Forensic services publications

Global economic crime survey 2011
PwC's biennial Global Economic Crime Survey, in its sixth year with almost 4000 respondents from organizations in 78 countries, is the most comprehensive global survey of economic crime available to businesses. Also included is the United States supplement to the 2011 Global Economic Crime Survey, which provides a more in-depth discussion of the issues identified by executives based in the United States.

Marketmap - China: Pearls, pitfalls, and possibilities
China's ascension on the world stage is unquestionably one of the greatest economic stories of our time, and the fascination with it appears endless. But not many know what doing business in today's China really entails, much less implies. Marketmap takes a unique look at the realities.

10Minutes on Changing corruption risks
To help business leaders and corporate directors better understand the corruption risk landscape and more, to prioritize their company's response, we've compiled eight questions to direct to their operational teams.

Integrating technology into your compliance program to improve effectiveness and efficiency
Financial services firms should review their compliance and control systems to make sure they are fully functioning and compliant with new regulatory requirements being imposed by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.

Broader perspectives; higher performance. State of Compliance: 2011 Study
PwC and Compliance Week teamed up to survey over 100 senior-level compliance executives at leading U.S. companies. The resulting report summarizes the findings of the study and provides selected benchmarking data in four key areas: Compliance organization reporting relationships and structure; compliance focus, scope and risk; metrics to gauge effectiveness; and budget, staffing and resources.

2011 Patent litigation study
PwC maintains a database of patent damages awards (from 1980 through 2010), collecting with specificity information about patent holder success rates, time-to-trial statistics, and practicing versus nonpracticing entity ("NPE") statistics (all from 1995 through 2010). This year's study adds industry classification and expanded NPE segmentation analyses. Based on this study, several observations can be made to help executives, legislators, and litigators assess their patent enforcement — or defense — strategies, as well as the impact of NPEs.

Under the Table, On the Radar: Improving Anti-corruption Compliance for Financial Services Institutions
Financial services institutions do well to continuously adapt their anti-corruption programs and use consistent and clear leadership messaging.

Global State of Information Security Survey 2012
The 9th annual Global State of Information Security Survey 2012, a worldwide study by PwC, CIO magazine and CSO magazine. The survey – the largest of its kind – represents responses of over 9,600 IT, security and business executives in 138 countries across all industries.

Cyber Crisis Management: A bold approach to a bold and shadowy nemesis
Read on to learn more about how you can ensure that your business is well equipped to survive a cyber security incident or data breach of sensitive information by applying a new approach to cyber threat management that’s founded on the realities of the evolving cyber threat landscape.

Fraud in an economic upturn: Managing the downside of an upswing
We look ahead to highlight the issues that boards of directors and audit committees need to prepare for: the frauds that might emerge and the likely regulatory response to them.

A Guide to Forensic Accounting Investigation, Second Edition
Explore exactly what assurance auditors should be expected to provide and gain insight into alternatives to providing the capital markets more of what they are requiring—greater assurances that the financial state­ments they rely upon for investment decisions are free of material error, including fraud.

Developing a TIGHTer approach to corruption risk
Organizations can perform a formal, documented anti-corruption risk assessment using risk factors represented by the acronym TIGHT. The TIGHT methodology considers risk factors such as Type of official interactions, Industry, Geography, History, Tone at the Top, Training, Third Party interactions, and Transaction Controls. Regulatory expectations of compliance programs across the globe are increasing in sophistication and extent—TIGHT specifically addresses these expectations.

Brand monetisation - trust, but verify
To maximise brand monetisation, parties entering into a formal licensing agreement must do so in good faith and with a transparent and open approach. To avoid any future pitfalls, the expectations of both parties must be aligned.

2010 Securities Litigation Study
The PwC Securities Litigation Study, now in its 15th year, tracks US federal securities class actions filed since the passage of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act (PSLRA) in 1995.

Investing in emerging markets
Russia: Realizing opportunities and managing risks
More than 80% of CEOs who responded to PwC's 14th Annual Global CEO Survey in January this year said they're conducting strategy makeovers, driven in large part by the changing dynamics between the developed and emerging economies.

Daubert Challenges to Financial Experts: An 11-year study of trends and outcomes
This study analyzes post-Kumho Tire (2000-2010) challenges to financial expert witnesses under the Daubert standards. We identify observable trends in the frequency and outcome of these challenges based on written opinions in federal and state courts. The study examines the challenges to provide insight into the reasons experts were challenged and excluded and to delve more analytically into the causes of exclusions based on the qualifications of the experts and the relevance and reliability of the expert testimony. The study also summarizes some of the specific financial, statistical, economic, and valuation methods that courts have found inadmissible.

E-Discovery Challenges on Global Matters
Published in the March 2011 edition of Compliance Week, this article reviews 10 common challenges of global e-discovery and how to overcome them.

Why cybercrime matters to General Counsel
General counsel involvement in cybercrime is increasingly critical to protecting the organization and its intellectual property from the significant (and successful) nature of the cyber threat. By virtue of their pivotal role within the company, general counsel need to arrive at the scene of the crime early, remain involved continuously, and be prepared to act quickly in the event the company comes under one such silent, yet potentially catastrophic, attack.

