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- Home
- Professionals
- Donald J. Ridings Jr.
As chair of the firm’s global Anti-Corruption Practice Group, Don Ridings leads a team of compliance and investigation lawyers based in the U.S., Europe and Asia. Mr. Ridings is recognized as a leading Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) practitioner by Chambers Global and Chambers USA, which observe that “h[e] brings a very business-oriented mindset” that enables him to deliver practical advice.
For almost two decades, Mr. Ridings has advised clients in nearly every major industry on a range of compliance issues arising under the FCPA and other anti-bribery regimes. He serves as outside anti-corruption counsel to several Fortune 500 companies, including two in the Fortune 10. Mr. Ridings advises clients on compliance risks in investment transactions, designs and helps implement compliance programs, and counsels clients on a broad range of anti-corruption and other compliance risks. For companies with established compliance programs, Mr. Ridings leads independent compliance program assessments that allow companies, their management and their boards to benchmark their compliance programs against peer companies and regulator expectations.
Mr. Ridings has led dozens of internal investigations arising from conduct in Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, and North America. He represents clients before the U.S. Department of Justice and Securities and Exchange Commission, where he has secured several non-public declinations.
An experienced civil and international litigator, Mr. Ridings has represented clients in federal and state courts, administrative proceedings, and international arbitral tribunals. He maintains an active civil rights-focused pro bono practice.
Anti-Corruption and Compliance
- Led risk assessments and developed or enhanced global anti-corruption compliance programs for companies across a range of business sectors, including agriculture, automotive, consulting, consumer products, energy, financial services, food, health care, manufacturing, medical devices, manufacturing, mining, pharmaceuticals, private equity, technology, telecommunications and transportation.
- Leading a two-year, 10-country anti-corruption risk assessment and compliance program assessment for a global consumer brand.
- Serve as global compliance counsel to two of the world’s largest privately-held companies.
- Led the Covington team that successfully obtained FCPA Opinion Procedure Release 10-02, which established DOJ good practices for mitigating compliance risks from donations that are coerced by foreign government officials.
Litigation and Arbitration
- Represents a leading global pharmaceutical company in federal and state class actions and parallel government investigations arising from disputed sales and pricing practices.
- Successful representation of Kyocera Corporation in ICC arbitration, securing an unusual summary adjudication award that was affirmed by the United States District Court for the Northern District of California.
Pro Bono
- First chaired successful arbitration against the federal government arising out of the Department of Agriculture’s discriminatory farm credit lending practices.
- Lead counsel in a Constitutional challenge to the medical conditions at a private prison operated under contract with the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
Previous Experience
- Management and Communication Trainer, Tokyo, Japan (1994-1996)
- Legislative Aide to a Member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Washington, DC (1991-1994)
January 20, 2021, Covington Alert
Based on the top-line numbers, 2020 was a banner year for U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (“FCPA”) enforcement. We saw several record-setting fines as U.S.-recovered penalties from corporate resolutions totaled more than $2.75 billion—the highest on record; and a new company entered the all-time U.S. recoveries Top 10 resolutions list. While some commentators ...
July 21, 2020, Covington Alert
On July 17, 2020, Commonwealth Edison Company (“ComEd”), an Illinois utility company, entered into a deferred prosecution agreement (the “DPA”) with the U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ” or the “Department”) to resolve allegations of bribery under 18 U.S.C. § 666, which prohibits theft or bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds. Aside from the ...
July 6, 2020, Covington Alert
On July 3, 2020, the U.S. Department of Justice’s (“DOJ” or the “Department”) Criminal Division and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s (“SEC”) Enforcement Division quietly released A Resource Guide to the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, Second Edition (the “Second Edition”). The first edition of the Resource Guide (the “First Edition”) was ...
June 27, 2020
WASHINGTON—Covington represented Piramal Enterprises Limited (PEL) in the sale of a 20% stake in Piramal Pharma Limited (Piramal Pharma), a wholly owned subsidiary of PEL that will contain its pharmaceutical businesses, to CA Clover Intermediate II Investments, an affiliated entity of CAP V Mauritius Limited, an investment fund managed and advised by affiliated ...
June 3, 2020, Covington Alert
On June 1, 2020, the U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ” or the “Department”) Criminal Division released an updated version of its Evaluation of Corporate Compliance Programs document (the “Guidance”), which serves as a reference for prosecutors in assessing corporate compliance programs in the context of DOJ investigations. The Department last revised the ...
January 30, 2020, Covington Alert
It has been another strong year in anti-corruption enforcement, with 2019 meeting or beating the high-water mark for enforcement across a number of measurements.
