laws against bribe-givers. The policy statement:

• • •

does not substantively change the legal requirements of the PRC anti-corruption prohibitions; focuses on which bribery offences will be subject to increased criminal penalties; and may signal a new enforcement priority against bribe-givers in the PRC.

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Recent Chinese Corruption Headlines Foxconn Begins Bribery Investigation “The company said last week that an internal investigation had uncovered possible wrongdoing in the supply chain and that those findings had been shared with the authorities in China.” “Foxconn, which is based in Taiwan but has production facilities throughout China, did not offer details about the nature of the investigation or how the problem was uncovered. But last week, the Taiwan edition of Next Magazine reported that a Foxconn executive in the coastal Chinese city of Shenzhen had been detained by the police on bribery allegations.” -The New York Times, 1/13/2013

Bo Xilai Ousted from Communist Party “China’s Communist leaders have dealt a hammer blow to the disgraced politician Bo Xilai, expelling him from the party and accusing him of everything from corruption to improper sexual behaviour . . .” “The state news agency Xinhua said the flamboyant leader now faced criminal charges. It alleged that he took huge bribes and abused his power . . .”

Former Provincial Official Sentenced to Death for Bribery “A former provincial official in east China's Jiangxi Province was sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve for taking bribes, a court heard on Wednesday.”

“He helped bribe-givers benefit from projects and assisted them with job transfers and promotions by taking advantage of his post, said the prosecutors.” -Xinhua, 12/19/2012

Chief of Top Chinese Bank Arrested for Corruption “Tao Liming, Chief Executive of the Postal Savings Bank of China (PSBC), China’s sixth largest commercial bank, was officially arrested on corruption charges at the end of December, after being held for several months.” “The charges for his arrest included issuing illegal loans, taking bribes, and illegal fund-raising . . .” -The Epoch Times, 1/7/2013

-The Guardian, 9/29/2012 16



Chinese Anti-Corruption Enforcement By the Numbers:

660,000

Number of officials found guilty of disciplinary violations over the past five years

18,100

Number of Chinese officials punished for corruption concerning construction projects during the past three years.

30,000

Number of business-to-business corruption cases investigated by the Administration of Industry and Commerce over the last five years.

“We must uphold the fighting of tigers and flies at the same time.” - Communist Party Chief Xi Jinping, in a January 2013 statement indicating that he would target both low level and high level officials.

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Chinese Anti-Corruption Enforcement Industry Focus: Health Care: Investigations focused on hospital officials in Southern and Western China accused of taking kickbacks from distributors of medical devices and drug manufacturers. Banking: Bank presidents from China’s “Big Four,” as well as those from institutions serving low-income clients, have been prosecuted in recent months. Real Estate Development: High-level officials have recently been prosecuted for accepting bribes in exchange for favorable treatment in land acquisition and development deals.

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Topics To Be Discussed I.

Corruption Risks in China

II. Chinese Anti-Corruption Laws III. FCPA Enforcement and China IV. Coordination Between U.S. and Chinese Authorities

V. Compliance Strategies for Mitigating Corruption Risk in China

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An Overview of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (“FCPA”)

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Overview: FCPA What is the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act? The FCPA was enacted in 1977 in the wake of reports that numerous U.S. businesses were making large payments to foreign officials to secure business.



Anti-Bribery Provisions: The FCPA prohibits corruptly giving, promising, or offering anything of value to a foreign government official, political party, or party official with the intent to influence that official in his or her official capacity or to secure an improper advantage in order to obtain or retain business.



Accounting Provisions: The FCPA also requires issuers to maintain accurate “books and records” and reasonably effective internal controls.

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Overview: FCPA (cont’d) Who is covered by the FCPA? •

Issuers: Any company whose securities (including level two and level three ADRs and registered debt) are registered in the United States or that is required to file periodic reports with the SEC. • The FCPA also applies to stockholders, officers, directors, employees, and agents acting on behalf of the issuer.



