Acordo de Leniência no âmbito da Lei 12.846/2013 – Alterar para Melhorar

A revisão da Lei 12.846/2013 (LAC), na parte que trata do acordo de leniência, é necessária e absolutamente urgente nesse momento.

A revisão é importante no aspecto da multa aplicável aos ilícitos e no tocante às consequências do acordo de leniência na intercessão das leis integrantes do microssistema da anticorrupção, especialmente a Lei de Improbidade (LIA) e o Processo Administrativo de Responsabilização (PAR).

O ponto crucial para a questão da redução da multa além do limite mínimo já estipulado na LAC para as empresas que firmam o acordo de leniência está diretamente relacionado à colaboração. Ou seja, se a empresa colaborar com provas e esclarecimentos do ilícito e trouxer à mesa de negociação elementos probatórios do envolvimento do ilícito, e verdadeiramente colaborar com a elucidação dos fatos, e acima de tudo para o ressarcimento ao erário público, poderá trocar abatimento e reduções até “zerar” a multa.

Outro ponto importante é a segurança jurídica nas consequências do acordo de leniência firmado no PAR em outras esferas administrativas e judiciárias, decorrentes do mesmo fato, ilícito, objeto do acordo.

Assim como no sistema da concorrência e o acordo de leniência no CADE, as empresas que firmarem acordo no novo cenário poderão gozar da certeza e segurança jurídicas de que, uma vez realizado o acordo e devidamente cumprido, não haverá reverberações e surpresas futuras.

As alterações estão em alguns projetos de lei que tramitam em discussão nas casas legislativas do país, mas, sem sombra de dúvidas, a evolução do sistema do acordo de leniência no âmbito do microssistema da anticorrupção necessariamente demanda essas alterações na Lei 12.846. As propostas devem ser debatidas amplamente entre as instituições do país, e, com celeridade e seriedade, haverão de ser adotadas medidas robustas e em alinhamento com a legislação global do combate à corrupção, para que a matriz interinstitucional do combate à corrupção em todos os níveis no país estejam conformes e harmoniosas. Aos moldes do U.S. Sentencing Guidelines e do FCPA, que regulam o ambiente da anticorrupção das empresas que se relacionam com o mercado e o sistema financeiro americanos, o Brasil haverá de responder adequadamente à comunidade nacional e internacional para que os negócios aqui gozem da segurança jurídica, qual seja, a mais perfeita e salutar para a continuidade dos investimentos nacionais e estrangeiros, possibilitando a retomada de crescimento de nossa economia.

Tenho conversado muito com profissionais da anticorrupção e do compliance, e, a respeito do tema do acordo de leniência, a visão é compartilhada e interinstitucional.

Na verdade, quaisquer que sejam as alterações na LAC, o ressarcimento ao erário deve continuar em 100%.

A alteração da LAC, nesse momento, deve apenas alinhar duas questões para a efetividade do microssistema anticorrupção; a) a questão da redução da multa; e b) a questão do alcance amplo e terminativo dado ao acordo de leniência. Ou seja, que venha para haver redução da multa quando há colaboração, como já previsto na legislação anticorrupção norte-americana, e dar abrangência ao acordo quanto às questões ligadas à LIA, encerrando limites ao Ministério Público, no âmbito da própria leniência, com a extinção do objeto do processo da ação civil pública de responsabilização de improbidade contra a empresa que fez o acordo e de fato ressarciu os cofres públicos pelo dano originário do ilícito objeto da leniência em 100%.

Acredito que esse caminho proposto pela alteração da LAC, para o cenário atual, seja positivo, pois a LAC, nesse ponto de conexão com a LIA, deixa uma lacuna passível de insegurança a empresas que precisam fazer o acordo de leniência. 

Quanto à possibilidade de redução maior da multa, ao ponto de “zerar” quando existe colaboração da empresa, tudo vai depender do equilíbrio e da equidade no parâmetro, para que uma empresa não seja mais beneficiada que outras.

Assim, para a redução da multa, haverá de se ter clareza quanto à eficácia da colaboração da empresa, ou seja, metodologia de sua valoração e utilidade, e, dada a multiplicidade de autoridades processantes no país, critérios precisos desse escalonamento, para que não seja a leniência um instrumento político e corruptível.

