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Compliance Into the Weeds

Compliance into the Weeds: The Atlanta Hawks Scandal: Lessons in Financial Misconduct

The award winning, Compliance into the Weeds is the only weekly podcast which takes a deep dive into a compliance related topic, literally going into the weeds to more fully explore a subject. Looking for some hard-hitting insights on compliance? Look no further than Compliance into the Weeds! In this episode of Compliance into the Weeds, Tom Fox and Matt Kelly discuss the basics of fraud prevention with headlines torn from the NBA and a FinServ enforcement action.

The embezzlement scandal at the Atlanta Hawks has drawn attention to critical weaknesses in corporate governance and internal control systems, serving as a cautionary tale for organizations everywhere. They view the scandal as a glaring example of the consequences of neglecting internal controls and the segregation of duties, where an executive, Leslie Jones, exploited their finance role to embezzle funds for personal indulgences. His experience underscores the value of routine audits, which, despite their perceived monotony, are essential for uncovering fraud. Meanwhile, Matt is equally concerned, focusing on the need for robust internal controls and the principle of least privilege, warning against granting excessive access to employees to prevent misuse of power and safeguard organizational integrity.

Key Highlights

  • Lessons from Atlanta Hawks Fraud Case
  • Least Privilege Access for Preventing Financial Fraud
  • Financial Data Examination for Fraud Detection
  • Executives’ Lavish Misconduct: Lessons in Ethics

Resources

Matt in Radical Compliance

Tom

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A multi-award winning podcast, Compliance into the Weeds was most recently honored as one of a Top 25 Regulatory Compliance Podcast and a Top 10 Business Law Podcast, and a Top 12 Risk Management Podcast. Compliance into the Weeds has been conferred a Davey, Communicator and w3 Award, all for podcast excellence.

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The Corruption Files

The Corruption Files: How One Person Brought Down Barings Bank

What is stranger than fiction? The stories of worldwide corruption. In this podcast series, co-hosts Tom Fox, the Voice of Compliance and Mike DeBernardis, partner at Hughes Hubbard, discuss some of the most audacious corruption cases in anti-corruption enforcement. More importantly, they will discuss the lessons learned on what your organization can do to prevent running afoul of international anti-bribery laws.

In this episode of Season 2, Tom and Mike explore the Barings Bank scandal

The focus is on the actions of Nick Leeson, a trader who single-handedly bankrupted the historic institution. The discussion highlights the critical mistakes made by the bank, including a lack of oversight and the dangerous combination of trading and settlement roles. The podast also explores the broader implications for compliance and risk management in financial institutions, emphasizing the importance of segregation of duties and the pressures that can lead to unethical behavior.

Key Highlights:

  • The Rise and Fall of Barings Bank
  • The Role of Oversight in Financial Institutions
  • Lessons Learned from the Barings Bank Scandal
  • How does the Fraud Triangle apply?
  • Segregation of Duties-as basic a control as you can have in place

Memorable Quotes (all from Mike DeBernardis)

“Nick single-handedly bankrupted the oldest merchant bank.”

“He was a golden boy trader making tons of money.”

“Barings Bank was sold for one pound.”

Resources:

Mike DeBernardis on LinkedIn

Hughes Hubbard & Reed

Tom Fox

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