| name | corporate-compliance-checklist |
| description | Drafts a U.S. corporate compliance program checklist anchored in DOJ ECCP, Federal Sentencing Guidelines Chapter 8, and SEC enforcement priorities. Covers governance, risk assessment, training, monitoring, reporting, domain-specific obligations, documentation, and phased implementation. Use when building, evaluating, or strengthening a compliance program, preparing for regulatory inquiry, or conducting annual program assessments. |
| tags | ["checklist","corporate","drafting"] |
Corporate Compliance Checklist
Generates an assessment-ready compliance program checklist grounded in DOJ ECCP, FSG Chapter 8, and SEC frameworks, covering all major program pillars from board oversight through domain-specific controls.
Prerequisites
- Company name, industry sector, and primary business activities
- Organizational structure (public/private, size, geographic footprint)
- Regulatory profile (industry-specific regulators, prior enforcement history)
- Existing compliance materials, audit findings, or regulatory correspondence (if any)
- Compliance domains to prioritize (or confirm full-spectrum coverage)
Quick Start
Generate a professionally formatted checklist using ☐ checkboxes grouped under bold subheadings. Reference DOJ ECCP and FSG Chapter 8 explicitly in the preamble. Tailor domain-specific sections to the company's actual regulatory profile — not all domains apply equally.
Checklist Sections
1. Governance & Oversight
Board/Committee
| Element | Standard |
|---|
| Board compliance oversight charter | Caremark duties (In re Caremark Int'l, Del. Ch. 1996) |
| Audit/compliance committee with direct CCO access | FSG §8B2.1(b)(2) |
| Board-level compliance reporting (≥ quarterly) | DOJ ECCP §I |
| Board training on red flags and regulatory trends | DOJ ECCP §I |
Chief Compliance Officer — must have: organizational independence from revenue functions, direct CEO/board reporting line, adequate budget/staffing/authority, documented mandate and delegation matrix.
Policy Framework — each policy requires approval authority, effective date, version control, distribution log, employee acknowledgment, and review cycle (≤ 3 years):
| Policy | Key Requirements |
|---|
| Code of Conduct | Values, escalation paths, annual certification |
| Anti-Corruption / Anti-Bribery | FCPA compliance, foreign official interactions |
| Gift & Entertainment | Monetary thresholds, pre-approval for government officials |
| Conflict of Interest | Disclosure form, recusal process, committee review |
| Insider Trading | Trading windows, pre-clearance, MNPI handling |
| Related Party Transactions | Arm's-length standard, board approval thresholds |
| Whistleblower / Non-Retaliation | SOX §301, Dodd-Frank §922 requirements |
2. Compliance Risk Assessment
- Annual enterprise-wide assessment (refresh on: M&A, new markets, new regulations, significant incidents)
- Inherent vs. residual risk scoring (likelihood × impact)
- Risk inventory by business unit, product line, geography, function
- Third-party risk tiering with enhanced due diligence for high-risk vendors/agents
- Methodology documented and board-reported
Frameworks: COSO ERM (2017), ISO 31000, DOJ ECCP §II.
3. Training & Culture
| Audience | Content | Frequency |
|---|
| Board | Oversight duties, regulatory trends, red flags | Annual |
| Executives | Tone-from-top, accountability, culture indicators | Annual |
| All employees | Code of conduct, reporting channels, key policies | Annual + onboarding |
| High-risk roles | Role-specific scenarios (FCPA, SOX, antitrust, FLSA) | Annual + role-change |
Track: completion records with timestamps, assessment scores (defined passing threshold), records retained ≥ 7 years.
Culture indicators: helpline utilization, anonymous vs. identified report ratio, assessment pass rates, policy acknowledgment rate (target: 100%).
4. Monitoring, Testing & Audit
Continuous — automated transaction monitoring, expense analytics, vendor screening (sanctions/adverse media), quarterly access reviews, policy exception tracking.
Periodic — annual compliance audit, targeted high-risk audits, transaction sampling, control effectiveness testing, remediation follow-up within agreed timelines.
Independence — internal audit reports to audit committee (not management), testing independent from business units under review, work papers per IIA Standards.
5. Reporting & Investigations
Channels (SOX §301 / Dodd-Frank §922): third-party anonymous hotline (24/7, multilingual), web reporting portal, compliance officer intake, direct audit committee channel.
