The pervasive nature of COVID-19 means that businesses across the globe are facing a similar struggle: balancing the need to make critical decisions with limited time and planning for the future without knowing for certain the long-term impacts of this pandemic. As unfamiliar situations and new obstacles arise, our experts…
The pervasive nature of COVID-19 means that businesses across the globe are facing a similar struggle: balancing the need to make critical decisions with limited time and planning for the future without knowing for certain the long-term impacts of this pandemic. As unfamiliar situations and new obstacles arise, our experts…
These unusual and uncertain times call for rare and exceptional measures – that is the message emanating from recent guidance published by both the UK Cabinet Office and the European Commission on public procurement during the current COVID-19 crisis. Both sets of guidance provide advice to contracting authorities on the…
The science of compliance: SFO releases guidance on how it will assess corporate compliance programmes The SFO’s Operational Handbook1 has been updated with new guidance on how it will evaluate corporate compliance programmes (https://www.sfo.gov.uk/publications/guidance-policy-and- protocols/sfo-operational-handbook/). While the guidance is far less prescriptive than many corporates would wish and, in many…
DOWNLOAD ALERT On 3 October 2019, the United Kingdom and the United States signed a first-of-its-kind Bilateral Data Access Agreement (the “Agreement”), which is expected to reduce the time it takes UK and US law enforcement agencies to access electronic evidence held by technology companies located in each other’s territory.…
New Sentencing Guideline Following a consultation in 2018, the Sentencing Council has published a new sentencing guideline to come into effect on 1 October 2019 that will apply to sentences decided on or after that date. This new “General guideline” will apply to the sentencing of organisations and adult individuals.…
The UK Serious Fraud Office (“SFO”) has released its long awaited Corporate Co-operation Guidance. It is a must read for any in-house counsel who conducts internal investigations with a UK nexus or corporates that may wish to seek leniency from the SFO. A copy of the guidance can be found…
Baker McKenzie has released its latest report, Taking Center Stage: The Rise and Rise of M&A Compliance Due Diligence. Based on a survey of more than 300 corporate leaders and legal advisers who handle transactions, along with insight from Baker McKenzie compliance, antitrust and corporate partners, the report assesses the challenges and…
The Crime (Overseas Production Orders) Act 2019 (“Act”) received Royal Assent on 12 February 2019. The Act allows UK law enforcement agencies including the Serious Fraud Office (“SFO”), HMRC and the Financial Conduct Authority to apply for a court order with extra-territorial effect (an Overseas Production Order or “OPO”) to…
Leverage the value of connected compliance to your competitive advantage In the autumn of 2017, we spoke with more than 500 UK multinationals about their attitudes to compliance. This year, for the second edition of Connected Compliance we have expanded our research internationally, gathering data from 800 business leaders across…