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Companies Must Be Vigilant To Protect Against Cartels

Learn key strategies to protect your company from cartel involvement and legal implications. Train your team to detect early signs, create a watch list, and implement preventive measures to safeguard your business. Stay ahead to avoid costly litigations and fines.

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Companies Must Be Vigilant To Protect Against Cartels

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  1. REDUCING A COMPANY’S RISK OF BEING A CARTEL VICTIMBrian R. HenrySenior CounselVenturing and Emerging Brands andNorth America Competition CounselThe Coca-Cola CompanyNovember 4, 2009

  2. Companies Must Be Vigilant To Protect Against Cartels • DOJ Antitrust Division has recovered over $4B in criminal fines over the past 11 years. • Price-fixing among commercial product and service suppliers continues as enforcement records are set. • In FY 2007: • defendants prosecuted sentenced to 31,391 jail days; highest total imposed in any given year • fines obtained by the Division were more than $630M, second highest in Division history • Division had 50 pending grand jury investigations of suspected international cartel activity.

  3. Deputize Company Procurement Employees as Frontline Cartel Scouts • Eyes and ears of the company with respect to supplier conduct; instrumental in early detection. • Potential visibility into cartels as they are forming or while they operate. Whistleblowers, amnesty applicants, and agency investigations are after the fact. • Better to stop a cartel in its tracks rather than having to file litigation years after substantial harm has been incurred by the company. • Cannot do it alone. Legal Department must be integrally involved.

  4. Procurement Department Must be Trained in the Art of Cartels • Need to know what to look for and need to understand the lengths cartel members will go to keep cartels secret. Publicly available details of actual operations as released by the DOJ can significantly aid in this process. • Need to be informed about current cartel cases as to enable (a) assessments of possible impact on company, and (b) understanding regarding the variety of industries involved in cartel activity.

  5. Training in the Art of Cartels (continued) • Legal Department training program to teach employees about key red flags. • Bring in law firms and economists who can provide insights from first hand experience prosecuting and defending cartels.

  6. Training Agenda • Industry Characteristics • Product Characteristics • Market Factors • Pricing Activity • Bidding Activity • Suppliers Use of Suspicious Language • Recent History of Cartel Enforcement

  7. Prepare Company / Industry “Watch List” • Master list of major company purchases and suppliers. • Analyze and apply historical and economic factors. • Classify as High, Medium or Low risk. Focus on High and Medium Risk products.

  8. Create An Early Alert System • Procurement must be alert to and track suspicious activity • Structural changes in industry • Apparent information exchanges among competitors • Odd price increases or bidding behavior • Trade press reports suggesting coordination • Should be trained to get Legal Counsel involved early • Depending on seriousness may want to retain economist

  9. Create An Early Alert System (continued) • Next steps greatly dependant on facts, but . . . • Save, Save, Save (all relevant materials and notes) • Document, Document, Document (all conversations and events) • Ask for written confirmations of concerning responses or certifications of lack of collusion (to preserve fraudulent concealment arguments) • Ask questions when bids do not make sense • Act normally and do not discuss concerns with suppliers • Avoid accusing of collusion (may not be correct or it may give them opportunity to cover up) • Consider contacting supplier legal counsel

  10. Implement Measures To Prevent Future Collusion • Confirmatory statements from suppliers that they will adhere to the antitrust laws and the purchaser’s specific code of conduct. • Certifications that bids are competitive and not the product of collusion. • Sealed bidding and keep identity of bidders secret. • Limit amount of information shared with suppliers regarding other suppliers’ dealings and bids.

  11. Implement Measures To Prevent Future Collusion (continued) • Increase number of bidders to as many as practicably possible. • Require disclosure of possible subcontractors and their pricing. • If bids are identical award contract to only one bidder or reissue the RFP (deters sharing of award). • Record and save details information of information provided to all suppliers.  

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