NEW YORK, NY – February 6, 2012 –The Ethisphere Institute, a leading international think-tank dedicated to the creation, advancement and sharing of best practices in business ethics, corporate social responsibility, anti-corruption and sustainability, announced today that the official unveiling of the 2012 World’s Most Ethical (WME) Companies will take place at an Honoree Dinner at New York’s Grand Hyatt Hotel on March 15, 2012, with former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright serving as the event’s keynote speaker.

This year’s WME honorees promote ethical business standards and practices by exceeding legal minimums for compliance, introducing innovative ideas that benefit the public—forcing their competitors to follow suit. They demonstrate how corporate citizenship is undoubtedly tied to the success of a company’s brand and bottom line.

“Each year the competition for World’s Most Ethical Companies intensifies as the number of nominations submitted for consideration grows,” said Alex Brigham, executive director of Ethisphere. “This year’s winners know that a strong ethics program is a key component to a successful business model, and they continue to scrutinize their ethical standards to keep up with an ever-changing regulatory environment.”

Secretary Albright serves as chair of Albright Stonebridge Group, a global strategy firm, and chair of Albright Capital Management, an investment advisory firm focused on emerging markets. She was the 64^th U.S. Secretary of State, the first female to serve this position, and, at that time, the highest-ranking woman in the history of the U.S. government. She will share insights on the geopolitical environment to help leading companies successfully navigate complex jurisdictions, while mitigating risk and enabling growth.

Visit us at http://ethisphere.com/wme-honoree-dinner/ for information about the WME Honoree Dinner and to purchase a seat at the dinner program.

Global Ethics Summit

The WME Honoree Dinner is hosted in conjunction with the fourth annual Global Ethics Summit, co-sponsored by the Ethisphere Institute and Thomson Reuters. The Summit, held March 15-16 in New York, offers business leaders the opportunity to gain critical and timely insight into the risks and challenges of conducting business, as well as best practices to mitigate the threats they pose. By bringing together CEOs, board chairs, GRC leaders and government and regulatory officials, this event offers an in-depth and multi-faceted learning experience that encourages the sharing of best practices for navigating an increasingly complex global corporate landscape.

A few of the confirmed panelists at the 2012 Global Ethics Summit include:

• Brackett Denniston, Senior Vice President and General Counsel, General Electric
• Lee D. Augsburger, Senior Vice President, Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer, Prudential Financial Inc.
• Doug Lankler, Executive Vice President, Chief Compliance and Risk Officer, Pfizer Inc.
• Christopher Leslie, Senior Vice President and General Counsel, Hitachi Data Systems
• Nancy J. Laben, Senior Vice President, Legal, and General Counsel, AECOM Technology Corporation
• Sheila Penrose, Chairman of the Board, Jones Lang LaSalle, and Board Member, McDonald’s Corporation
• William Lytton, former Executive Vice President and General Counsel of Tyco International, and former Vice President and General Counsel for International Paper

A full agenda can be found at http://www.globalethicssummit2012.com/agenda.

Media credentials:

A limited number of media credentials will be available for the World’s Most Ethical Companies Honoree Dinner and the Global Ethics Summit. To apply, please email Gabe Roth at groth@rubenstein.com.

Media contacts:
Alex J. Stockham
Rubenstein Associates
(213) 537-0017
astockham@rubenstein.com

Gabe Roth
Rubenstein Associates
(212) 843-8067
groth@rubenstein.com

Download the article by clicking the thumb below.

Reproduced with permission from InsideCounsel magazine (February 2012) www.insidecounsel.com

 NEW YORK, NY – January 19, 2012 – The Ethisphere Institute, a leading international think-tank dedicated to the creation, advancement and sharing of best practices in business ethics, corporate social responsibility, anti-corruption and sustainability, today unveiled the “100 Most Influential People in Business Ethics,” an annual list of individuals who have made a significant impact in the realm of corporate citizenship over the course of the previous year.

“This year we have seen significant consequences that ethical failings can have on an organization and industry at-large. However, we have also observed the profoundly positive impact that sound corporate ethics can have on the long-term success and sustainability of a company,” said Stefan Linssen, editor-in-chief of Ethisphere Magazine. “The individuals on this year’s list have impacted the way we think about and practice ethics in ways that will continue to resonate with the business community for years to come.”

Some are world famous and some are completely unknown, but through their actions in 2011 – from hunger strikes to recouping losses from Ponzi schemes – the 100 Most Influential People in Business Ethics list will impact the world of business ethics – and the way we do business – in 2012 and beyond.

The following are the top 5 of the 100 Most Influential People in Business Ethics:

1. Indian anti-corruption activist Anna Hazare had a huge impact on the governance of the world’s largest democracy through a series of internationally publicized hunger strikes.
2. U.S. District Judge Jed Rakoff set a new precedent when he ruled against a proposed settlement between the Securities and Exchange Commission and Citigroup because the settlement did not require Citigroup to admit or deny guilt.
3. Russian blogger and activist Alexei Navalny made headlines throughout 2011 for running a blog that covers corruption in Russia, navalny.ru, and galvanizing Russia’s nascent opposition (i.e., anti-Putin) movement.
4. Irving Picard, the trustee leading the recovery efforts of the Madoff Ponzi scheme, makes the list for his relentless work recouping the money lost by investors around the world.
5. The Commissioner Responsible for Competition at the European Commission, Joaquín Almunia, is recognized for his efforts leading one of the most active antitrust enforcers in the world.

Rounding out the top 10:

1. (6) Lanny Breuer, Assistant Attorney General
2. (7) Preet Bharara, U.S. Attorney, Southern District of New York
3. (8) Richard Alderman, Director of the Serious Fraud Office
4. (9) Mary Schapiro, Chairman of the SEC
5. (10) Nick Davies, Reporter for the Guardian Newspaper

The individuals recognized on this list, ranked from 1 to 100, represent eight distinct categories:

• Government and Regulatory
• Business Leadership
• Non-Government Organization
• Design and Sustainability
• Media and Whistleblowers
• Thought Leadership
• Corporate Culture
• Investment and Research
• Philanthropy

For the full list of the 100 Most Influential People in Business Ethics, including descriptions of the recognized individuals, visit us at www.ethisphere.com, and watch for the list to be published in the next issue of Ethisphere Magazine.

On March 15, 2012, Ethisphere will recognize the World’s Most Ethical Companies – companies from across the globe that have leading ethics and compliance programs, particularly as compared to their industry peers, and go beyond making statements about doing business “ethically” to translate those words into actions.

###

Media Contacts:

 Alex J. Stockham
Rubenstein Associates
Phone – (213) 537-0017
astockham@rubenstein.com

Gabe Roth
Rubenstein Associates
Phone – (212) 843-8067
groth@rubenstein.com

A Texas attorney has gathered 489 publicly available corporate codes of conduct, and they are now searchable through the website of the Ethisphere Institute, a compliance and ethics think tank. The attorney, Ryan McConnell, told BNA the database can be a good
resource for companies that are updating compliance programs…

To read the full article, download the issue by clicking the thumbnail below.