Domestic Concerns: Any individual who is a U.S. citizen, national, or resident of the United States (not just U.S. citizens), or any business organization that has its principal place of business in the United States or which is organized in the United States. • The FCPA also applies to stockholders, officers, directors, employees, and agents acting on behalf of the domestic concern.



Other Persons: Anyone who takes any act in furtherance of a corrupt payment while within the territory of the United States.

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Definition of “Foreign Official” The FCPA prohibits corrupt payments to “foreign officials,” which is expansively defined to include: •

Any officer or employee (including low-level employees and officials) of a foreign government or any department, agency, or instrumentality of the government, which U.S. regulators have construed to include employees of government-owned or government-controlled businesses and enterprises.



Officers and employees of public international organizations, such as the United Nations, World Bank or other international financial institutions, the Red Cross, and others.



Party officials and political candidates.



Members of royal families.

Resource Guide on the Definition of “Foreign Official” In recently published guidance, DOJ endorses a list of nonexclusive factors that courts have considered when determining whether an individual or entity should be considered a state actor, including: • Extent of ownership of the entity by a foreign state; • Foreign state’s degree of control over the entity; and • The general perception that the entity is performing official or government functions. The guide also notes that the FCPA “covers corrupt payments to low-ranking employees and high-level officials alike.” -A Resource Guide to the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (ch. 2)

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What Constitutes a “Thing of Value”? • Liability exists from the first dollar – there is no “de minimis” exception. • It is not limited to tangible items of economic value.

• It can include anything a recipient would find interesting or useful, including: • • • • • • •

Gifts and/or “Comps” Theatre Tickets Entertainment Food and Wine Red Envelopes Internships Professional Training

• • • • • • •

“As part of an effective compliance program, a company should have clear and easily accessible guidelines and processes in place for gift-giving by the company’s directors, officers, employees, and agents.” -A Resource Guide to the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (p.16)

Trips Loans Employment Consulting Fees Meals Education Political or Charitable Contributions

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FCPA Enforcement and China

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Continued Focus on China by U.S. Enforcement Agencies Enforcement Actions:

• • • • • • • • • • • • • •

InVision Technologies, 2004 Diagnostic Products Corp., 2005 Schnitzer Steel Industries, 2006 Paradigm BV, 2007 York International, 2007 Alcatel-Lucent, 2007 AGA Medical, 2008 Faro Technologies, 2008 Siemens AG, 2008 ITT Corporation, 2009 Avery Dennison, 2009 Control Components, Inc., 2009 UTStarcom, Inc., 2009 Daimler AG, 2010

• • • • • • • • • • • •

Veraz Networks, Inc., 2010 Alliance One International, 2010 RAE Systems, Inc., 2010 IBM Corp., 2011 Maxwell Technologies, 2011 Rockwell Automation, 2011 Watts Water Technologies, Inc., 2011 Biomet, Inc., 2012 Pfizer/Wyeth, 2012 Nordam Group, Inc., 2012 Tyco, 2012 Eli Lilly, 2012

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2012: An Active Year for China-Related FCPA Investigations Five of the year’s twelve FCPA enforcement actions against companies involved conduct in China:

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China FCPA Enforcement Trend: Health Care Focus on the following risks when doing business in China’s health care sector:

1. Distributors

2. Non-transparent tendering and procurement processes

3. Medical training and conferences

Key Lesson: Appropriately allocate resources if your company is involved in a high-risk industry, such as health care. Know the risks and red flags associated with working with public hospital officials, and sponsored travel.

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China FCPA Enforcement Trend: Pre-Acquisition Due Diligence In the Pfizer/Wyeth case, due diligence is underscored as a must in order to avoid inheriting the FCPA liability of newly acquired businesses. • Following Pfizer’s 2009 acquisition of Wyeth, its due diligence review found potential improper payments, prompting SEC and DOJ investigations. • Wyeth paid $18.8 million to resolve the SEC charges. • DOJ declined to pursue charges against Pfizer, citing its due diligence and the prompt implementation of internal controls in Wyeth’s entities. Key Lesson: Effective and probing pre-acquisition due diligence is a must in order to avoid inheriting the FCPA liability of newly acquired businesses.

