Call The Criminal Defense Firm today to know how we can help your Dallas business meet federal compliance obligations.
When you ask various companies about the meaning of corporate compliance, their answers will be very different. However, no matter the kind of business you operate in Dallas, whether a small retail or a large company, you should strive to know and understand the obligations your company should be compliant with. And, understanding these compliance obligations should be one of the first things in your list of business priorities.
Why care about these obligations? If you don’t, your business may face some huge potential risks. For instance, your company may be significantly penalized. And if it doesn’t have a well-defined structure, the owners may risk being held individually liable. If you’re a licensed and registered business, you may end up losing your licenses and registrations, and if you’re a program participant or federal contractor, your eligibility to get federal funds may be revoked.
Dallas, TX Federal Corporate Compliance Attorneys
We at The Criminal Defense Firm have headquarters in Dallas, TX, and we represent companies in federal corporate compliance matters regardless of their location. No matter whether you’re based in Dallas or any other part of the country, our experienced legal team can help to ensure you’re fully compliant with your federal obligations. You need highly qualified professionals, and we’ll give you just that.
Our team comprises of individuals who have worked as U.S. Attorneys, Assistant U.S. Attorneys, and Department of Justice (DOJ) lawyers and prosecuted companies involved in federal non-compliance. Therefore, you can rest assured they know the ins and outs of the process.
Our team not only consists of corporate compliance lawyers, it also has consultants in this sector who specialize in various areas. These people have served and held high positions in different agencies, and their experience can be very helpful in your unique situation. For instance, we have consultants who have previously served in agencies such as the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), U.S. Department of Defense (DOD), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and others.
Our lawyers’ and consultants’ experience combined can help you make better decisions in matters concerning federal compliance. We can create strategies and plans to make sure federal inquiries do not come up, and if they do, provide you with the best defense.
Meet The Criminal Defense Firm’s highly qualified team of federal compliance attorneys and consultants.
Corporate Compliance Isn’t All About Procedures and Policies, There’s More
How do I become a fully federal law compliant company? That is perhaps one of the biggest questions by different businesses. Violating federal compliance obligations can be costly, and it’s a matter you shouldn’t ignore. Rather than risking potential penalties or loss of registrations and licenses, let us help make sure you’re compliant with your obligations. Our team has worked with and advised both small and large businesses, and they can use that experience to ensure you don’t make costly mistakes.
Federal compliance obligations are NOT the same for different businesses. The main determining aspects are the company’s size and the industry. These two factors are the major ones, but there are many others, and that’s why compliance plans and strategies should be customized depending on the specific company. As corporate compliance lawyers and consultants, we offer the following services:
1. Evaluation of Your Company’s Structure and Organization
Here at The Criminal Defense Firm, we take pride in a comprehensive and thorough process. What this means is that we don’t leave anything to chance. We start from when your company was established and all through. Why is comprehensiveness critical? The corporate structure and organization during your company’s foundation may not make sense now. Also, previous things that protected your business may not be applicable today. Making assumptions in matters concerning federal compliance is very dangerous and can cost you greatly. That’s why our team is thorough all through. Before we recommend anything, we ensure our plans and strategies are in line with the current requirements.
2. Risks and Needs Evaluation
After evaluating your company’s structure and organization, our next step is assessing your risks and needs. Here also, everything is specifically customized depending on how your business operates and how it’s structured. Compliance needs can’t be exactly similar for two different companies. Another thing you should keep in mind is that the key to your compliance program’s effectiveness is making sure everything reflects your business’s individual needs. Our team will comprehensively evaluate all the relevant areas of federal compliance and create a program designed to protect you completely. Our strategies are also to the point, which means we don’t include any unnecessary things.
3. Compliance Program Documentation
Our team now knows the exact needs of your company during the previous steps, this next step is creating your compliance documentation. Some firms start with this step but in our view, approaching federal compliance this way may not produce the effectiveness required. Due to federal compliance’s complexity, an incomprehensive plan may not produce the desired outcome. What sets The Criminal Defense Firm apart from the rest is that we begin from the ground going up. We seek to understand our clients’ exact needs and then use our federal law knowledge and experience to develop a program based on those needs.