St. Paul, MN, December 6, 2011 – H.B. Fuller (NYSE: FUL), a leading global adhesives provider, has earned the coveted Ethics Inside^® Certification from the Ethisphere Institute, a leading international think tank dedicated to the research and promotion of best practices in corporate ethics and compliance.  The Ethics Inside Certification recognizes H.B. Fuller’s strong culture of promoting responsible, sustainable business practices and stature as an ethical supplier. Ethisphere conducted a comprehensive review of H.B. Fuller’s ethics, citizenship, corporate responsibility, and governance programs and practices. H.B. Fuller demonstrated that it has established systems to reasonably detect and prevent ethical and compliance violations, to ensure good governance and to promote corporate responsibility.

“Core to our corporate beliefs, we expect all of our employees to act with integrity and do the right thing at all times, and I am very pleased to receive this third-party recognition of our business principles and practices,” said Jim Owens, president and CEO of H.B. Fuller. “Being awarded Ethics Inside Certification demonstrates H.B. Fuller’s commitment to maintaining the highest standards for ethics, citizenship, corporate responsibility, and governance.”

Ethisphere, the provider of independent verification of corporate ethics and compliance programs, awards Ethics Inside Certification exclusively to companies that have implemented adequate standards, systems, and programs to reasonably prevent compliance failures and ethical breakdowns and also can demonstrate the existence of a superior employee and leadership culture that promotes ethical business practices.

“We were particularly impressed with H.B. Fuller’s solid and well-communicated tone from the top, which is disseminated throughout the organization through careful coordination with the corporate communications group,” said Erica Salmon Byrne, senior vice president of Compliance Advisory Services for Corpedia, the licensed Ethisphere credentialing partner that performed the assessment work for H.B. Fuller. “That partnership, as well as the working relationship the compliance team has with business leaders is something we would recommend to other similarly situated organizations.”

Ethisphere’s licensed credentialing partners look at more than 100 separate criteria during the Ethics Inside Certification process, including corporate citizenship and responsibility, overall compliance and ethics program, organizational health and culture of ethics, corporate governance, and regulatory history. No company is expected to excel in all criteria areas—yet the aggregate score must meet or exceed a level at which ethical behavior becomes the core expectation, fundamental compliance systems are in place, tone from the top is clear, and the company’s actions bear unmistakable signs of good corporate citizenship. More information about Ethics Inside Certification is available at http://ethisphere.com/inside.

H.B. Fuller has a 125-year history of doing business with integrity and innovating responsibly. H.B. Fuller’s customers, business partners and investors can rely on this independent verification to provide objective assurance of H.B. Fuller’s adherence to high standards of ethics, compliance, and governance.

###

H.B. Fuller Media Contact
Kimberlee Sinclair
Manager, Corporate Communications
kimberlee.sinclair@hbfuller.com
651.236.5823

Ethisphere Media Contact
Jennifer Mitchell
Marketing & Media Director
jmitchell@ethisphere.com
800.369.7583 ext 7

About H.B. Fuller Company
For nearly 125 years, H.B. Fuller has been a leading global adhesives provider focusing on perfecting adhesives, sealants, paints and other specialty chemical products to improve products and lives. Recognized for unmatched technical support and innovation, H.B. Fuller brings knowledge and strength to help its customers find precisely the right formulation for the right performance. With fiscal 2010 net revenue of $1.36 billion, H.B. Fuller serves customers in packaging, hygiene, paper converting, general assembly, woodworking, construction and consumer businesses. For more information, visit www.hbfuller.com, read H.B. Fuller’s blog, follow GlueTalk on Twitter or like H.B. Fuller on Facebook.

So a team of three attorneys at Haynes and Boone spent hundreds of hours combing through the publicly available codes of conduct at Fortune 500 companies and compiling the results in a dataset. Along the way, attorney Ryan McConnell has written about some of their findings as a guest columnist for CorpCounsel, and now the bulk of that information is being released to the public—for free.

Where do you turn for a benchmark?

The Ethisphere Institute has got you covered.

On Tuesday, the business ethics think tank rolled out a new online database that compiles the codes of conduct and policies from the 500 largest corporations by revenue into a searchable dataset. Access to the database, which was created in partnership with attorneys Ryan D. McConnell, Katharine Southard and Charlotte Simon, is free…

NEW YORK – November 29, 2011 – The Ethisphere Institute, in partnership with attorneys Ryan D. McConnell, Katharine Southard and Charlotte Simon, is pleased to announce the launch of its new Code of Conduct Dataset, a searchable, online review of the content of codes of conduct and policies from the 500 largest corporations by revenue. The information contained in the dataset, which was collected between January 2011 and September 2011, breaks down key aspects and content areas within each code of conduct by 42 criteria, ranging from whether the code includes an introductory letter from the company’s CEO to inclusion of policies on key compliance and ethics risk areas such as export controls, insider trading, and anti-corruption.

“The code of conduct is the foundation of a compliance program and sets forth the rules that all employees should follow,” said Ryan D. McConnell, a white collar criminal defense partner with Haynes and Boone who conceived of and directed the research. “This new tool is exciting as it provides compliance officers with a centralized tool for reviewing peer practices in code of conduct content. Every company should gather data to benchmark and improve their own codes of conduct on a regular basis.”

Beyond providing a free, searchable tool for compliance officers interested in researching today’s peer practices in codes of conduct, Ethisphere will use the information collected for this dataset, as well as publicly available information on more than 2,500 additional codes of conduct gathered by Ethisphere’s research team, to regularly publish statistics and best practices on codes of conduct by industry.

For example, some of these findings include:

• Five percent of retail stores do not have an antitrust policy of any kind
• Two-thirds of beverage companies’ codes listed in the dataset begin with an introduction from the CEO
• Only 17 percent of airline companies’ codes listed in the dataset contain 24/7 hotline availability information

“Ethisphere is the top organization when it comes to reviewing and benchmarking codes of conduct for multinational corporations,” said Erica Salmon Byrne, senior vice president of advisory services and assistant general counsel for Corpedia, a leading ethics, compliance, and risk assessment consulting company and licensed credentialing partner of the Ethisphere Institute. “Making this data publicly available will help significantly as companies benchmark themselves against others in their industry, providing an opportunity for companies to see areas they can improve and areas where they are doing well.”

Click here to register for access to the new dataset which will be granted on a password-protected complimentary basis and will be featured on Ethisphere’s website at www.ethisphere.com.

About The Code Content Dataset
The Ethisphere Code of Conduct Dataset is an aggregation of more than 500 companies’ code and policies benchmarked by industry. The dataset is designed to be a comprehensive tool for compliance departments as they develop and improve their own codes. Compliance professionals can use the dataset to learn best practices from peers by reviewing over 500 codes.

###

Ethisphere Media Contacts
Jennifer Mitchell
Marketing & Media Director
jmitchell@ethisphere.com
1-800-369-7583 ext 7

Irving, TX November 8, 2011 – Novation has earned the coveted Ethics Inside® Certification from the Ethisphere Institute, a leading internationalthink tank dedicated to the research and promotion of best practices in corporate ethics and compliance.

