Executive Vice President, Corporate Secretary and Chief Legal & Compliance Officer, Avantor
Search every verified Claudius Sokenu interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. In a 2018 FCPA Flash Podcast appearance, Claudius Sokenu discussed his experience with the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act from three perspectives: as an SEC enforcement attorney, a law firm practitioner, and an in-house compliance specialist. Sokenu said he considered the in-house role the most difficult, describing it as a front-line position where lawyers must make real-time decisions, change internal behaviors, and educate business colleagues under pressure. He stated that government lawyers often lack the business knowledge and international exposure that business people have when making judgment calls, and he characterized some recent FCPA enforcement as "hindsight enforcement" that judges decisions with the benefit of 20/20 hindsight. Sokenu also commented on government enforcement practices, saying that too often the government relies on outside law firms to run investigations instead of doing their own work, which he said harms the development of the law and the quality of government lawyers. He described the prosecution of individuals as "the saving grace" for achieving meaningful accountability, and he called for greater clarity and transparency from the government about why decisions are made. Sokenu noted that the government's inability to give straight answers on facilitation payments can be particularly frustrating during M&A transactions, and he observed that speed in addressing problems often determines whether a company receives a monitor or harsher treatment.
“The government tends to look at these issues far more clinically, but government lawyers often lack the business knowledge and international exposure that business people have when making judgment calls.”
“I think some recent FCPA enforcement falls into the bucket of hindsight enforcement — looking at things with the complete benefit of 20/20 hindsight.”
“As an in-house lawyer you have a better appreciation for the business pressures and the speed of decision‑making; people often make decisions without a full plate of information and later may be judged harshly.”
“I think the in‑house job is the most difficult because you're on the front line making real‑time decisions, trying to change people's behavior and educate the business while under pressure.”
“Too often the government relies on outside law firms to run investigations instead of doing their own work, and that harms the development of the law and the quality of government lawyers.”
“The prosecution of individuals is the saving grace — prosecuting individuals, not just corporations, is crucial to deter bribery and achieve meaningful accountability.”
“Clarity and transparency from the government about why decisions are made is the single most important thing to help in‑house counsel be effective.”
“The government's inability to give straight answers on facilitation payments and similar issues can be particularly frustrating when you're trying to close an M&A transaction.”
“Speed in addressing problems often determines whether a company gets a monitor or harsher treatment; slowness or lack of timely action can put you in an awkward position with the government.”
This episode is a conversation with Claudius Sokenu. Sokenu is among a small number of individuals who has experienced the ...
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