More than 160 people participated in the 1st Compliance and Internal Investigation Meeting, a morning of lectures and debates organized by WFaria Advogados last Thursday (1st). Executives, lawyers, experts and press professionals gathered at the Grand Mercure Ibirapuera hotel in São Paulo for high-level discussions on best practices in compliance, internal investigation and anti-corruption policies.

“WFaria is very grateful to the executives who trust it with their admiration, and understands that being a leader in an area comes with the responsibility of stimulating debate and promoting constant renewal of knowledge,” said WFaria founding partner Wilson De Faria in speech presentation of the event.

Ricardo Zuniga, US Consul-General in Brazil, made the opening statement. “In the last 20 years, the role of compliance has evolved. There is no doubt that monitoring compliance on a global scale is difficult. But that’s no excuse, “he said. “The US role is to share our experience and support programs like this one organized today.”

The consul also spoke about the negative impact of corruption on global economic activity and highlighted the particularly destructive potential of these illegal practices over emerging economies, undermining the confidence of markets, governments and populations. “We are all victims of corruption,” he lamented.

Daniel Ackerman, an official with the US Department of Justice in São Paulo, participated in the first panel of the day, which discussed the scenario of Brazilian and American anti-corruption legislation. “Compliance should not be seen as a cost. Compliance is a center of profitability and it’s sad that some companies have limited view of their importance, “said Ackerman.

Alessandra Gonsales, a WFaria partner specializing in anti-corruption policies, reinforced the need to implement effective business ethics policies, not just talk about them in communication actions. “Many companies have compliance programs, but there is still a lot of work to be done,” she said.

To find out about the contents of the other panels of the event and to see all the photos, follow the WFaria pages on Facebook and LinkedIn!