Faced with a government crackdown on bribes overseas by American businesses, attorneys are urging their clients to adopt detailed programs for complying with the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.

“It is important to have a robust compliance program,” said David M. Zornow, a partner at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom. “If someone goes off the rails and an illegal payment was made, companies want to be able to show the government that they have done everything reasonable to prevent it.”