4. Compliance Program Training and Implementation
Another mistake by some law firms is that once they have delivered the procedures and policies, they end their services. However, what you need to know is that the implementation of those procedures and policies is also key to the success of any compliance program. Even after helping develop procedures and policies, we at The Criminal Defense Firm continue working with our clients to train them suitably and guide them through successful implementation.
5. Compliance Monitoring and Enforcement
Apart from training and implementation, monitoring the compliance program and enforcement are also crucial elements to ensuring its effectiveness. Our attorneys and consultants work with your company’s in-house legal team and compliance officers to come up with the right monitoring procedures. We also guide your business through internal enforcement if necessary. To reduce the risks in case of a federal investigation or audit, proper documentation of these efforts is also important. That’s why we guide you, provide resources, and represent you when it comes to the documentation of your monitoring and enforcement efforts.
6. Response Preparedness and Execution
The best step to preventing problems with federal compliance is implementing your program well in advance. However, sometimes your employees can make mistakes along the way, and when they do, a swift and appropriate response will be vital. While developing compliance programs for your company, we also include response preparedness measures. And if anything happens and you need us for advice or representation, we’re always available to help you.
What Exactly Does Your Company Need?
Many compliance officers and in-house attorneys make the mistake of underestimating a company’s compliance burdens. What they don’t realize is that federal laws and regulations virtually affect all factors of doing business. Different situations may trigger various legal obligations and businesses must be well-prepared in advance to act in accordance with them. Let’s look at some of the federal compliance areas in which our team can represent you.
Data Security and Privacy Compliance – Under federal law, companies are required to implement proper data security measures, and report breaches themselves if they happen. Dallas companies are also finding themselves being subjected to state and international compliance obligations (General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)).
Consumer Finance Compliance – Companies providing financial services such as credit reporting, consumer lending, and others are overseen and regulated heavily by the Consumer Finance Protection Board (CFPB) and other federal jurisdictions.
Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) Compliance – For companies regulated by the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, they must comply with its compliance obligations. Both local and international events can trigger FCPA legal obligations, and that’s why as a company, you should ensure all the relevant employees receive adequate training on what this law prohibits and excludes.
Antitrust Compliance – Federal antitrust laws such as the Sherman Act are vital to ensuring that companies compete in the right manner. However, antitrust laws stretch further than the restriction of monopolies and regulating prices between competitors. No matter the size of your business, you can face antitrust compliance obligations, and abiding by them is a crucial step to avoid facing federal investigations unnecessarily.
Employment Law Compliance – There are several compliance obligations that employers can face under federal law. One example is anti-discrimination and harassment compliance. Another example is acting according to the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) and Form I-9 regulations. If you don’t comply with obligations, you may find be investigated under employment law.
Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (FDCA) Compliance – For companies that produce drugs and medical devices, they must comply with the regulations as stipulated by the FDCA, and it’s an area that presents different hindrances. At The Criminal Defense Firm, we’re extensively experienced in guiding businesses in matters concerning FDCA compliance and representing them in various Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issues.
Securities Compliance – There are various securities law obligations that both private and private companies should comply with. For public companies, we represent them in the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) compliance issues. For private companies, we assist in the formulation and implementation of procedures and policies designed to prevent implications associated with securities law.
Environmental Law Compliance – This is another area that companies should pay keen attention to because of its high risks. As a business, you should follow regulations as indicated in the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act, ensure you’re Superfund-compliant, and follow other environmental law obligations to prevent investigations and enforcement against you.
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Compliance – The Federal Trade Commission is responsible for overseeing matters regarding U.S. commerce. This commission oversees advertising laws, e-commerce issues, consumer data protection, and many others. If your company has issues regulated by the FTC, you should ensure you’re fully compliant.
Industry-Specific Compliance – Apart from these general compliance obligations, others are industry-specific. We can assist with healthcare compliance, energy compliance, transportation compliance, and other industry-specific aspects.
Do You Need Corporate Compliance Assistance? – Contact the Experienced Team at The Criminal Defense Firm
Whether you’re located in Dallas or any other part of the country, our highly qualified attorneys and consultants can help with corporate compliance issues. Please schedule a consultation to learn more about what we can do for you. You can either call us through 214-817-2053 or fill out this online form.