CBA SPRING LAW SERIES 2020

Presented by the CBA Business Law Section

Fraud and Corruption: Trends During Times of Crisis

The current situation, provoked by the COVID-19 pandemic, follows a pattern observed during previous economic crises wherein corporations face an environment that sees an increase in fraudulent activities. As a study of recent economic crises shows, situations of financial instability provide fertile ground for fraud. Corporations must therefore maintain a high level of awareness and adopt measures to mitigate the impact that such circumstances may have on their activities.

Join our panel of expert speakers as they highlight trends observed during periods of economic crisis and provide useful tools to assist practitioners in protecting the interests of their clients in the face of increased fraud risk.

Topics will include:

• Government stimulus schemes: fraudulent claims for business loans and government guarantees
• The pressure of liquidity issues: financial statement restatements and adjustments — “cooking the books” and patterns from prior crises
• Business interruption: Contract breaches, possible disputes and supply chain challenges
• Staff interruption challenges: exposing internal controls, higher susceptibility to fraud, embezzlement, etc.
• Antitrust and price-fixing: profiteering off critical goods and unfair competition
• Upcoming landscape for Remediation Agreements

Presenters