“We are extremely pleased to receive this prestigious honor.  Our employees have a long-standing commitment to ethical business conduct and applying the highest standards of integrity to every aspect of our business, so I am particularly delighted that our allegiance to these characteristics has been recognized with such an esteemed distinction,” said Jody Hatcher, president and chief executive officer. “We have always believed that where integrity and ethics are the rule, success follows.  We look forward to continued success through our ongoing commitment to upstanding business practices.”

Ethisphere, the provider of independent verification of corporate ethics and compliance programs, awards Ethics Inside^® Certification exclusively to companies that not only have implemented adequate standards, systems and programs to reasonably prevent compliance failures and ethical breakdowns, but that can also demonstrate the existence of a superior employee and leadership culture that promotes ethical business practices.

During the Ethisphere corporate credentialing process, exceptional governance systems and supply chain sustainability were two of the standout components of Novation’s Ethics Inside Certification.

“Novation’s strong culture of ethics, robust compliance and ethics program, and solid governance systems were absolutely noteworthy,” said Robert Leffel, director of Compliance Advisory Services for Corpedia, a licensed Ethisphere credentialing partner. “We were impressed with Novation’s efforts in supply chain sustainability and oversight, including their best-practice vendor grievance and feedback process which every organization should adopt.”

Ethisphere’s licensed credentialing partners look at more than 100 separate criteria during the Ethics Inside^® Certification process, including corporate citizenship and responsibility; overall compliance and ethics program; organizational health and culture of ethics; corporate governance; and regulatory history. No company is expected to excel in all criteria areas—yet the aggregate score must meet or exceed a level at which ethical behavior becomes the core expectation, fundamental compliance systems are in place, tone from the top is clear and the company’s actions bear unmistakable signs of good corporate citizenship. More information about Ethics Inside^® Certification is available at http://ethisphere.com/inside.

About Novation
Founded in 1998, Novation is the leading health care supply contracting company for more than 25,000 members of VHA Inc. and UHC, two national health care alliances, and 5,500 members of Provista, LLC, representing more than 30,000 sites. Novation provides alliance members sourcing and information and data services. Based in Irving, Texas, Novation develops and manages competitive contracts with more than 600 suppliers. VHA, UHC and Provista members used Novation contracts to purchase approximately $40 billion in 2010.  More information about Novation can be found at www.novationco.com.

Novation Media Contact
Angie Boliver
aboliver@novationco.com
972.581.5305

Ethisphere Media Contact
Jennifer Mitchell
Marketing & Media Director
jmitchell@ethisphere.com
800.369.7583 xt 7

Northbrook, IL November 1, 2011 – The Allstate Corporation (NYSE: ALL) earned the coveted Compliance Leader Verification™ from the Ethisphere^® Institute, a leading international think-tank dedicated to the research and promotion of best practices in corporate ethics and compliance.

Ethisphere, the provider of independent verification of corporate ethics and compliance programs, provides independent Compliance Leader Verification^™ for companies with best-in-industry ethics and compliance programs – those organizations that have made the decision to proactively invest resources in compliance, sending a clear signal to key stakeholders that compliance and ethics are an absolute organizational priority.

“We are pleased by this recognition of Allstate’s firm and longstanding commitment to the highest ethical standards and the sound ethics and compliance programs to back them up,” said Rich Crist, Allstate senior vice president and chief ethics and compliance officer. “We see CLV as a learning experience, and view it as a milestone on our continuing journey of vigilance to keep Allstate’s ‘Good Hands’ promise.”

During the Ethisphere corporate credentialing process, compliance communication was one of the standout components of Allstate’s ethics and compliance programs. Allstate’s communication efforts are robust and make use of both traditional and technologically advanced mechanisms to reach employees.

“Allstate’s commitment to ethics and compliance is reflected in, among other things, the best-in-class communication program the company has implemented. Blog posts, contests and scenarios augment a robust training program and allow Allstate employees to regularly interact with ethical challenges in an environment that embraces available technology ,” said Erica Salmon Byrne, senior vice president of Compliance Advisory Services for Corpedia, a licensed Ethisphere credentialing partner. “We were consistently impressed with the way Allstate’s ethics and compliance team asked ‘what’s next?’, whether they were discussing communications, leader-directed case-based training, shorter innovative training programs, case tracking or risk mitigation.”

“Allstate has devoted significant resources to ethics and compliance,” Crist said. “Just as importantly, our team has full access to and support of our senior leadership team and Board of Directors. We greatly appreciate our Board and leaders’ willingness to engage in case-based ethics learning, as well as their commitment to our values-based versus rules-based approach.

“Management and employees alike participate in online ethical dilemma contests, nominate individuals for the Allstate Ethics and Compliance Awards, attend workshops and lunch-and-learns, and play two ethics board games we developed to spark thought and conversation. It’s all about keeping ethics and compliance relevant and top-of-mind so that people think through the implications of any real-world ethical dilemmas they may face,” Crist said.

Ethisphere’s licensed credentialing partners conduct a detailed review of the organization’s current compliance and ethics-related initiatives, and benchmark them against the “hallmarks” of an effective compliance program, as defined by the U.S. Federal Sentencing Guidelines (FSG) and corporate and industry best practices, including standards (code and policies), board of director oversight, program structure and responsibility, training and communications, due care, monitoring and auditing, and enforcement and discipline. Ethisphere then provides companies with a detailed report as to how their program measures up to industry benchmarks, including recommendations for improvement. Additional information about Compliance Leader Verification is available at http://ethisphere.com/ethisphere-compliance-leader-verification/

About Allstate

The Allstate Corporation (NYSE: ALL) is the nation’s largest publicly held personal lines insurer known for its “You’re In Good Hands With Allstate®” slogan. Now celebrating its 80th anniversary as an insurer, Allstate is reinventing protection and retirement to help nearly 16 million households insure what they have today and better prepare for tomorrow. Consumers access Allstate insurance products (auto, home, life and retirement) and services through Allstate agencies, independent agencies, and Allstate exclusive financial representatives in the U.S. and Canada, as well as via www.allstate.com and 1-800 Allstate®.

Allstate Media Contact
Maryellen Thielen
847.402.5600

Ethisphere Media Contact
Jennifer Mitchell
jmitchell@ethisphere.com
800.369.7583 ext 7

The World’s Most Ethical Companies (WME) methodology analyzes companies that go beyond making statements about doing business ‘ethically’, to translate those words into action. WME winners demonstrate real and sustained ethical leadership within their industries, putting the Council’s credo of “Good. Smart. Business. Profit.” into real business practice.

