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French Corporate Environment Not So Whistleblower-Friendly

Client Alert | 1 min read | 01.09.06

It appears that the French government has a very different philosophy from that of the U.S. government when it comes to employee whistleblowers. As the attached article (http://www.crowell.com/pdf/Newsroom/ DataProtection_Dhont.pdf) discusses in depth, far from seeking to encourage and reward whistleblowing, French law is affirmatively concerned that the practice may abuse individuals' privacy and data-protection rights, with the result that in the past year, French regulators and courts have struck down Sarbanes-Oxley-inspired efforts by several American companies to implement ethics hotlines for their French employees, and the most recent French regulatory guidance permits such hotlines only under limited circumstances, and with appropriate safeguards to prevent defamation and protect privacy.

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Client Alert | 3 min read | 02.27.26

EEOC v. Coca-Cola Beverages Northeast, Inc.: Another Step Focused on the EEOC’s Goal of Eradicating Unlawful DEI-Related Practices

On February 17, 2026, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) filed a complaint against Coca-Cola Beverages Northeast, Inc., in the United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire, alleging that the company violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII) by conducting an event limited to female employees. The EEOC’s lawsuit is one of several recent actions from the EEOC in furtherance of its efforts to end what it refers to as “unlawful DEI-motivated race and sex discrimination.” See EEOC and Justice Department Warn Against Unlawful DEI-Related Discrimination | U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission....