Matteson Ellis and Maria Elena Lapetina will speak at the American Conference Institute (ACI) forum on Cartels, TCO's & Compliance in Latin America on July 20-21, 2026. Ellis is also co-chairing the event. Companies operating in Latin America are facing heightened exposure to cartel, sanctions, anti-money laundering (AML), Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), and organized crime risks as enforcement scrutiny intensifies across the region. Compliance teams are under growing pressure to strengthen third-party oversight, navigate geopolitical instability, and adapt to evolving Department of Justice (DOJ) expectations. This forum brings together leading enforcement officials, in-house counsel, and compliance leaders to share practical strategies for managing today's complex risk landscape.

Ellis' panel, "Beyond Mexico, Other Latin America Hot Spots: Tailoring Risk Management and Compliance with Country-Specific Realities," will focus on compliance risks outside of Mexico. Topics include transnational criminal organization (TCO) risk hot spots in Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Cuba, and Chile; how foreign terrorist organization (FTO) risk profiles differ in other parts of Latin America; the nature of emerging local enforcement outside of Mexico; and how companies are designing region-wide strategies to address localized risks.

Lapetina will speak on the panel "Security and Extortion Considerations 'On the Ground': How to Deal with Threats, Demands for Money and Physical Safety Challenges." Discussion topics include managing employee safety and ethical obligations, strategies to handle threats, and deciding when to exit a market.