On December 5, 2025, the Institute of Law of the State Tax University hosted another guest lecture by Professor Gregory Ashley on the topic: «Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) Enforcement: The Pause, Restart, and New ‘America First’ Era,».
In his presentation, Professor Ashley traced the evolution of the FCPA — from its introduction after the Lockheed corruption scandal in 1977, through a period of inactivity in the 1980s, to its transformation in the 1990s into a powerful global anti-corruption initiative. The lecture also highlighted the impact of the FCPA on international legislative acts, including the OECD Convention, the UK Bribery Act, and the French Sapin II law.
Particular attention was paid to recent developments — the US President’s executive order of February 2025, which suspended the FCPA for 180 days, as well as the US Department of Justice’s recommendations of June 2025, which reinstated it with a new strategic focus. This new approach emphasizes the priority of the competitiveness of the American economy and national security, applying the law only in cases where the corrupt actions of foreign competitors harm American companies. This shift is a radical departure from almost 50 years of FCPA practice and has important implications for corporate compliance, international cooperation, and the global anti-corruption architecture.
The speaker also shared predictions about similar changes in other areas of extraterritorial regulation, including data flow management and the digital sphere.
More than 65 students from master’s and bachelor’s degree programs in law and law enforcement attended the event. The lecture was moderated by Doctor of Laws, Professor Maksym Maksimentsev.
About the lecturer: Gregory Ashley is an American lawyer practicing in Boston and New York who has lived in Japan for the past 15 years. He advises Japanese corporations, law firms, and students, and participates in projects of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). Currently, Professor Ashley is a specially appointed professor of law at Rikkyo University (Tokyo) and teaches corporate governance at Chuo University. In addition, he teaches courses in legal English
