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CCCA_V6No1_DawnRaid-FIN_CCCA_V6No1_DawnRaid 2/15/12 6:05 PM Page 29 general counsel withTELUS Legal Services. employees so they will not engage” in criminal behavior. Cover A credible compliance program can identify the boundaries of At a time when budgets are being squeezed, convincing the acceptable conduct, reduce the risk of contravening the law, and management of the merits of implementing a credible compliance even help detect criminal violations at an early or even nascent program can be a daunting challenge.A sound business case must stage.While a compliance policy will not automatically insulate a be forged.“Quite honestly you have to have a good argument as company and its directors and officers from potential criminal or civil liability under the Competition Act, the Competition Bureau and the Crown may give weight to an effective compliance program in dealing with a competition matter. In fact, it may even persuade the Bureau to accept a settlement in lieu of more formal and serious proceedings. “These investigations are very disruptive, very costly,very time-consuming.That can impact not only internally in the company but externally on things like share values, company image and many other things,” says Reynolds.“There is a need for com- CAUGHT BETWEEN panies generally to sensitize themselves to THE DEVIL AND THE DEEP the possibility of these kinds of events. The best guard against becoming exposed to a search is to have an excellent compli- BLUE ance program that will act to sensitize SEA? notre outil primaire dans les enquêtes sur les cartels », précise John Pecman, sous-com- missaire principal aux affaires criminelles du Bureau de la concurrence. L’exercice, qui peut durer plus d’une semaine, est destiné à saisir la preuve avant qu’elle ne soit « nettoyée », déplacée CLASS ACTIONS ou détruite. « Je n’ai jamais eu un client qui n’était YOUR BUSINESS. pas surpris que ça lui arrive »,indique John Clifford, associé et expert de la concur- FAIR AND SQUARE. rence chez McMillan à Toronto. Avec Melanie Aitken qui a acquis une réputation de commissaire coriace à la tête du Bureau de la concurrence,les dirigeants SCAN THIS MATRIX CODE WITH YOUR d’entreprises canadiennes — guidés par SMARTPHONE OR VISIT OUR WEBSITE. leurs conseillers juridiques — doivent prendre cette possibilité au sérieux. 175 lawyers Le Bureau redouble d’efforts pour sévir efficacement contre les entreprises canadi- LAVERY, DE BILLY, L.L.P. BARRISTERS AND SOLICITORS M O N T R E A L Q U E B E C C I T Y O T T A W A ennes qui violent les lois sur la concurrence. PRINTEMPS 2012 CCCA Canadian Corporate Counsel Association 29