A nova legislação haverá de criar os parâmetros dessa redução e os critérios de sua dosimetria entre a multa e o grau de efetividade da colaboração da empresa. Não se pode deixar tal critério à discricionariedade política do órgão estatal.

Precisamos avançar e responder adequadamente aos anseios da sociedade brasileira e à comunidade global.

Renata Fonseca de Andrade Esq., LL.M-MLI

Attorney at Law fully licensed in Brazil and the USA

Anticorruption, Bribery & Compliance (ABC) Specialist

Vice Chair of the International Procurement Committee, and Member of the Anticorruption Practices Committee, at American Bar Association Section of International Law

Chair of the Anticorruption & Compliance Committee of OAB/SP Pinheiros (Brazilian Bar)

Member of the Compliance Committee at IASP

Member of the Compliance on Third Parties Committee at Instituto Compliance Brasil

LinkedIn - http://www.linkedin.com/in/renatafandrade

For Brazil, It's Finally Tomorrow

Brazil is already the biggest economy in Latin America and the 10th-biggest in the world. By 2050, it will likely move into fourth place, leapfrogging countries including Germany, Japan and the U.K., according to a study by Goldman Sachs.
Clearly, Brazil has turned a corner—and is now a nation with the heft, ambition and economic fundamentals to become a world power. But the country has enormous challenges it must overcome before it can fully live up to its potential.

Enjoy this The Wall Street Journal's article at
http://online.wsj.com/public/page/brazil-032910.html

Rebalancing Act II

Brazil will host a second summitt of BRIC countries
Brazil, Russia, India, and China are countries considered the most prominent economies in the world.
http://www.theinformationcompany.net/bric-countries-will-hold-a-second-summit-in-brazil/

Rebalancing Act

As I noted Brazil is one of the most prospective economy in these days. Brazil, India, and China have a combined population of 2.5 billion-plus people, with younger and larger middle-class segments than their Western counterparts. Be aware of this markets and trends, and how Brazil, India, and China are weathering the global recession, the growth possibilities for American firms, and potential political barriers that may create obstacles for increased FDI and exports to these emerging market economies, and in specific about Brazil, is my mission now.

Enjoy this article October 6 Chicago Tribune at
http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-tc-biz-cover2cp-1005-1006oct06,0,3469973.story

A rebalancing act U.S. firms sharpen focus on overseas consumers
WASHINGTON - -- With American consumers cutting back in response to the recession, many U.S. companies increasingly are looking outward, toward fast-developing countries like China, India and Brazil.But instead of seeing those countries primarily as cheap producers of goods, both American manufacturing firms and giant multinational corporations see them as potential customers for U.S. products and services. And it reflects what may be the beginning of a shift in the global economy, a rebalancing in which the world relies less on U.S. consumers and more on consumer spending in places such as China.The size of those potential markets dwarfs the domestic ones of most of the economically advanced nations. China, India and Brazil have a combined population of 2.5 billion-plus people, many of them young and increasingly affluent -- in contrast with the aging and far smaller populations of Western Europe, Japan and the United States.Some economists see Brazil's role as pivotal to helping Latin America out of the global recession. And Rio de Janeiro's winning bid for the 2016 Olympics should help in any recovery for the region. Much of the world is still extricating itself from the recession, but Brazil's economy is expected to grow by between 4 percent and 6 percent next year.What remains unclear is how large the benefit may turn out to be in terms of jobs and investments in the U.S. Many American companies are investing in production and other facilities near the new customers -- instead of shipping goods from U.S. facilities overseas. Almost no one doubts that Americans will reap some benefits. Stronger U.S. exports will boost the domestic economy, as they have over the last decade. Without their overseas customers, companies like Power Curbers Inc., a small construction-equipment maker in Salisbury, N.C., probably would have gone bankrupt in the recession."We're fortunate that infrastructure development is going on in other countries," said Dyke Messinger, Power Curbers' president. He said 75 percent of his sales this year are international, compared with 25 percent two years ago.Leaders of General Electric Co., believing the U. S. and other advanced economies face a prolonged period of slow growth, say they are banking more than ever on emerging economies. GE Chairman Jeffrey Immelt argued that the shift in the balance of consumption power -- from wealthy countries to the emerging giants -- calls for a different business model for companies like his to succeed.As populous nations such as China and India become a greater force in driving demand, the old way of developing products at home and distributing them worldwide won't cut it, Immelt wrote in the October issue of Harvard Business Review.Instead, he said, more of the products of the future need to be designed, built and marketed in those local markets, with decision-making power placed in local hands.Immelt does not address the implications of this for American employment, but the trend line may be apparent from the company's annual reports: In 2004, GE had 165,000 employees in the U.S. and 142,000 elsewhere. By the end of last year that was reversed: 152,000 in the U.S. and 171,000 outside.Such statistics underlie the rising overseas investment of U.S. corporations, and it's almost certain to rekindle politically sensitive issues of earlier years -- outsourcing, as well as U.S. tax and currency policies and other incentives that are tied to overseas investments and the repatriation of profits

