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Mini vandePol

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Mini vandePol is the Head of Baker McKenzie's Asia Pacific Investigations, Compliance & Ethics Group, after successfully completing three years as the Global Chair. Mini focuses on anti-bribery and corruption, trade sanctions, fraud and other senior executive misconduct investigations across Asia but most particularly in Hong Kong, China and India. Mini has more than 30 years' experience and is the trusted advisor to the boards and audit committees of the Firm's most significant global clients — assisting them to establish and enhance their risk management programs, assess risks in transactional opportunities and credibly investigate transgressions to support a strong commitment to a culture of compliance. In her previous Global Chair role, she led a team of 900+ compliance and investigations practitioners in Asia Pacific, EMEA, Latin America and North America, which was ranked amongst the Top 10 global investigations firms by Global Investigations Review in 2016, 2017 and 2018. Mini herself has recently been awarded "Woman Lawyer of the Year" in The Macallan ALB Hong Kong Law Awards and "Best in White Collar Crime" Euromoney Asia Women in Business Law Awards in 2019. She is also named as one of the "Top 100 Women in Investigations" by Global Investigations Review. Mini is the Firm's representative assisting the World Economic Forum's Partnering Against Corruption Initiative (PACI) and a member of the WEF's Global Future Council.

While many are aware that the Indian government is aiming to attract at least USD 100 billion a year in gross Foreign Direct Investment in 2024, they may be less aware that the government has also recently set out a progressive ESG regulatory framework. Investors will therefore need to align with this Indian ESG wave and also ensure that their own ESG programs are robust enough to mitigate risks as well as realize opportunities.

In this article, we unpack a recent ruling passed by the Indian Supreme Court — India’s apex court — in the matter of M.K. Ranjitsinh & Ors. v. Union of India. What does the Court’s ruling say about India’s focus on energy transition in the face of environmental conservation? And what does this mean for investors looking to leverage opportunities in the energy transition market in India?

Having not secured a deferred prosecution agreement in respect of U.K. Bribery Act offences since 2021 and having been rocked by a series of shortcomings regarding its investigation and prosecution of cases, the SFO has arguably been at its lowest ebb.

Investigations are an essential tool for ensuring a company’s ethical standards are being followed by employees, business partners, and any others with whom the company interacts. However, investigations are also an essential tool for demonstrating and maintaining strong corporate governance – an integral part of a company’s ESG commitments and strategy. It is also a good time to set yourself some goals and resolutions. To help you on your way, we are pleased to share our top 5 Lunar New Year Resolutions for handling Internal or Government Investigations

Most major companies have implemented a compliance program but often struggle with two issues: ensuring the compliance program remains effective in light of their existing and changing landscape and making it more efficient by leveraging technology. The Compliance Cockpit specifically addresses both issues.

ESG disputes pose one of the top risks to organizations in the coming year, particularly the increasing concern of governance disputes. Join Baker McKenzie’s global team on 31 January 2023 as they discuss key risks to your organization as well as how to manage these and adapt to changing demands.

Looking to the year ahead, Baker McKenzie commissioned a survey of 600 senior lawyers across the globe and uncovered that corporations expect more disputes this year, driven by economic uncertainty, global trade shifts and altered business models. Disputes around cybersecurity/data and ESG rank as emerging risk areas, while tax and employment disputes remain a constant consideration for organizations. To help stay abreast of emerging challenges and prepare to navigate the changing disputes landscape, join our experts across the globe in a series of webinars as they unpack findings from our latest report, The Year Ahead: Global Disputes Forecast 2023, and uncover a practical, actionable way forward.

Addressing whistleblower complaints has quickly become front and center for companies in Asia Pacific. Research shows that it is increasingly apparent that whistleblowing programs need to adapt and evolve with the legal and regulatory landscape, and it is vital that management implements a regular review of those programs. Explore Baker McKenzie’s custom research, conducted in collaboration with Acuris Studios, based on responses from 523 senior executives from companies in Asia Pacific.