January 17, 2020
WASHINGTON—Covington represented Piramal Enterprises Limited in itsdefinitive agreement to sell Decision Resources Group to Clarivate Analytics plc, in a deal valued at $950 million. The $950 million purchase price includes $900 million in cash and approximately $50 million in Clarivate ordinary shares to be issued following the one-year anniversary of ...
May 10, 2019, Covington Alert
On April 30, 2019, the U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”) Criminal Division released an updated version of the Evaluation of Corporate Compliance Programs (the “Guidance”), which serves as a reference for prosecutors in assessing corporate compliance programs in the context of DOJ investigations.
April 3, 2019, Covington Alert
In March 2019, the U.S. Department of Justice introduced several changes to the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (“FCPA”) Corporate Enforcement Policy (“the Policy”). The Policy, originally incorporated into the Justice Manual in November 2017, outlines the Department’s position on mitigation credit that companies may receive for voluntary self-disclosure, full ...
April 3, 2019, Covington Alert
In March 2019, the U.S. Department of Justice introduced several changes to the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (“FCPA”) Corporate Enforcement Policy (“the Policy”). The Policy, originally incorporated into the Justice Manual in November 2017, outlines the Department’s position on mitigation credit that companies may receive for voluntary self-disclosure, full ...
Q1 2019, Covington Alert
It was business as usual for FCPA enforcement in 2018. The U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”) and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) collected a total of $1 billion from seventeen corporate defendants, including through their share of two high-value, multi-jurisdictional enforcement actions. DOJ also announced thirteen new FCPA prosecutions ...
Winter 2019, Covington Alert
It was business as usual for FCPA enforcement in 2018. The U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”) and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) collected a total of $1 billion from seventeen corporate defendants, including through their share of two high-value, multi-jurisdictional enforcement actions. DOJ also announced thirteen new FCPA prosecutions ...
September 28, 2018, Covington Advisory
On August 24, 2018, the Second Circuit issued its much-anticipated decision in U.S. v. Hoskins.Emphasizing on multiple occasions that Congress defined “with surgical precision” who could be liable under the anti-bribery provisions of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (“FCPA”), the court held that the government may not employ conspiracy or accomplice liability ...
Veronica Yepez joins Covington & Burling
September 26, 2018, Latin Lawyer
Veronica Yepez is quoted in Latin Lawyer regarding her recent move to the firm. Ms. Yepez says, “Covington offers clients true global compliance capabilities. The deep bench of former prosecutors and former DOJ senior offices with oversight over FCPA enforcement is unparalleled.” Don Ridings, chair of the firm’s anti-corruption practice, says, “Veronica built a ...
January 25, 2018, Covington Advisory
Our message this year is simple: FCPA enforcement is here to stay. Despite pre-election statements to the contrary, various senior officials in the U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”) and U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) have, over the past year, consistently reaffirmed DOJ’s and the SEC’s commitment to FCPA enforcement.
December 13, 2017, Covington Alert
During his keynote speech at the 34th International Conference on the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (“FCPA”), U.S. Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein announced a new FCPA Corporate Enforcement Policy (the “Policy”), which is now incorporated in the United States Attorneys’ Manual (“USAM”).
Fraud Section Guidance Highlights Factors Considered in Evaluating Corporate Compliance Programs
March 2, 2017, Covington Alert
The Fraud Section of the U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”) quietly released new guidance last month entitled “Evaluation of Corporate Compliance Programs” (the “Guidance”). While noting that “the Fraud Section does not use any rigid formula to assess the effectiveness of corporate compliance programs,” the eight-page Guidance outlines 11 “Sample Topics and ...
Winter 2017, Covington Alert
Anti-corruption enforcement is at a crossroads. In many respects, global anti-corruption enforcement has never been more active. The U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”) and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) in 2016 collected a total of $2.41 billion through FCPA enforcement actions against 27 corporate defendants, including through their share ...
Is it possible to draw a fine line between hospitality and bribery? – Gift and entertainment practices
November 3, 2016, IBA Asia Pacific Regional Forum on Anti-Corruption Compliance and Enforcement
April 21, 2016, Covington Alert
On April 5, 2016, the United States Department of Justice (“DOJ”), through the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, announced a one-year Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (“FCPA”) enforcement pilot program (the “Pilot Program”) intended to motivate companies to voluntarily disclose FCPA-related misconduct and increase transparency around the Fraud Section’s approach ...
September 11, 2015, Covington Alert
UK Issues Proposed Rule to Implement EU Extractive and Logging Industry Reporting Requirements
October 1, 2014, Covington E-Alert
United States v. Esquenazi - U.S. Court of Appeals Clarifies FCPA's 'Foreign Official' Standard
May 23, 2014, Covington Advisory
April 26, 2013, Covington E-Alert
October 14, 2011, Covington Advisory
January 2011, Covington E-Alert
July 21, 2010, Covington E-Alert
December 4, 2008, Covington E-Alert