HOUSTON, Jan. 6, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The past year saw the highest number of U.S. prosecutions of overseas corporate bribery since the banner year of 2010. The case numbers and noteworthy fines illustrate the government's commitment to aggressively pursuing these crimes, according to a new e-book from Houston attorney and Foreign Corrupt Practices Act expert Tom Fox.

"2013: The FCPA Year in Review," available through Amazon's Kindle, offers a pithy recap of the government's cases. Two companies, Total SA and Weatherford International, paid fines that put them in the Top 10 for FCPA enforcement actions, Mr. Fox says. Total SA settled long-standing accusations of bribery for oil contracts in Iran, while Weatherford paid hefty fines for bribing officials in Congo and the Middle East, among other violations.

This is the third e-book by Mr. Fox, who is also the author of three books in print, "Lessons Learned on Compliance and Ethics," "Best Practices Under the FCPA and Bribery Act," and"Anti-Bribery Leadership" with Jon Rydberg.

"This was a noteworthy year in a couple of ways," says Mr. Fox of Tom Fox Law. "Besides showing a continued commitment to crack down on corporations' egregious bribery practices to get overseas business, the government is also getting more innovative in negotiating settlements. This should defuse some of the criticism about the cost of these cases."

In addition, 2013 also saw the highest number of FCPA prosecutions against individual officers and employees since 2010.

"The resolved cases show that both the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) will continue to aggressively pursue these crimes using the wide variety of white-collar criminal investigative techniques," Mr. Fox says.

Mr. Fox, who has practiced law in Houston for 30 years, assists companies with FCPA compliance and speaks internationally on anti-corruption laws.

Tom Fox Law represents clients in completing international transactions and developing global anti-corruption policies. Using a thorough understanding of international business matters, Tom Fox Law helps businesses develop and maintain a successful international business model. With a focus on the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and other international anti-corruption compliance requirements, Tom Fox Law provides legal assistance for companies seeking to operate profitably, legally and ethically. For more information, please visit http://www.tfoxlaw.com

For more information about Mr. Fox and his new e-book, please contact Kit Frieden at 800-559-4534 or kit@androvett.com.

SOURCE Tom Fox