News & Events

Head of Simpson Thacher’s Latin America Practice Todd Crider contributed to a recent report by the Lawyers Council for Civil and Economic Rights of the Cyrus R. Vance Center for International Justice entitled, “Corruption in Times of COVID-19: Regional Perspective on Public Procurement.” The report details the emergency measures enacted across the hemisphere and identifies enhanced risks of corruption, which threatens to further undermine confidence in public institutions during a time of crisis. With this report, the Lawyers Council calls on the legal community to support anti-corruption efforts related to COVID-19 and provides recommendations for a critical policy focus on transparency and access to information, integrity and transparency in procurement practices.

In a related LexLatin article, Todd discussed that the report’s intent is to bring to light the amplified risk of corruption resulting from individuals in government taking advantage of exceptional powers and opportunities to direct purchases made during the pandemic. Todd notes that the U.S. faces risks of legalized “corruption” due to the manner of funding of political activities and consequent influence on legislation and rule-making.

Additionally, in a Latin Lawyer article covering the same report, Todd explained further that changes implemented to expedite governments’ responses to COVID-19 create incremental risks that can only be offset by enhanced transparency and monitoring efforts.

The Vance Center advances global justice by engaging lawyers across borders to support civil society and an ethically active legal profession. Todd currently serves as an executive committee member and was the founding chair of the Center. The Lawyers Council for Civil and Economic Rights, of which Todd was a founder, brings together 16 leading lawyers from 14 countries in Latin America and the U.S. to engage proactively on sustained strategies to address issues of injustice that are common across regional jurisdictional lines.

Coverage of the report was picked up by media including Latinvex and Law.com (subscriptions required) and other publications across Latin America.  

To read the full report, please click here.