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China FCPA Enforcement Trend: Third-Party Risks Recent investigations show that third parties remain the single greatest area of risk for companies doing business in China. • • • •

Nordam Biomet Tyco Rockwell Automation

Key Lesson: Although use of third parties is often a useful, and sometimes necessary, part of doing business in an emerging market, it will often present corruption risks.

Conduct due diligence on third parties in high-risk countries, actively monitor thirdparty behavior during the relationship, and insist upon absolute integrity when dealing with foreign government officials.

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China FCPA Enforcement Trend: Third-Party Risks (cont’d) Watch for red flags when dealing with third parties in China. • • • • • • •

Unexplained increases in purchase prices Generic or unsatisfactorily explained invoices Inflated commission or fee arrangements Payments of money through indirect channels Hiring employees who are connected or related to government officials Excessive travel and entertainment expenses. Third party domiciled in a country other than the one where it provides services

Common Third Parties to Watch in the PRC: •

Consultants



Design Institutes



PR/Marketing Firms



Event Organizers



Travel Agents



Import/Export Companies



Distributors & Dealers

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China FCPA Enforcement Trend: Gift Giving Recent enforcement actions involving China show continued focus on abuses of the region’s gift-giving culture. • Eli Lilly • Pfizer/Wyeth • Biomet • RAE Systems • Schnitzer Steel

Key Lesson: Be aware of cultural conditions that may present risks. Closely monitor the provision of gifts, entertainment, and other business hospitality, especially around local holidays. 32



China FCPA Enforcement Trend: U.S.-Listed PRC Companies Recent SEC action shows that the regulatory agencies are actively investigating Chinese headquartered U.S.-listed companies.

“U.S. investors should be able to rely on the quality of audited financial statements. Our Working Group’s actions demonstrate how the SEC is proactively identifying emerging risks to protect U.S. investors from accounting fraud.” -Kara Brockmeyer, Chief, Securities and Exchange Commission FCPA Unit, 12/3/2012

Chinese Private Company

U.S.-listed Public Shell Company

U.S-listed Public Chinese Company

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China FCPA Enforcement Trend: Scrutiny of Compliance Programs Recent cases show that U.S. enforcement agencies will factor in a company’s compliance program when determining whether to commence an enforcement action. •

April 2012: Garth Peterson, former managing director in Morgan Stanley’s real estate investment and fund advisory business, pleaded guilty to conspiring to evade internal accounting controls that Morgan Stanley was required to maintain under the FCPA.



The SEC and DOJ both declined to accuse Morgan Stanley of any wrongdoing, and cited the company’s robust FCPA compliance program and internal controls.

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Topics To Be Discussed I.

Corruption Risks in China

II. Chinese Anti-Corruption Laws III. FCPA Enforcement and China IV. Coordination Between U.S. and Chinese Authorities

V. Compliance Strategies for Mitigating Corruption Risk in China

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Enforcement is Global A single enforcement action may involve several countries, regions, or regulators, including those in the U.S. and China. • Biomet: China, Argentina, and Brazil • Eli Lilly & Co: China, Brazil, Poland, and Russia

• Pfizer: China, Bulgaria, Croatia, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Russia, and Saudi Arabia • Tyco: China and multiple other countries in Asia, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East Key Lesson: When an issue arises, assess whether the problem extends beyond the borders of a single country or region.

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Coordination Between U.S. and Chinese Authorities • In 2011, China-U.S. Joint Liaison Group on Law Enforcement Cooperation established the U.S.-China Anticorruption Working Group – Facilitated an anti-bribery roundtable with U.S. and Chinese executives – U.S. agreed to repatriate Chinese officials living in the U.S. accused of receiving bribes in China – In December, 2012 working group led U.S. & China to agree to work together to implement obligations under the U.N. Convention Against Corruption “[F]ighting against transnational bribery is . . . an area that holds good prospects for U.S.-China cooperation.”— Cameron F. Kerry, General Counsel, U.S. Dept. of Commerce (Aug. 1, 2011) 37



Topics To Be Discussed I.