Future Trend

• Brazil possesses 20% of all Worlds’ biodiversity and manufactures 60% of the South America economy’s industrial production. Brazil is member of various economic groups, such as MERCOSUR and G20. The country technological and scientific development combined with a dynamic and diversity industrial sector is attractive to foreign enterprises.
  Direct investment in Brazil in 2008 reached US $ 45 billion, twice the average compared US$ 20 billion year between 2003 and 2007, and astonished superior as the US$ 2 billion a year last decade.
  Brazil trades regularly with over 1,000 nations, with 74% of exports represented by manufactured or semi manufactured goods. (Brazil-EC=26%, Brazil-USA=24%, Brazil-MERCOSUR=21%, and Brazil-Asia=12%).
  Agribusiness is the most dynamic sector in trade and the industries on technology for submarines and aircrafts are prominent. Brazil’s investment on in deep oil research has been increasing, since 74% of its reserves are extracted from the sea.
  Sustainable Growth
  Brazil is rated the 10th position on the global economy rank and is a great player in trade and foreign affairs with consistent policies supporting its productive sector. Some of the country policies and strategies are to build a competitive, fair, and wealthy country, increase its exports, diversify its production, and global presence with businesses and trade. The goal is to reduce its vulnerability and grow internal wealth by increasing the national businesses enterprises abroad.
  Most of the World’s economies have adopted laws to increase usage of biofuels, which directly results in an increase of global demand of ethanol and an increase of the ethanol international trade flow between producers and consumers.
  Brazil is strategically well positioned to take advantage of this demand. The trend on biofuels helps Brazil’s competitiveness for trade in commodities, bioenergy, and its technology. Since Brazil is one of pioneers on the research and usage of biofuel, its technology and development rate is far superior compared to other economies. Therefore, biodiesel boost production and increase agribusiness and agro-energy.
  The Brazilian Trade offices abroad are strategic tools on this scenario and can help increase Brazil’s participation on foreign markets, facilitating and fostering Brazilian business to export, promoting Brazilian image and quality of its products, promoting networking and trade events abroad to increase investments by foreign enterprises in Brazil.
  Brazil has a growing participation in global trade reporting trade surplus since 2003 not only in raw and primary products, but also in manufactured goods.
  Brazil’s economy and market development prove to be sustainable for the future endeavors in diversifying its basis for exports and internal revenue. Brazil’s public policy in trade has been successful in global marketing new enterprises and capturing foreign investment in technology and scientific industrial sector as biomass and bio-energy.
  At this point, Brazilian Foreign Relations and Foreign Trade have crucial role in Brazil growth and wealth dealing with strategies to increase trade, helping the growth of Brazilian national enterprises and businesses abroad.
  You can oversee trade opportunities by market research, market trend, and economy reality using data, but one of the best targeted markets is without any doubt, Brazil.
  The facts as reasoning, let me point out a few:
  -The World’s 10th largest petroleum reserves
  -The World’s leading exporter of iron, coffee, soybeans, orange juice, beef, chicken, sugar, and ethanol
  -A global reference in the production of biofuels
  -The World’s 7th largest manufacturer of aircraft and top producer of model seating up 120 passengers
  -The World’s largest river basin, with hydroelectric power supplying 73% of energy needs.
  -One of a few Nations to recovery from the global economic turmoil, and the only country reaching higher rate for investment from MOODY’S in Sep, 2009.

• For further information how to do business in Brazil you can go to my website at:
• http://www.fonseca-andrade.com.br/inenglish.htm