1-conducting an internal investigation

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Lorraine Campos, Crowell & Moring Cristina Rodriguez, Hogan Lovells Adam Subervi, Novartis 10 Must Dos When Conducting an Internal Investigation Corporate Counsel Women of Color Career Strategies Conference October 10, 2018

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Page 1: 1-Conducting an Internal Investigation

LorraineCampos,Crowell&MoringCristinaRodriguez,HoganLovells

AdamSubervi,Novartis

10MustDosWhenConductinganInternalInvestigation

CorporateCounselWomenofColorCareerStrategiesConference

October10,2018

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1. Considertheimpetustoconductingtheinvestigation

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• Hot line tip• Customer complaint• Competitor complaint• Request for information from the US Government• Subpoena• Routine internal audit• Media inquiry• Whistleblowers

The“Why”oftheInvestigation...

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2. Initialbusinessconsiderations

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• Discover the facts• Discover the cause• Maintain privileged investigation/associated work product• Implement corrective actions • Minimize disruption to the business• Minimize scope of enforcement action• Determine disclosure obligations• Avoid criminal referral/prosecution• Minimize effect on any parallel private civil litigation

Takingintoaccountbusinessconsiderations...whatisthegoal?

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3. Determinethenatureoftheinvestigation/investigator

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• Privilege issues• In-house investigations/security, in-house counsel v. outside counsel• Choose the right investigator• Credibility and viability as witness if testimony is needed

Criticalthresholdconsiderations

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4. Developtheinvestigationplan

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Buildingblocksfortheinvestigation• Building and managing a team

• Information gathering and scopingo Preserving, collecting, and reviewing documents

o Conducting interviews

o Background research/reports

o Legal research and analysis

• Client management

• Public relations

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• External claims / regulatorso Criminal, civil, administrative regulators

o Whistleblowers

o Shareholder / derivative / civil suits

o Auditors

• Disclosureso Public company filings

o Mandatory / voluntary disclosures

o Loan covenants, contracts

• Remediationo Personnel

o Policies, procedures, controls

Otherconsiderations

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5. Preservedocuments

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• Distribute Hold Notice ASAP – To all holders of potentially relevant information

• Evaluate IT Dept capabilities and develop most cost-effective means of preserving and producing responsive information – Electronic data challenges – volume,

metadata, “imaging” of computers, devices• Keep records to show what you produced, when you produced it, and how

it was produced

Documentpreservation

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• Destruction of documents/data is a worst-case scenario• Obstruction punishable by up to 20 years in prison (18 U.S.C. § 1519)

– “Anticipatory” obstruction – “in contemplation of …”

• Destruction can be used to establish intent for underlying crime

• Adverse inference in civil litigation

– Recent Boeing example

Documentpreservation(cont.)

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6. Collectandreviewkeydocuments

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• Identify types and custodians• Consult with e-discovery professional• Triage and review • Forensic capture and analysis

Documentscanbeoutcome-determinative

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7. Interviewwitnesses

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Interviews..MaintainthePrivilege

• Performed by attorneys• Performed by non-attorneys at the direction of attorney(s)

– Should document• Must be active direction• Be careful in foreign jurisdictions

– Not always privilege for in-house counsel

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Interviews– PreservingthePrivilege• Upjohn warning

– Everything said is confidential– Should not discuss with anyone– Can discuss underlying facts

– Represent the company not the individual– Company can choose to waive

• Document interview and that warning was provided• Document that not an exact transcription and contains mental

impressions• Impact of Yates memo

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8. Researchandanalyze

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• Legal research• Applicable standard of proof• Meet with client before preparing final report• Identify exposure to company – best case/worst case• Reporting obligations and other implications

Nowstepback…

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9. Draftinvestigationreport

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TheInvestigationReport

• Competing interests of privilege and transparency• Purpose = to provide legal advice/analysis• Limit distribution of privileged report• Development of sanitized “facts only” secondary report

– Shared with prosecutors and regulators

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10. Makerecommendations/closeout

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DisclosingtheInvestigationResults• Disclosures to Government

– Principles of Federal Prosecution/U.S. Sentencing Guidelines

– SEC Seaboard Standards/Incentives

– Potential Government intervention in qui tam actions

– SOX: public company + material = disclosure mandatory

– FAR mandatory disclosure requirements

– Sanctions/export controls disclosure requirements

– SAR filings for AML violations

• Other disclosures

– Board of Directors

– Outside Auditors

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WhatProsecutors/RegulatorsExpect

• Responsiveness• Candor• If company states it’s cooperating

– Full disclosure of the facts – Facts about Individuals (Yates memo)– Mitigation/Restitution– Remedial Efforts

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