March Ethics Event - Two Presentations
Presentation 1: Lessons Learned from Whistleblowing and Its Aftermath: Words from James Holzrichter
Key Speaker: James Holzrichter
Presentation Description:
Mr Holzrichter will deliver a two hour presentation at the HESS Club, for the Houston ACFE Chapter on Tuesday, March 12, 2019.
James Holzrichter will speak about how to identify whistleblowing, the value of whistleblowing to an organization, and steps to support whistleblowers in the legal process. A wide range of professionals and organizations will encounter “in-jeopardy employees” and their families, up to and including formally declared whistleblowers. This includes those the media and those in the highest levels of government. Whistleblowers require support, including material resources, commitment from the legal and investigative teams, and others.
Attendees will learn:
Understanding the difference between blowing the whistle and leaking information
The value of mentorship and emotional support during the legal process.
The importance of finding qualified assistance and representation.
Pitfalls within the FCA/SEC and how to avoid them.
Whistleblower Protections and Incentives for Auditors and Accountants
5 tips to filing a successfully with the SEC a valid whistleblower claim and pitfalls
Enhanced Protections for Auditors and Accountants under current Whistleblower protections
The importance of incentivizing integrity.
James H. Holzrichter, Sr. courageously blew the whistle on his employer, Northrop Grumman, a major defense contractor that allegedly fraudulently overcharged the U.S. government on several defense programs, including the B-2 bomber. As chronicled in his book,A Just Cause: A True Story of Courage, Hope, & the Integrity of the American Dream, Mr. Holzrichter tenaciously pursued his False Claims Act case for 17and a half years, one of the first and now the longest running FCA case in history. Northrop Grumman ultimately paid $134 million for its fraudulent activities, but Mr. Holzrichter's whistleblowing entailed tremendous personal sacrifice. When his employer discovered that he was cooperating with the criminal investigators from the Department of Defense, Mr. Holzrichter was terminated and was unable to find other work in his profession. His family eventually went from living a comfortable life in the Chicago suburbs to living in homeless shelters. Mr. Holzrichter now uses the unique insights he gained in pursuing his case to mentor other whistleblowers and strengthen whistleblower rights. In conjunction with Taxpayers Against Fraud, he launched the Whistleblower Mentoring Initiative Project in 2007 to assist these whistleblowers nationwide to navigate and cope with the process of litigating these long term types of fraud cases.
Mr. Holzrichter also works on Multi-State litigation under the False Claims Act in electronic document review working with AUSA’s and assistant attorney generals of different states on complex pharmaceutical/homeland security/defense contractor fraud.
Mr. Holzrichter was also featured in CBS’s new True Crime drama CBS 48 hours ‘WHISTLBLOWER’ episode 3 ‘The Case Against Northrop’ which aired July 27th 2018
Speaker 2: Joseph Agins, CFE
Presentation: 2 Ethics for Fraud Examiners
Mr Agins will deliver a two hour ethics presentation at the HESS Club, for the Houston ACFE Chapter on Tuesday, March 12, 2019.
Joseph is responsible for the development, implementation, and maintenance of Sam Houston State University's Institutional Compliance Program.
Joseph has over 12 years in post secondary education compliance, previously working as Director of Ethics & Compliance for Apollo Education Group, one the world's largest private education providers.
Mr. Agins is a Regent Emeritus for the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE), serving on their Board for 2014 and 2015. The ACFE is the world's largest anti-fraud organization and premier provider of anti-fraud training and education. Together with over 75,000 members, the ACFE is reducing business fraud world-wide and inspiring public confidence in the integrity and objectivity within the profession.
In 2011 Joseph co-founded the Arizona Ethics & Compliance Council (AECC), a successful member organization dedicated to promoting ethical business practices and serving as a forum for Arizona's Ethics and Compliance professionals to gather to exchange information, share best practices, and build their professional networks. Current and former member organizations include Freeport-McMoRan, Arizona Public Service, On Semiconductor, U-Haul, PetSmart, Intel, Prudential, Insight, Raytheon, Arizona State University, Honeywell, The Arizona Diamondbacks, Phoenix Suns, and many, many others.
As a speaker he is regularly invited to speak on the topics of fraud, investigations and ethics at major conferences held by organizations such as the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE), the Society for Compliance & Ethics (SCCE) and the Ethics and Compliance Officers Association (ECOA).
CPE Credits: 4 Fraud CPE Credits (2 credits will count towards ACFE ethics requirements but will not meet the CPA ethics requirements)
Agenda:
09:00 AM
09:30 AM |
Registration Begins
James Holzrichter Presentation
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| 11:30 AM |
Lunch & Chapter News
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| 12:30 PM |
Joseph Agins presentation
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| 2:30 PM |
Closing & Dismissal |
Learning Objectives:
- Learn how to identify legitimate whistleblowers and what legal steps are required
- Learn about protections for auditors and examiners
- Learn about ethical considerations in corporate settings
- Make ethics and good decisions in professional environments
Event Policies:
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If you have registered and/or paid for an event and you need to cancel, you MUST email events@houstonacfe.org no later than 5 days prior to the event to request a refund and/or cancel your registration.
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Additional Information:
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Delivery Method: Group-Live
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Prerequisites: Working Knowledge of Fraud and Fraud Schemes
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Field of Study: Specialized Knowledge and Applications [Fraud]
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Who Should Attend?: Anti-fraud professionals, Auditors, Accountants, Attorneys, Investigators, Law Enforcement, Educators, Students
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Advanced Preparation: None
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Program Level: Intermediate
NASBA Sponsor No. 125230
The Houston Area Chapter of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. State boards of accountancy have the final authority on the acceptance of individual courses for CPE credit. Complaints regarding registered sponsors may be submitted to the National Registry of CPE Sponsors through its website: www.learningmarket.org.