All nominations and completed questionnaires for the 2012 ranking are due on January 9, 2011

cforms contact form by delicious:days

“During the Compliance Leader Verification process, we became acutely aware that CareFirst’s commitment to ethics and compliance is clearly backed up by resources, expertise and a strong interest in doing the right thing,” said Eric Morehead, Senior Compliance Counsel of Compliance Advisory Services for Corpedia, a licensed Ethisphere credentialing partner. “CareFirst is not content to rest on any achievement and consistently explores new ways to improve ethics and compliance at the organization. CareFirst associates are encouraged to be part of the process and the company has a wealth of talented individuals who thoughtfully guide CareFirst’s program.”

Ethisphere, the provider of independent verification of corporate ethics and compliance programs, provides independent Compliance Leader Verification™ for companies with best-in-industry compliance programs. These organizations have made the decision to proactively invest resources in compliance, sending a clear signal to key stakeholders that compliance and ethics are an absolute organizational priority.

“Our customers and business partners judge us on our actions,” said Chet Burrell, CareFirst President and CEO. “When we demonstrate the spirit of our corporate values, we build lasting and viable business relationships. Every CareFirst associate plays a vitally important role in preserving our reputation, integrity, trust, and the confidence of our customers.”

The standout components of CareFirst’s compliance program included their overall program structure. The resources that CareFirst has dedicated to ethics and compliance and the extent to which the program is being embraced by the organization show a genuine dedication to the importance of ethics and compliance.

“Our corporate values shape our culture and define the character of our company,” said Todd Cioni, CareFirst Vice President of Corporate Compliance and Ethics. “They function as our compass, guiding how we behave and make decisions. Ethisphere’s recognition of our Compliance and Ethics program is a measure we are proud of as an organization and sets a benchmark for continued commitment.”

Ethisphere’s licensed credentialing partners conduct a detailed review of the organization’s current compliance and ethics-related initiatives and benchmark them against the “hallmarks” of an effective compliance program, as defined by the U.S. Federal Sentencing Guidelines (FSG) and corporate and industry best practices. These include code and policy standards, board of director oversight, program structure and responsibility, training and communications, monitoring and auditing, enforcement and discipline. Ethisphere then provides companies with a detailed report as to how their programs measure up to industry benchmarks, including recommendations for improvement. Additional information about Compliance Leader Verification is available at http://ethisphere.com/ethisphere-compliance-leader-verification/.

###
About Ethisphere

Ethisphere Media Contact
Jennifer Mitchell
Marketing & Media Director
jmitchell@ethisphere.com
800.369.7583 xt 7

About CareFirst
In its 74th year of service, CareFirst, an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, is a not-for-profit health care company which, through its affiliates and subsidiaries, offers a comprehensive portfolio of health insurance products and administrative services to nearly 3.4 million individuals and groups in Maryland, the District of Columbia and Northern Virginia. In 2010, CareFirst contributed $56 million to community programs designed to increase the accessibility, affordability, safety and quality of health care throughout its market areas. To learn more about CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield, visit our Web site at www.carefirst.com or follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/CareFirst_News.

CareFirst Media Contact
Maya Newman
mediarelations@carefirst.com
1-800-914-NEWS (6397)

Bill Marriott, Chairman and CEO of Marriott International, recently commented on the value of the World’s Most Ethical Companies designation on his blog, Marriott on the Move. Click here to view the blog posting.

NEW YORK – The Ethisphere Institute will ring The Opening Bell℠ at the New York Stock Exchange with select NYSE-listed 2011 World’s Most Ethical Companies September 28, 2011, recognizing the connection between ethical business practice and increased business performance.

Following the bell ringing, Ethisphere, in cooperation with NYSE Euronext, will host the Ethics Drives Performance conference during which leaders from the 2011 World’s Most Ethical Companies will share insights and best practices for prioritizing ethics to grow the bottom line.

NYSE-listed 2011 World’s Most Ethical Companies that will ring the bell with Ethisphere include: AECOM, Aflac, Ford, General Electric, International Paper, Jones Lang LaSalle, Marriott, PepsiCo and Salesforce.com.

Over the past five years, Ethisphere’s World’s Most Ethical (“WME”) Companies have demonstrated that going beyond legal minimums and introducing innovative ethical standards has been a market differentiator, both improving financial performance and forcing their competitors to follow suit.

WME companies, if indexed together, have routinely and significantly outpaced the S&P 500 each year since the recognition’s 2007 inception. On average, the WME companies outperformed the S&P 500 by 7.3 percent annually. In addition to increased financial performance, ethical companies benefit from better brand reputation, consumer loyalty and higher employee retention rates.

“We are honored that Aflac was selected by Ethisphere to help ring the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange,” Aflac Chairman and CEO Dan Amos said. “As a five-time recipient of Ethisphere’s World’s Most Ethical Company award, we know that honesty and integrity help build trust in our business. We appreciate this opportunity to represent companies committed to ethical business practices.”

“PepsiCo associates around the world take great pride to be among only a handful of companies on Ethisphere’s list of the World’s Most Ethical Companies for five years in a row,” said Maura Abeln Smith, EVP of Government Affairs, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary at PepsiCo. “Under the inspirational leadership of Chairman and CEO Indra Nooyi, ethical behavior is the foundation of all we do as we strive to deliver Performance with Purpose—that is, our commitment to deliver long-term sustainable shareholder value by investing responsibly in a healthier future for all people and by protecting the planet whose resources we share.”

“NYSE Euronext is pleased to partner with the Ethisphere Institute to recognize NYSE-listed and other leading companies who conduct their businesses by the highest standards,” said Duncan Niederauer, Chief Executive Officer, NYSE Euronext. “The 2011 World’s Most Ethical Companies continue to set the bar for driving performance and innovative best practices in their respective fields.”

Darryl Hartley-Leonard, the retired Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Hyatt Hotels Corporation and now a member of the Board of Directors of Jones Lang LaSalle, said “As a member of Jones Lang LaSalle’s Audit Committee, I can say first-hand that it has been useful to have has had an independent review of our ethics program through Ethisphere’s Ethics Inside Certification. Developing a strong ethics program and corporate culture can be more art than science and it is not otherwise easy for an Audit Committee member to judge their true quality without measurable qualifiers.”

“We are honored to have been chosen to help ring the opening bell and to participate in the Ethics Conference. More importantly, we are humbled to have made this year’s list of most ethical companies. At Ford, we understand that a good reputation is one of the building blocks of a good company and should not be compromised. Good ethical behavior reflects smart business practices and contributes to a company’s overall success,” said David Leitch, Ford Motor Company Group Vice President, Office of The General Counsel.

Ed Ryan, Marriott’s Executive Vice President and General Counsel, said, “We’re pleased and gratified to be included in such good company. Ethical business practices are a core value of our company, reflecting the full commitment of our senior leadership. With operations in more than 70 countries, our ethical and compliance program is guided by the simple caveat that “how we do business is as important as the business we do”.

“One of our key principles at International Paper is to uphold the highest ethical standards and remain accountable in all that we do. When faced with decisions and choices in the workplace, we choose the ethical course. IP is proud of the legacy we are creating and pleased to share a strong partnership with the Ethisphere Institute,” said Sharon Ryan, International Paper’s Vice President, Acting General Counsel.