Corruption Risks in China

II. Chinese Anti-Corruption Laws III. FCPA Enforcement and China IV. Coordination Between U.S. and Chinese Authorities

V. Compliance Strategies for Mitigating Corruption Risk in China

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Establish an Effective Compliance Program The Morgan Stanley case from 2012 reiterates the importance of maintaining robust compliance programs.

“After considering all the available facts and circumstances, including that Morgan Stanley constructed and maintained a system of internal controls, which provided reasonable assurances that its employees were not bribing government officials, the Department of Justice declined to bring any enforcement action against Morgan Stanley related to Peterson’s conduct.” - DOJ Press Release on the Morgan Stanley Investigation

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Establish an Effective Compliance Program Cont’d The “basic elements DOJ and SEC consider when evaluating compliance programs” are especially relevant to companies operating in emerging markets. These include: • Tailored Compliance Program • Clear Compliance Policies • Targeted Compliance Training • Culture of Compliance • Third-Party Due Diligence • Confidential Reporting of Misconduct • A Compliance Program That Evolves With The Business “Fundamentally, the design of a company’s internal controls must take into account the operational realities and risks attendant to the company’s business, such as . . . the degree to which it has operations in countries with a high risk of corruption.” -A Resource Guide to the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (p. 40)

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Conduct Extensive Due Diligence on Potential Targets Effective Due Diligence:

• Evaluate the target’s compliance program • Evaluate particular risks associated with the target’s business • How does the target deal with government officials? • Evaluate the target’s use of and control over subsidiaries, field offices, and agents.

• Conduct enhanced due diligence of any “red flags” that arise during the diligence process.

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Mitigate Risks Involving Third Parties

• Before: Conduct due diligence on potential agents, consultant, distributors, and other intermediaries. • After: Following the engagement of the third party, closely monitor behavior to ensure continued compliance.

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Gifts and Customer Travel • Gifts – Tailor a compliance program to reasonably account for these cultural expectations while preventing employees from using gifts as inducements to win business.

• Travel – Travel features especially prominently in corruption efforts in countries like China, where public officials have limited opportunities for international travel. – When sponsoring travel for public officials, take precautions.

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Other Tips for Mitigating Risks in China Political and Charitable Contributions • Contributions should not be used as a vehicle to conceal improper payments. Establish pre-approval procedures for contributions.

Meals and Entertainment • Meals and entertainment should only be given in connection with official business and should, at all times, be reasonable under the circumstances.

Media Stipends • Provide modest travel stipends uniformly, and never condition the stipend on coverage. Journalists should provide written acknowledgement of receipt, and all payments should be properly recorded in the company’s books and records.

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Professional Profiles Michael S. Diamant

Contact: 1050 Connecticut Avenue, N.W. Washington, DC 20036-5306 Tel: +1 202.887.3604 [email protected]

Michael S. Diamant is a partner in the Washington, D.C. office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. His practice focuses on white collar criminal defense, internal investigations, and corporate compliance.

