Whistleblower Attorney Calls for Global Anti-Corruption Enforcement at OECD Conference

On March 25, Kohn, Kohn & Colapinto founding partner Stephen M. Kohn spoke at the OECD 2025 Global Anti-Corruption & Integrity Forum, appearing on panel “Empowering Whistleblowers: Strengthening Protections in the Fight Against Corruption” sponsored by the National Whistleblower Center. 

During his presentation, Stephen emphasized the crucial role that whistleblowers have played regarding the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA). In light of the recent changes to the United States’ enforcement of FCPA, Kohn proposed a concept titled “A Reverse Marshall Plan for Anti-Corruption: Liberal Democracies Can Fill the Void Left by Changes in U.S. Policies,” which he laid out in a recently published paper for SSRN. 

At the OECD Forum, Kohn urged that the enforcement of foreign bribery should be prioritized and called on liberal democracies to lead in establishing an effective international anti-corruption regime to compensate for any decline in U.S. enforcement of the FCPA.

Kohn stated, “We are in a worldwide crisis. The United States has handled 95% of all FCPA cases. It is time for liberal democracies to have their own version of the FCPA that they can enhance or activate.” 

He emphasized that corruption is likely to increase as enforcement diminishes, remarking, “We are at a crossroads.” Kohn also highlighted the success of whistleblowing in the U.S. and asserted that it is time for liberal democracies to take action. 

You can listen to the full panel discussion here: https://www.oecd-events.org/gacif/en/onlinesession/2420bd40-64f3-ef11-90cb-6045bda07d25