Investigation protocol:
- Intake → triage within 5 business days
- Assign investigator (expertise + independence)
- Issue litigation hold if legal exposure identified
- Document: interview notes, evidence log, timeline, findings memo
- Remediation plan with owner and deadline
- Closed-loop reporter notification (where permissible)
Escalation triggers (immediate CCO/GC/Board): potential criminal conduct, self-disclosure considerations, C-suite/board involvement, material financial impact.
Anti-retaliation — track employment actions on reporters (12-month lookback), follow-up at 60/120 days, zero-tolerance with disciplinary matrix.
6. Domain-Specific Compliance
Include only domains relevant to the company's regulatory profile.
Employment — FLSA classification/overtime, Title VII/ADA/ADEA policies and training, OSHA hazard programs (Form 300), FMLA/state leave, FCRA background checks, contractor classification (IRS 20-factor; state ABC tests).
Data Privacy & Cybersecurity — CCPA/CPRA, VCDPA, CPA + applicable state laws; privacy notice and consumer rights workflows; data minimization and retention; vendor DPAs; breach notification (state matrix, 30–72 hours); HIPAA/GLBA/GDPR where applicable; NIST CSF or equivalent.
Financial Controls — SOX §302/§404 (disclosure controls, ICFR); segregation of duties; revenue recognition (ASC 606); financial close procedures; anti-fraud program (ACFE framework).
Contracts & Procurement — review thresholds/approval matrix, standard templates, vendor due diligence, government contract compliance (FAR/DFARS), obligation tracking.
Environmental — permit inventory/calendar, CAA/CWA/RCRA/TSCA, SPCC/emergency response, state overlay, annual audit.
Antitrust — HSR filing thresholds [VERIFY current amount], competitor interaction policy (no price-fixing/market allocation/bid-rigging), resale price maintenance guardrails, trade association pre-clearance, annual sales/marketing training.
7. Documentation & Recordkeeping
| Record Type | Retention |
|---|
| Compliance policies (all versions) | Perpetual |
| Training completion records | 7 years |
| Audit work papers | 7 years (SOX) |
| Investigation files | Statute of limitations + 3 years |
| Risk assessments | 7 years |
| Board/committee compliance minutes | Perpetual |
| Employment records | 3–7 years (varies by law) |
| Environmental permits/monitoring | Permit duration + 5 years |
Litigation hold procedures tested annually. Privileged materials clearly marked; sensitive investigations under counsel direction. Centralized system with access controls and audit trail.
8. Implementation Roadmap
Phase 1 — Assessment (0–60 days): Gap analysis, risk assessment, executive/board commitment and budget.
Phase 2 — Foundation (60–180 days): Appoint CCO, draft Code of Conduct and priority policies, launch hotline and investigation procedures, deploy initial training.
Phase 3 — Expansion (180–365 days): Full training rollout, monitoring system configuration, first annual audit, metrics dashboard operational.
Phase 4 — Optimization (ongoing): Annual DOJ ECCP self-assessment (well-designed? earnestly applied? works in practice?), peer benchmarking, regulatory monitoring (DOJ, SEC, FTC, DOL, EPA, state AGs).
KPIs
| Leading | Lagging |
|---|
| Training completion (target: 100%) | Violations/incidents count |
| Policy acknowledgment rate | Regulatory findings/citations |
| Hotline utilization | Audit deficiencies |
| Risk assessment coverage (% of BUs) | Investigation cycle time |
| Third-party due diligence completion | Repeat findings rate |
Guidelines
- Reference DOJ ECCP and FSG Chapter 8 explicitly as the primary evaluative frameworks
- Privilege: recommend sensitive investigation work under attorney direction
- Self-disclosure requires separate legal analysis — flag but do not resolve
- Verify HSR thresholds and state privacy law applicability at time of use [VERIFY]
- SOX §302/§404 is non-negotiable for public companies; note private analogues where useful
- GDPR applies only if company processes EU resident data — confirm before including
Troubleshooting
Unclear regulatory profile: Start with governance, risk assessment, and reporting sections. Add domain-specific sections as regulatory exposure is confirmed.
Company spans multiple jurisdictions: Build a jurisdiction matrix first. Layer state/local requirements onto the federal baseline per domain.
Existing program assessment vs. new build: For assessments, use the checklist as a gap analysis tool — score each item as implemented/partial/missing. For new builds, follow the phased roadmap in Section 8.
Privilege concerns with investigation documentation: Flag that all investigation work product should be created at counsel's direction and clearly marked as privileged. Do not draft investigation protocols that waive privilege.
