A company is an issuer under the FCPA if it has a class of securities registered under Section 12 of the Exchange Act 45 or is required to file periodic and other reports with SEC under Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act. In practice, this means that any company with a class of securities listed on a national securities exchange in the United States, or any company with a class of securities quoted in the over-the-counter market in the United States and required to file periodic reports with SEC, is an issuer. A company thus need not be a U.S. company to be an issuer. Foreign companies with American Depository Receipts that are listed on a U.S. exchange are also issuers.

The Anti-Corruption Tools Exist—Why Aren’t We Using Them?
NWC program manager Jeana Lee explains that proven anti-corruption laws have recovered over $25 billion in sanctions and protect whistleblowers regardless of nationality. But most countries haven’t implemented them—and most…


