Last week the SEC settled charges against Layne Christensen for various violations of the FCPA. While a relatively unremarkable case at first glance, the SEC’s charges against Layne Christensen reflect a troubling approach by enforcement agencies to disregard the “business nexus element” of the FCPA’s anti-bribery provisions. These recent practices appear to contradict the Fifth Circuit’s opinion in United States v. Kay and create greater uncertainty as to the scope of the statute.
