Mary Shaddock Jones
LAKE CHARLES – A Louisiana attorney has become the first woman in the U.S. to complete an accredited anti-bribery and anti-corruption compliance training program.
Mary Shaddock Jones, formerly in-house counsel for Houston-based Global Industries Offshore, LLC, is one of the first attorneys nationwide to complete the first anti-corruption and anti-bribery compliance accreditation program. The TRACE Anti-bribery Specialist Accreditation program is meant for those working in anti-bribery law and compliance.
"With a compliance program it would apply to any company that performs work internationally has to follow certain regulatory compliances like the Foreign Court Practices Act or the export control laws or anti-boycott laws," Jones said. "So while my background has been in marine and oil and gas, the compliance programs need to be put into place in any company that does international business private or public."
Though she already had years of experience in compliance Jones sought out the training when dealing with compliance matters with her former employer.
"I started the training right when it came out because I was in the middle of handling an internal investigation with Global Industries," Jones said. "I've done investigations in the past, but they gave courses on if you suspect there is an issue–how do you effectively investigate those. So I can talk to clients about how we can handle an internal investigation."
After successfully defending Global Industries in the investigation Jones has now formed her own LLC and is solo practitioner focusing on maritime law, oil and gas and compliance. Jones said the accreditation training should open up compliance law to a broader field.
"Where the value of this is in Louisiana is that there are lots of companies, smaller companies, that are either currently doing work internationally or considering doing work internationally. And what they need to feel comfortable with is that there are resources available in Louisiana that can help them meet the challenges of doing work internationally from a compliance standpoint. You don't have to go to Houston or Washington, D.C."
Jones said she would recommend the web-based training program to any attorney doing international work.
"It's very cost-effective and the quality of the programs and the speakers on the programs, and it's all web-based, is terrific. It was well worth my time and money," Jones said.