Skip to main content

 Avon Products Inc is seeking approval of a $62 million settlement of a U.S. lawsuit accusing the cosmetics company of defrauding shareholders by concealing its failure to stop workers from bribing officials in China to win business.

The proposed settlement was filed with the U.S. District Court in Manhattan and requires a judge's approval.

It resolves claims that Avon, former Chief Executive Andrea Jung and former Chief Financial Strategy Officer Charles Cramb, intended to mislead shareholders from 2006 to 2011 about the company's ability to comply with the federal Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, which prohibits bribing foreign officials.

Shareholders led by two German investment funds said Avon embraced a corporate culture that was "actively hostile" to effective oversight and concealed its dependence on corrupt activity such as "dinner and karaoke" events to boost sales.

Insurers would pay $60 million of the settlement, while Avon would pay $2 million, the New York-based company said. Avon denied wrongdoing in agreeing to settle.

Last Dec. 17, Avon agreed to pay $135 million in criminal and civil penalties and accept a deferred prosecution agreement to end U.S. probes into its China unit, including the alleged use of gifts such as Gucci bags and Tiffany pens.

The securities fraud lawsuit was brought on behalf of shareholders from July 31, 2006 to Oct. 26, 2011. It was led by LBBW Asset Management Investmentgesellschaft mbH and SGSS Deutschland Kapitalanlagegesellschaft mbH.

Law firms led by Motley Rice plan to seek legal fees of up to 30 percent of the settlement fund, court papers show.

Jung had been Avon's chief executive for 12 years when the company announced plans to replace her in December 2011.

The case is City of Brockton Retirement System et al v. Avon Products Inc et al, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No. 11-04665.

Related Articles

报名开始:2025 ALB China十五佳出海业务律师 / Submission open: 2025 ALB China Top 15 Overseas Investment Lawyers

ALB聚焦于企业出海尤其是律师在助力企业的出海中的重要角色,于2025年推出首个出海业务律师榜单——2025 ALB China十五佳出海业务律师。

2024 ALB China天达共和十五佳总法律顾问圆桌会议成功举办 (ZH/EN)

10月18日,2024 ALB天达共和十五佳总法律顾问圆桌会议在北京璞瑄酒店圆满举办。 本次盛会由天达共和律师事务所品牌运营总监刘思强女士主持,十五佳上榜总法及获奖代表出席了此次盛会。

功承瀛泰落子武汉,拓展华中布局(ZH/EN)

by Charlie Wu 吴卓言 |

总部位于上海的功承瀛泰律师事务所近日正式成立武汉办公室,成为该所在全国范围内的第16家分支机构。