Are you compromised but don't know it? A new philosophy for cyber security
Learn more about how you can better protect your business from cyber threats by applying a new philosophy to cyber security which is founded on the realities of the cyber threat landscape.

Lead Directors: A study of their growing influence and importance
This inaugural study addresses the current and future role of lead directors and discovers that they will be expected to delve further into shareholder and governance issues, be more involved in risk management, drive succession planning to ensure the process produces top leaders, and strengthen the independence of the board. Lead directors from 16 sectors with revenue ranging from $4 billion to $100 billion were surveyed on crisis management, succession planning, risk management and their roles and responsibilities.

Simple measures help smaller firms reduce risk efficiently
This PwC article, which appeared in BNA March 15, 2010, provides insight and advice on how smaller firms can address and mitigate fraud.

Selecting the right investigative resource
by Greg Regan, CPA/CFF, and Kristin Rivera, CPA/CFF
When does an allegation of financial statement fraud call for an in-house investigation, and when is hiring outside experts prudent?
Copyright 2010. American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission.

PricewaterhouseCoopers Securities Litigation Third Quarter Update Shows a Decrease in Federal Securities Class Action Filings
Number of securities litigation class action filings through Q3 2009 has decreased 25% compared to the same time period in 2008; filings in healthcare industries may be showing an upward trend

2009 Global Economic Crime Survey: US supplement
Our study this year focused on relationships between the economic downturn and economic crime. Businesses operating in the US did not escape the impact of the global downturn unscathed.

10Minutes on combating corruption
10Minutes on Combating Corruption discusses the increase in prosecutions and fines being brought under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), the spread of United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) regulations, and the importance of developing an anti-corruption compliance strategy.

Service blues: Effectively managing the multi-billion dollar threat from product warranty and support abuse
This paper delves into the warranty service abuse faced by the technology industry, analyzes the abuse worldwide and identifies opportunities for curbing the ongoing threats arising from this form of entitlement abuse.

Licensing in the boardroom
This supplement to Intellectual Asset Management magazine identifies and explains the key issues in intellectual property licensing.

Resolution of purchase price disputes
This paper discusses questions and issues from the perspective of a practitioner who has been engaged as an advisor to buyers and sellers as the accounting neutral.

Cracking down: The facts about risks in the procurement cycle
This paper addresses the challenges in understanding how procurement fraud is perpetrated, how it is prosecuted, and how procurement risk can be mitigated by corporate compliance and prevention programs.

Confronting corruption: The business case for an effective anti-corruption programme
PwC's Confronting corruption report examines what companies are currently doing to manage the risk of corruption and the steps they can consider to better protect themselves in the future.

An overview of the securities litigation landscape
First published in The Metropolitan Corporate Counsel, this interview with Patricia Etzold provides an in-depth discussion of what's happening in the securities litigation arena, drawing on information from the PwC 2008 Securities Litigation study.

Contractor business ethics compliance program & disclosure requirements
This Briefing Paper discusses the development of the final rule, FAR Case 2007-006, “Contractor Business Ethics Compliance Program and Disclosure Requirements,” timing and applicability issues presented by the final rule, the rule’s mandatory disclosure, contractor code of business ethics and conduct, ongoing business ethics awareness and compliance program, and internal control system requirements, and enforcement.

Corruption crackdown
This paper addresses the trends in FCPA enforcement actions and helps clients understand how best to mitigate their risk in their international business operations.

Insights from an M&A monitor
A reprint from Executive Council: July/August 2009, Volume 6, Number 3.

Fraud in a downturn
This paper considers whether fraud, corruption, abuse and other integrity threats are changing during this period of global economic decline and, if so, how.

IP Value 2009
This unique publication is designed specifically for those holding senior positions in IP-owning companies. It reflects the fact that the identification, creation and exploitation of assets such as patents, trademarks, copyrights and know-how is now a mainstream boardroom issue.

TARP financing recipients should expect government to inquire into internal controls, ask how money is spent
This PwC article, which appeared in BNA February 16, 2009, addresses how TARP recipients can help mitigate the risk of fraud, waste and abuse.

Brands in the boardroom archive
This supplement to Intellectual Asset Management magazine explores a wide range of brand-related topics and identifies key issues in the creation and management of a brand portfolio.

Securities litigation study
PwC's annual Study tracks US federal securities class actions filed since the passage of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act (PSLRA) in 1995 and analyzes key trends.

Patent litigation study archive
The Patent litigation study provides an overview and analysis of trends in patent litigation. The Study also addresses issues regarding companies’ patent positions, protection and enforcement strategies, and litigation tactics.

Now's the time to update your anti-fraud plan
This PwC article, which appeared in Fraud Magazine’s March/April 2009 issue, addresses how to apply the fundamentals of anti-fraud program assessments to better mitigate the business risk of fraud.

Financial expert witness Daubert challenge study
PwC’s research analyzes the broadening of Daubert’s application and how it has led to an increase in the number of challenges to all expert witnesses.

Managing international business and acquisition compliance risk
This roundtable, presented by PwC, The National Law Journal and The New York Law Journal, discusses acquisition compliance risk issues.

International arbitration study
This PwC Study analyzes the perceptions and attitudes of major corporations on the subject of the enforcements of international arbitration awards.

A guide to forensic accounting investigation
This book guides auditors and other financial managers through the key techniques needed to address fraud in today's corporate environment.