Mr. Diamant has broad white collar defense experience representing corporations and corporate executives facing criminal and regulatory charges. He has represented clients in an array of matters, including False Claims Act violations, accounting fraud, and antitrust violations, before the Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission. Mr. Diamant also has managed numerous internal investigations for publicly traded corporations and conducted fieldwork—including more than 200 witness interviews—in eleven different countries on four continents. In the area of corporate compliance, Mr. Diamant regularly advises major corporations on the structure and effectiveness of their compliance programs. This often includes reviewing reporting mechanisms, internal payment controls, and compliance messaging, as well as drafting new compliance materials, such as ethics and anti-corruption handbooks. Among Mr. Diamant’s substantive areas of expertise is the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (“FCPA”). Mr. Diamant conducts internal investigations for corporations regarding possible violations of the FCPA and assists them in complying with government subpoenas and negotiating settlements with enforcement agencies. He also routinely advises corporations on the adequacy of the design and implementation of their FCPA compliance programs. Mr. Diamant has designed entire anti-bribery compliance programs, as well as guidance and payment approval materials, for Fortune 100 corporations. He also frequently conducts FCPA training for in-house counsel, corporate executives, and line employees. In addition to his work for clients, Mr. Diamant has held leadership roles in the FCPA compliance monitorships of Siemens AG and Statoil ASA. Mr. Diamant clerked for the Honorable Fortunato P. Benavides of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. He is a 2003 magna cum laude graduate of the Georgetown University Law Center, where he was inducted into the Order of the Coif. At Georgetown, he served as Senior Articles & Notes Editor of the American Criminal Law Review and authored the article on the False Claims Act for the Seventeenth Survey of White Collar Crime, 39 Am. Crim. L. Rev. 491 (2002). In 2000, Mr. Diamant received his Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service magna cum laude from Georgetown’s Walsh School of Foreign Service, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa.

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Professional Profiles Contact:

Michael Li-Ming Wong

555 Mission Street, Suite 3000 San Francisco, CA 94105-0921 Tel: +1 415.393.8333 [email protected]

Michael Li-Ming Wong, a San Francisco-based partner, is the Co-Chair of the firm’s national Securities Enforcement Practice Group and is also a member of the White Collar Defense and Investigations Practice Group. Mr. Wong focuses on white-collar criminal matters, complex civil litigation and internal corporate investigations, with a particular expertise in anti-corruption investigations. As first-chair trial counsel, Mr. Wong has tried more than twenty civil and criminal trials to verdict, including a recent trial victory that the San Francisco Daily Journal and Los Angeles Daily Journal recognized as one of the Top Defense Verdicts of 2011 in California. Prior to joining Gibson Dunn, Mr. Wong served for more than eight years as an Assistant United States Attorney for the Northern District of California. From 2005 to 2008, he served as Chief of the White Collar Crimes Section, where he supervised a team of experienced Assistant United States Attorneys and oversaw investigations, prosecutions and trials concerning corporate fraud, health care fraud, mortgage fraud, bank fraud, environmental crimes, civil rights offenses, and public corruption. From 2004 to 2005, Mr. Wong served as Chief of the Major Crimes Section, where he trained and supervised all new Assistant United States Attorneys and oversaw the largest and busiest unit in the U.S. Attorney’s Office. As an Assistant United States Attorney, Mr. Wong served as lead counsel on some of the district’s most significant and high-profile matters, including cases involving allegations of multi-million dollar fraud schemes, health care fraud, commodities fraud, stock-options backdating, mortgage fraud, and public corruption. His cases have been covered in national publications such as the San Francisco Chronicle, the Los Angeles Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The New York Times, as well as by local newspapers and Bay Area television stations. In 2004, and again in 2008, Mr. Wong was flown to Washington, D.C., to receive the U.S. Department of Justice Director’s Award for Superior Performance as an Assistant United States Attorney. Mr. Wong served as a law clerk to Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg of the U.S. Supreme Court, and to Judge José A. Cabranes of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. He graduated magna cum laude from Harvard Law School, where he was an Editor of the Harvard Law Review.

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Professional Profiles Contact:

Robert Hunt

23/F, Gloucester Tower, 15 Queen’s Road Central, Hong Kong Tel: +852 2101 4128 [email protected]

Robert has substantial experience advising on contentious matters in Asia and Europe. Robert has a particular focus on investigations work and has advised clients on cross-border internal and regulatory investigations involving issues arising under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, Bribery Act and other international anti-corruption statutes. Between 2005 and 2007, Robert spent time in the firm’s Singapore office and associated office in Jakarta, engaging in a wide range of regional disputes including contentious regulatory matters, shareholder disputes, distribution agreement disputes and claims arising out of a large environmental disaster. In February 2011, Robert relocated to Herbert Smith Freehills in Hong Kong, where he plays an active role in the Dispute Resolution group.

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