“Studies show ethical companies command higher prices for goods and services from consumers who are increasingly choosing to do business with organizations they trust,” said Tim Erblich, Executive Vice President of the Ethisphere Institute. “Businesses that place an emphasis on ethics also attract more prospective employees. According to a Stanford Business School Study, MBA graduates value a potential employers ethics 75 percent as much as the promise of intellectual challenge and 95 percent as much as the financial compensation, which are the first and second job considerations, respectively.”

-

Ethics Drives Performance: The World’s Most Ethical Companies on the Correlation between Ethical Leadership and Financial Performance

Leaders from multinational companies across all industries will share insights for building and maintaining an ethical culture in concert with advancing other corporate objectives at the Ethics Drives Performance Conference, hosted by Ethisphere in partnership with NYSE Euronext, following the bell ringing September 28, 2011. Chief executives, chief financial officers, board members, general counsel and chief ethics and compliance counsel from best-in-class organizations will join Ethisphere to discuss the most pressing governance challenges and key opportunities during conference panel discussions and keynote address, including:

-Traits of an Ethical Leader: Keys to Establishing a Strong Tone from the Top and Ethical Culture within a Global Organization

-The Business Case for Global Compliance: Using Investments and Resources to Build an Ethical Culture and Further Company Objectives

-Navigating High-Risk Markets: The Ethical Risks v. Rewards when Expanding Globally

-The Future of Governance

2012 World’s Most Ethical Companies

Ethisphere is now accepting nominations for the 2012 World’s Most Ethical Companies. To learn more about the World’s Most Ethical Companies recognition and selection process and to nominate your organization for consideration, please visit: http://ethisphere.com/nominations/.

Media Credentials

A limited number of media credentials will be available for the Ethics Drives Performance conference, permitting journalists access to the executives from the select NYSE-listed 2011 World’s Most Ethical Companies who will be joining the Institute on the bell ringing platform and as speakers for the conference thereafter. To apply, please contact Ethisphere’s Marketing and Media Director Jennifer L. Mitchell at jmitchell@ethisphere.com.

Photo/Video:

Photos are available via Associated Press/New York (212.621.1902), Reuters America (646.223.6285), and Bloomberg Photo (212.617.3420). The Opening BellSM (starting at 9:25 a.m.) feed is available via Ascent loop #4009. Media seeking footage via The Switch should contact NYSE Broadcast at 212.656.5483.

About Ethisphere Institute

The research-based Ethisphere® Institute is a leading international think tank dedicated to the creation, advancement and sharing of best practices in business ethics, corporate social responsibility, anti-corruption and sustainability. Ethisphere Magazine, which publishes the globally-recognized World’s Most Ethical Companies® ranking, is the quarterly publication of the Institute. Ethisphere provides the only third-party verifications of compliance programs and ethical cultures that include: Ethics Inside® Certification, Compliance Leader Verification™ and Anti-Corruption Program Verification™. The Institute’s premier membership group, the Business Ethics Leadership Alliance™, is a business ethics forum that includes more than 100 leading corporations, universities and institutions that collectively leverage their experience, expertise and innovative ways to address emerging compliance challenges. More information on the Ethisphere Institute, including ranking projects and membership, can be found at www.ethisphere.com.

Media Contact
Jennifer L. Mitchell
Ethisphere Media Relations
jmitchell@ethisphere.com
1.800.369.7583×7

CHICAGO, Aug. 17, 2011 —Companies that employ open office layouts and work-from-home strategies are achieving not only increases in space utilization, employee engagement, and retention, but decreases in employee misconduct, according to a new Survey on the Influence of Workplace Design & Practices on the Ethical Environment jointly conducted by Ethisphere Institute and Jones Lang LaSalle.

The survey results reveal open workplace strategies are increasingly gaining favor among corporations seeking to simultaneously improve corporate culture, morale, and productivity while reducing the costs and environmental impacts associated with an oversized real estate footprint.

Ethisphere Institute, a leading international think-tank dedicated to the advancement of best practices in business ethics, corporate social responsibility, anti-corruption and sustainability, and Jones Lang LaSalle, a leading global commercial real estate services firm, surveyed more than 200 organizations across a variety of industries to gauge the impact different workplace strategies have on various factors, including corporate culture, employee misconduct, and productivity.

“In today’s rapidly changing business climate with its diverse workforce, constantly evolving technological innovations, and intense competition, corporations need to think strategically about the type of environment that best supports its employees and allows them to do their best work in a way that maintains the integrity and ethical culture of the organization,” said Alex Brigham, Executive Director at Ethisphere Institute.

Responses came from corporate executives representing a diverse pool of organizations with regard to industry, workforce size and annual revenues. Though most were Americas-based (90 percent), some were headquartered in other regions, including APAC (2 percent) and EMEA (8 percent). Key findings of the survey include:

• The vast majority of those surveyed (81 percent) believe that open office plans, which cause staff to be more visible to one another, generally promote improved ethical behavior when compared to having individual offices.
• The statistics indicate that implementing open workspace environments appears to be making an impact, as the majority of respondents (64 percent) have not had any visible ethical violations within the past two years.
• Sixty-eight percent of responding companies allow their employees to work from home on a regular basis. Of those, 89 percent reported having no ethics violations during the past two years among their work-from-home employees.

Open Workspace Environments Gain Favor Among Companies
Open workspace environments are quickly becoming the new norm as the majority of companies surveyed (60 percent) maintain a workspace comprised mainly of open offices, rather than a closed office environment. Of these, 79 percent provide open office space for nearly four out of every five of their employees. Even more compelling statistics can be found among survey respondents in the technology sector, who all reported primarily using open workspace environments.

“The move towards a more collaborative office design featuring open workspaces, team rooms, and common areas has gained even more traction within the last few years as companies look to reduce costs through increased space utilization without compromising productivity,” said Patricia Roberts, Executive Vice President, Strategic Consulting at Jones Lang LaSalle. “In fact, the survey found that more than one-third of companies transitioned from closed offices to open plans just within the last five years.”

“We live in an open office environment in order to maintain open communications and shared learning among our staff,” said one respondent representing a professional services firm. “Culturally, our company would die as a business if we had a closed office environment.”

Open Workspaces Reduce Employee Misconduct
The survey also revealed that open workspaces may reduce employee misconduct violations. Sixty-four percent of companies that utilize open workspaces have not had any visible ethics violations within the past two years. Most cite that the “see and be seen” quality of open plans increase the likelihood that policies and procedures are followed.

Eighty-one percent of the survey respondents said they believe that open office plans, which allow staff to be more visible to one another, generally promote improved behaviors when compared to space plans with individual offices. A reduction in offensive language, increased politeness, sensitivity and consideration, a more open exchange of information, and enhanced transparency were all cited as benefits of open workspaces.

