The United States has one of the most comprehensive and stringent corporate legal and regulatory compliance frameworks in the world. It is therefore no surprise that many companies based outside of the country struggle to comply with the Department of Justice’s expectations once they come within the ambit of American regulations. Foreign companies may be subject to U.S. compliance standards if they operate within the United States, routinely engage in monetary transactions involving the U.S. financial system, or are registered with American exchanges.

In this article, we provide a birds-eye view of what the DOJ expects from companies operating within the United States, the possible repercussions of failing to meet those expectations, and the benefits of creating—and maintaining—effective compliance programs.