The charge: violating the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. Pfizer's drug sales reps paid bribes to get Pfizer drugs used by doctors in countries like China, Russia and Bulgaria.

And not just promising them a reward. You have to give it to them upfront. Freakonomics' Steven Levitt on how that works.

Walmart named a former U.S. attorney earlier this year to check compliance with a U.S. bribery law. But is the U.S. law behind the times?

The New York Times reports that Wal-Mart's Mexican subsidiary paid millions of dollars in bribes in order to put its stores all over Mexico.