“The experience in our own firm has been that open workspaces promote an ethical and collaborative culture where transparency is of the utmost importance, and we believe we have reduced the costs to our organization from ethical lapses and litigation as a result,” said Mark Ohringer, Executive Vice President and Global General Counsel at Jones Lang LaSalle. “Senior management can greatly improve staff morale and eliminate the detrimental ‘us versus them’ attitude if they also sit in the open environment, which becomes a constant and visible reminder that everyone’s collective responsibility is to the shareholders and the greater good of the entire organization,” Ohringer added.

Work-from-home Strategies Can Potentially Reduce Ethics Violations
The majority of companies surveyed (68 percent) allow their employees to work from home on a regular basis. When asked whether employees who work from home regularly had committed an ethics violation during the past two years, 89 percent of respondents said ‘no’.

“Work from home strategies can remove the temptation of misconduct given the employee is generally more removed from common misconduct opportunities,” said Roberts. “Employees also tend to appreciate the freedom a flexible workplace provides and seem less apt to risk losing the option to work from home, even on occasion.”

Interestingly, the survey revealed that the larger the organization, the more likely it is to allow employees to work from home on a regular basis with 92 percent of companies with more than 50,000 employees having remote work options versus 59 percent of companies with fewer than 1,000 employees.

Creating a Successful Open Work Environment
When implementing an open work environment, respondents confirmed, it is essential to tread carefully. One executive surveyed mentioned that creating such a layout without first fostering a corporate culture based on transparency and trust may give the impression that management is keeping an eye on the activities of its workforce. A company needs to conduct a comprehensive assessment to determine the best open workplace strategy for its long-term growth and create a robust internal campaign to gain leadership and employee buy-in.

To view the report in its entirety, click here.

To hear Jones Lang LaSalle’s Patricia Roberts’ insights into the correlation between open office environments and company ethics, click here. To hear Jones Lang LaSalle’s Mark Ohringer discuss how true bottom line benefit comes from creating an ethical culture, click here.

Media Contacts
Paige Steers, Jones Lang LaSalle
1.312.228.2797
paige.steers@am.jll.com

Jennifer Mitchell, Ethisphere
1.800.369.7538
jmitchell@ethisphere.com

About Jones Lang LaSalle
Jones Lang LaSalle (NYSE:JLL) is a financial and professional services firm specializing in real estate. The firm offers integrated services delivered by expert teams worldwide to clients seeking increased value by owning, occupying or investing in real estate. With 2010 global revenue of more than $2.9 billion, Jones Lang LaSalle serves clients in 60 countries from more than 1,000 locations worldwide, including 185 corporate offices. The firm is an industry leader in property and corporate facility management services, with a portfolio of approximately 1.8 billion square feet worldwide. LaSalle Investment Management, the company’s investment management business, is one of the world’s largest and most diverse in real estate with more than $43 billion of assets under management. For further information, please visit our website, www.joneslanglasalle.com.

About Ethisphere
The research-based Ethisphere Institute is a leading international think-tank dedicated to the creation, advancement and sharing of best practices in business ethics, corporate social responsibility, anti-corruption and sustainability. Ethisphere Magazine, which publishes the globally recognized World’s Most Ethical Companies Ranking™, is the quarterly publication of the Institute. Ethisphere provides the only third-party verifications of compliance programs and ethical cultures that include: Ethics Inside Certification, Compliance Leader Verification and Anti-Corruption Program Verification. The Institute’s premier membership group, the Business Ethics Leadership Alliance, is a business ethics forum that includes more than 100 leading corporations, universities and institutions who collectively leverage their experience, expertise and innovative ways to address emerging compliance challenges. More information on the Ethisphere Institute, including ranking projects and membership, can be found at http://www.ethisphere.com.

NEW YORK, July 26, 2011 – The Ethisphere Institute today announced the launch of its Anti-Corruption Resource Center, a collection of online tools and resources designed to share best practices and practical advice in global anti-corruption efforts.

“Corruption is a cause for concern within every multinational company today more than ever because of both the gravity of bribe-paying and the constantly evolving regulatory landscape,” said Stefan Linssen, Ethisphere’s editor-in-chief. “Ethisphere is excited to launch our new Anti-Corruption Resource Center in cooperation with some of the top anti-corruption experts in the world to help provide resources and further insight around the latest anti-corruption regulations and developments.”

Ethisphere’s Anti-Corruption Resource Center will provide up-to-date anti-corruption information geared toward a wide variety of practitioners, including in-house counsel responsible for their organization’s anti-corruption programs, white collar attorneys, researchers and academics.

“With the increasing global emphasis on and enforcement of anti-corruption and anti-bribery regulations, Ethisphere’s Anti-Corruption Resource Center will be of great value,” said Homer E. Moyer, Jr., architect of Miller & Chevalier’s preeminent FCPA and International Anti-Corruption practice. “We look forward to partnering with Ethisphere in this new venture and the opportunity to continue providing thought leadership and guidance on developments in this complex and constantly evolving area.”

Exclusive and continuously updated resources are available from Ethisphere and its Anti-Corruption Resource Center founding partners including videos from Second City Communications, and a complimentary anti-corruption program diagnostic from Corpedia, Ethisphere’s licensed credentialing partner. The center also contains research, articles and whitepapers from corporate law firms, NGOs, professional service providers and many other anti-corruption experts. A full list of partners is available online.

Ethisphere will continue to invite a limited number of anti-corruption thought leaders as partners to share and promote leading best practices.

“The UN Global Compact has developed a number of new and highly useful tools and resources around anti-corruption. We look forward to sharing these good practices with Ethisphere’s audience through the Anti-Corruption Resource Center,” said Olajobi Makinwa, head of the Transparency & Anti-Corruption Initiatives at the United Nations Global Compact.

Other exclusive tools in the Anti-Corruption Resource Center include:

• The Ethisphere/Haynes & Boone Non-Prosecution and Deferred Prosecution Agreements (NPA/DPA) Database, a collection of readily available non-prosecution and deferred-prosecution agreements entered into by the U.S. Department of Justice which are searchable by more than a dozen criteria such as independent monitoring requirements, compliance program mandates, related regulatory agencies and amount of fines and restitution; and
• The Ethisphere Anti-Corruption Program Review Database, which analyses more than 2,000 companies’ anti-corruption programs and allows users to search for best practices in a number of key anti-corruption policy categories.

With an analysis of global anti-corruption efforts, updates on international regulatory development, best practices in anti-corruption program development, and unparalleled online tools and benchmarking resources, Ethisphere’s Anti-Corruption Resource Center is the premier source for anti-corruption practitioners, experts and interested parties worldwide.

To view Ethisphere’s Anti-Corruption Resource Center, its partner organizations and request access to the complimentary databases, please go to http://ethisphere.com.

Ethisphere Media Contact
Jennifer Mitchell
jmitchell@ethisphere.com
1.800.369.7583

NEW YORK, June 23, 2011 – Pfizer (NYSE: PFE) has earned the coveted Compliance Leader Verification from the Ethisphere Institute, a leading international think-tank dedicated to the research and promotion of best practices in corporate ethics and compliance and the only independent third-party verifier of compliance programs and ethics cultures.

