Bribery and Corruption | Fieldfisher
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Bribery and Corruption

UK bribery legislation is among the strictest in the world. The UK's Bribery Act 2010 applies to all companies doing business in the UK and imposes obligations that extend worldwide. Companies can be held liable for bribes paid by overseas agents, even if the company did not know about the bribe. Consequently, no business can afford to be without robust anti-corruption policies and processes.

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Why choose our Bribery and Corruption lawyers?

If a bribery issue arises or is suspected, our bribery and corruption experts can conduct rigorous, forensic investigations on behalf of clients. We know how to avoid pitfalls when gathering evidence, how to safeguard privilege and how to deal effectively with criminal and regulatory authorities. We can also negotiate Deferred Prosecution Agreements in appropriate cases.

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Putting sound anti-bribery procedures in place and reviewing them regularly will help businesses comply with bribery law and having adequate preventative measures can themselves provide a defence to liability under the Bribery Act 2010. Our years of experience in drafting practical and effective procedures for all kinds of businesses gives our clients confidence in their anti-bribery arsenal.

Our bribery and corruption specialists are multi-disciplinary and will guide clients through the interlinking civil, criminal, regulatory and disciplinary issues that often arise in suspected bribery cases.

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Notable deals and highlights

  • We counselled a services company on self-reporting to the UK Serious Fraud Office in light of the acquisition of a business with operations in Nigeria.
  • We attended a client's offices to provide emergency advice during a 'dawn raid' by police seeking documents, and caution interviews.
  • We undertook a multi-jurisdictional corruption investigation for a US-based global corporation, and advised on self-reporting to regulatory and prosecutorial authorities.
  • We advised employees of a large multinational corporation on giving evidence in a high profile criminal trial.
  • We advised an international telecoms company on an internal investigation following the discovery of irregular payments in Africa and updated its anti-bribery polices to avoid future irregularities.
  • We advised a global transport company on designing and conducting a thorough bribery risk assessment.
  • We have advised numerous clients worldwide, including across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Russia and the CIS in a variety of sectors on the implementation of procedures to prevent bribery and corruption.
  • We conducted a cross-border corruption investigation for a global sports federation, which involved parallel criminal proceedings in France.
  • We conducted an internal investigation for a FTSE-100 company into the theft of highly confidential information by its employees.
  • Following a whistleblower complaint, we acted for a global payment services provider to conduct an investigation into allegations of financial wrongdoing in multiple jurisdictions, including Singapore, Indonesia, Hong Kong and Germany.

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