LawSnap

Let’s Make a Deal: The DOJ’s New Corporate Enforcement and Voluntary Self-Disclosure Policy

Published March 17, 2026

Source National Law Review open_in_new

Score

4

Why it matters

On March 10, 2026, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) released its first-ever Department-wide Corporate Enforcement Policy (CEP) for all corporate criminal cases except antitrust matters, establishing a uniform framework to incentivize voluntary self-disclosure of misconduct, full cooperation with investigations, and timely remediation.[1][2][3] Companies meeting these criteria, absent limited aggravating factors like recidivism, receive a guaranteed declination of prosecution, with tiered benefits including up to 75% fine reductions or non-prosecution agreements for partial compliance.[1][2][5][7] The policy supersedes all prior component-specific or U.S. Attorney’s Office policies, promoting consistency across DOJ components and 93 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices.[1][5][7][10]

Key figures include Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, who announced the policy emphasizing transparency and individual accountability, and Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Criminal Division, noting its roots in the Division’s 2016 framework.[1][5][6] The DOJ as a whole is the primary agency, targeting white-collar crimes while sparing compliant companies to focus on culpable individuals and victims.[1][2][8]

This builds on the Criminal Division’s May 2025 revisions, which shifted from presumptive to guaranteed declinations for select financial crimes, and December 2025 signals from Blanche previewing unification amid inconsistent local policies.[3][5][7][12] The CEP expands scope department-wide for faster resolutions and predictability.[2][6][11]

It’s newsworthy for standardizing incentives amid rising corporate enforcement—e.g., 15 Criminal Division actions in 2025—reducing uncertainty for businesses, prioritizing individuals over companies, and aligning with Trump administration goals without unduly burdening U.S. enterprises.[1][5][7][12]

Sources

[1] https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/department-justice-releases-first-ever-corporate-enforcement-policy-all-criminal-cases

[2] https://www.sidley.com/en/insights/newsupdates/2026/03/us-doj-implements-uniform-corporate-enforcement-and-voluntary-self-disclosure-framework

[3] https://www.bakerdonelson.com/doj-announces-new-centralized-corporate-enforcement-policy

[4] https://www.ebglaw.com/sp_resources-blogpost-the-dojs-new-corporate-enforcement-policy-a-familiar-but-now-nationally-unified-framework-for-voluntary-self-disclosure

[5] https://www.bdo.com/insights/advisory/the-dojs-new-corporate-enforcement-policy-what-history-tells-us-and-what-boards-cant-ignore

[6] https://www.swlaw.com/publication/doj-unveils-uniform-corporate-criminal-enforcement-policy/

[7] https://www.kirkland.com/publications/kirkland-alert/2026/03/doj-releases-first-ever-department-wide-corporate-enforcement-policy

[8] https://www.parkerpoe.com/news/2026/03/key-insights-from-the-justice-departments-recent-corporate

[9] https://www.commerciallitigationupdate.com/the-dojs-new-corporate-enforcement-policy-a-familiar-but-now-nationally-unified-framework-for-voluntary-self-disclosure

[10] https://www.cov.com/en/news-and-insights/insights/2026/03/doj-issues-department-wide-criminal-corporate-enforcement-policy

[11] https://kpmg.com/kpmg-us/content/dam/kpmg/pdf/2026/doj-extends-corporate-enforcement-policy-department-wide-reg-alert.pdf

[12] https://www.goodwinlaw.com/en/insights/publications/2026/03/alerts-practices-gie-doj-expands-corporate-enforcement

[13] https://www.wiley.law/alert-DOJ-Issues-First-Resolution-Under-Department-Wide-Corporate-Enforcement-Policy-Underscoring-Continued-Benefits-of-Self-Disclosure-and-Focus-on-Individual-Accountability

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