Compliance Leader Verification is exclusively awarded to companies with best-in-industry compliance programs that proactively invest resources in compliance and strive to prevent future compliance failures and breakdowns.

“We are pleased to receive this important honor from Ethisphere, which recognizes the high value we place on ethics at Pfizer and our dedication to ensuring our compliance program is as strong as it can be,” said Douglas M. Lankler, Executive Vice President and Chief Compliance & Risk Officer for Pfizer.

The Ethisphere Institute uses a proprietary system of tools, templates, metrics and indicators to evaluate the quality and effectiveness of compliance initiatives and key program components to determine whether it merits Compliance Leader Verification, including an organization’s standards (code and policies); board of director oversight; program structure and responsibility; training and communications; due care; monitoring and auditing; and enforcement and discipline.

“Pfizer stood out to the verification team for several of its initiatives, including its risk mitigation program RAMP, which helps the company identify potential issues early on, as well as new, comprehensive and engaging global training processes for the company’s employees,” said Alex Brigham, executive director of the Ethisphere Institute.

Ethisphere’s analysis found that Pfizer has shown leadership within the highly regulated and litigious pharmaceutical industry.

“The Compliance Leader Verification process examines every aspect of a company’s compliance program, ensuring the company doesn’t just meet the letter, but also the spirit of all relevant laws,” said Brigham. “This is measured against best practices within a constantly evolving regulatory environment. We are impressed with the steps that Pfizer has taken to develop critical aspects of its compliance program.”

Although this is a significant milestone for Pfizer, Lankler acknowledges compliance is a never-ending process that requires constant attention and reevaluation.

“Over the past decade, there’s not been a single year in which we didn’t make significant improvements to Pfizer’s compliance programs, and we’re proud of the steps we have taken – many of which go beyond a strict interpretation of government requirements,” Lankler said. “That said, we obviously would never contend that we have a perfect system: Pfizer is a very large, multinational company that is part of a complex, tightly regulated industry, and we actively look for problems. So we expect to continue dealing with issues. In our view, the most important consideration is how we respond to and learn from missteps. How do we keep getting better? And how do we ensure that all colleagues understand the company’s policies and their own responsibility for acting with integrity? This is an absolute priority for us at Pfizer.”

More information about Compliance Leader Verification is available at http://ethisphere.com/ethisphere-2010-compliance-leader-verification/.

About Ethisphere Institute
The research-based Ethisphere Institute is a leading international think-tank dedicated to the creation, advancement and sharing of best practices in business ethics, corporate social responsibility, anti-corruption and sustainability. Ethisphere Magazine, which publishes the globally recognized World’s Most Ethical Companies Ranking™, is the quarterly publication of the Institute. Ethisphere provides the only third-party corporate credentialing of compliance programs and ethical cultures, Ethics Inside Certification®, Compliance Leader Verification and Anti-Corruption Program Verification. The Institute’s associated membership group, the Business Ethics Leadership Alliance (BELA), is a business ethics and GRC forum that includes more than 100 leading corporations, universities and institutions. BELA is dedicated to the development and advancement of members through increased efficiency, innovation, tools, mentoring and shared best practices. More information on the Ethisphere Institute, including ranking projects and membership, can be found at http://www.ethisphere.com.

About Pfizer
At Pfizer, we apply science and our global resources to improve health and well-being at every stage of life. We strive to set the standard for quality, safety and value in the discovery, development and manufacturing of medicines for people and animals. Our diversified global health care portfolio includes human and animal biologic and small molecule medicines and vaccines, as well as nutritional products and many of the world’s best-known consumer products. Every day, Pfizer colleagues work across developed and emerging markets to advance wellness, prevention, treatments and cures that challenge the most feared diseases of our time. Consistent with our responsibility as the world’s leading biopharmaceutical company, we also collaborate with health care providers, governments and local communities to support and expand access to reliable, affordable health care around the world. For more than 150 years, Pfizer has worked to make a difference for all who rely on us. To learn more about our commitments, please visit us at www.pfizer.com.

Ethisphere Media Contact
Jennifer Mitchell
jmitchell@ethisphere.com
800-369-7583

Pfizer Media Contact
Chris Loder
Christopher.loder@pfizer.com
212-733-7897

Announcement to Coincide with Third Annual Global Ethics Summit March 15-16 in New York City

NEW YORK–(February24, 2011)–The Ethisphere Institute, a leading international think-tank dedicated to the creation, advancement and sharing of best practices in business ethics, corporate social responsibility, anti-corruption and sustainability, announced the official unveiling of the 2011 World’s Most Ethical Companies will take place at the World’s Most Ethical Companies Awards Dinner March 15, 2011, in New York, NY. This year’s honorees have gone above and beyond to prove business ethics are paramount to the success of a company’s brand and bottom line. In its fifth year, the World’s Most Ethical Companies recognizes organizations that promote ethical business standards and practices by exceeding legal minimums for compliance, introducing innovative ideas that benefit the public and forcing their competitors to follow suit.

The World’s Most Ethical Companies Awards Dinner will bring together leading executives from top global companies in a celebration of doing business the right way. U.S. Chamber of Commerce Chief Operating Officer David Chavern will serve as the dinner’s keynote speaker. This year’s announcement of the World’s Most Ethical Companies and the awards dinner honoring the recipients coincide with the third annual Global Ethics Summit March 15-16, which will bring together leading companies – including many of this year’s winners – to discuss best practices and emerging trends in ethics and compliance.

“The competition for this year’s World’s Most Ethical Companies list was stronger than ever, with a record number of nominations submitted for consideration,” said Alex Brigham, Executive Director of Ethisphere. “These companies recognize that ethics need to be a priority in order to have a solid company that is profitable and maintains a top-notch reputation. We look forward to highlighting the best of the best and having David Chavern cap off an exciting night with his wealth of knowledge in the business world and insight into best practices.”

Chavern serves as chair of the Chamber’s Management Committee and is responsible for day-to-day operations as well as long-term planning. His keynote address will focus on companies’ ability to prove they can be the engines of growth for job creation and economic sustainability by making ethics a larger part of their business plans.

Global Ethics Summit
Ethisphere has teamed up with Thomson Reuters for the third annual Global Ethics Summit, which will take place March 15-16 at the Westin New York at Times Square. This year’s theme focuses on effective strategies for global corporate compliance. Senior executives from leading multinational companies, top white collar attorneys and practitioners and government officials will discuss the most pressing challenges facing companies, gain a clearer understanding of the rulings and legislation shaping corporate compliance, and learn best practices for navigating today’s complex and daunting global legal landscape.
Panelists at the 2011 Global Ethics Summit include:

• Stuart Breslow—Managing Director, Chief Compliance Officer, Morgan Stanley
• Kathleen Cooper Grilli—Deputy General Counsel, U.S. Sentencing Commission
• Darryl Hartley-Leonard—Former CEO and Chairman, Hyatt Hotels, Director, Jones Lang LaSalle
• Andy Hinton—Global Ethics & Compliance Officer and Associate General Counsel, Google
• Nancy Laben—Senior Vice President and General Counsel, AECOM
• Haydee Olinger—Vice President & Chief Compliance Officer, McDonald’s
• Jonah Shacknai—Founder, Chairman & CEO Medicis Pharmaceutical Company
• Alan Yuspeh—Senior Vice President & Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer, HCA Holdings, Inc.

A full agenda can be found at http://ges2011.com/agenda.php.

Media Credentials
A limited number of media credentials will be available for the World’s Most Ethical Companies Awards Dinner and the Global Ethics Summit. To apply, please email Emily Parker at eparker@sloanepr.com.

About Ethisphere Institute
The research-based Ethisphere Institute is a leading international think-tank dedicated to the creation, advancement and sharing of best practices in business ethics, corporate social responsibility, anti-corruption and sustainability. The Institute’s associated membership groups, the Ethisphere Council and Business Ethics Leadership Alliance, are forums for business ethics that includes over 200 leading corporations, universities and institutions. These groups are dedicated to the development and advancement of members through increased efficiency, innovation, tools, mentoring, advice, and unique career opportunities. Ethisphere Magazine, which publishes the globally recognized World’s Most Ethical Companies Ranking™, is the quarterly publication of the Institute. Ethisphere provides the only third-party verifications of compliance programs and ethical cultures, Ethics Inside Certification®, Anti-Corruption Leader Verification and Compliance Program Verification. More information on the Ethisphere Institute, including ranking projects and membership, can be found at http://www.ethisphere.com.

Media Contact:
For Ethisphere Institute
Emily Parker, 212-446-1889
eparker@sloanepr.com

“Trust is the reason why customers want to do business with us, investors hold our shares and employees choose to work for us,” said Mitchell Gaynor, senior vice president, general counsel and secretary, Juniper Networks. “Trust cannot be earned without integrity and strong ethical practices. We are honored to join the select list of other prestigious companies recognized by the Ethisphere Institute.” Read the press release in its entirety here.

Reaction was swift from the ethics, compliance and governance communities. Professor Ester Bonne from the Center for Ethics Statistics stated “What better way to haphazardly ruin a corporation’s reputation than to name them to the World’s Least Ethical Companies list?” She added “This will surely help reduce excessive executive compensation at these companies, albeit in a roundabout way”.

Ari Kidden, spokesperson for the Ethisphere Institute took a similar view. “We anticipate a lot of web traffic resulting from the publishing of our ‘World’s Least Ethical Companies™ ranking and plan to sell cleverly worded T-Shirts on the website that will make us all a lot of money” said Kidden.

“We are particularly excited about the World’s Most Kinda Ethical™ list as it is sooooo American to celebrate mediocrity, from trophies for Little Leaguers just for showing up, to grade inflation in college. We are excited to be extending this trend into the corporate world” Kidden added.

Some legal experts have already raised concerns about exposure that the Ethisphere Institute may be assuming in designating the world’s “least ethical” companies but others were impressed at the bold maneuver.

One outside counsel, who insisted on remaining unnamed in order to not jeopardize his client relationship with the Ethisphere Institute, called the development “Awesome!”. He added “I can only imagine how upset companies will be to see themselves on the ‘least ethical’ list… and my billings are going to skyrocket.” This individual was nonplussed however about the ‘kinda ethical’ list… deeming it “a waste of time.”

And if you have made it this far… APRIL FOOLS!

“Mexico is an extremely important player in the world economy. With respect to the United States alone, Mexico is its third largest goods trading partner,” TRACE President Alexandra Wrage said. “Knowing the pressure points of doing business in Mexico is a critical first step in tailoring an effective anti-bribery compliance program. The BRIBEline Mexico Report gives concrete information about the people who are requesting bribes in Mexico, how frequently such requests are made and what the bribe seekers hope to achieve.”

The largest percentage of overall bribe solicitations, 45 percent, comes from the police, according to the BRIBEline study. Bribe demands from federal officials come in at 12 percent overall.

“The BRIBEline Mexico results present two compliance challenges,” Wrage said. “First, frequent demands for small amounts of cash are very difficult to track and properly record on a company’s books and records. Second, training employees and third party agents who are conducting business in Mexico to properly respond to extortionate demands for cash, which are often made by a police officer, is no easy task either.”

The full BRIBEline report is available at www.bribeline.org.

In response to the CPSC warning, Infantino LLC, the company behind one of the most controversial baby slings, has announced a recall of over one million baby slings that have been sold throughout North America.

“It does not matter how old your baby is at this point with the Infantino sling,” CPSC’s Scott Wolfson told ABC News. “Do not use it. This sling places the baby in a very deep part of the product. What is so dangerous is when the fabric covers nose and mouth or when baby is turned into the body of the mother and the airway is restricted.”

At least 13 babies have died while resting in the sling, including three this year, according to news reports. According to the CPSC, a child can suffocate when a sling’s cloth is covering its nose and mouth. Because of babies’ weak neck muscles, they are not always able to turn their head free.

In a statement, Infantino said, “We appreciate the actions by the CPSC today, and are committed to working with them as well as parents and caregivers to address concerns they may have with baby slings.”

Just after obtaining the information—and right before an earnings release—Oleksandr Dorozhko purchased 630 put options on IMS’ common stock, according to Reuters. The next day IMS’ stock dropped by 28 percent and Dorozhko earned $287,346 after selling the options.

The SEC filed a complaint against Dorozhko in late 2007, but on January 7, 2008, the District Court denied the SEC’s motion for a preliminary injunction, according to a statement by the SEC. The Court concluded that “Dorozhko’s alleged ‘stealing and trading’ or ‘hacking and trading’ does not amount to a violation … because Dorozhko did not breach any fiduciary or similar duty ‘in connection with’ the purchase or sale of a security.”

Upon appeal, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit thought otherwise, saying “that nothing in the U.S. Supreme Court’s jurisprudence or prior decisions of our Court expressly imposes a fiduciary-duty requirement on the ordinary meaning of ‘deceptive’ where the alleged fraud is an affirmative misrepresentation rather than a nondisclosure.”

After the case was sent back to the District Court, the judge ordered the $580,000 penalty.

Brazil has already announced a few positive steps in this direction. For example, the country announced that deforestation in the Amazon has been slowed by 45 percent over the past four years. Over 50 percent of Brazil’s energy comes from renewable sources, according to a report by Forbes. And the government is proposing a new law that would give federal grants and other assistance to land owners that attempt to reintroduce native vegetation to their land.

The service is allowed to operate as a natural monopoly, as reported by the Wall Street Journal, because having more than one identification system would complicate the trading system. While accepting this fact, the EU’s investigation is looking into whether or not Standard & Poor’s is overcharging for the service.

A spokesperson for S&P told the Wall Street Journal that the company “strongly disagrees with the EC’s preliminary assessment and believes the Commission has grossly undervalued Standard & Poor’s effort, expertise and costs required to operate a global identification system that benefits millions of investors and market participants world-wide.”