Bribery & Corruption

What is involved?

With the introduction of the Bribery Act 2010, the UK now has the strictest legislation internationally on bribery. Notably, it introduces a new strict liability offence for companies of failing to prevent bribery, with the only defence being that the company had in place adequate procedures to prevent bribery. Furthermore, the Act has an extra territorial reach for both UK companies operating abroad and for overseas companies with a presence in the UK.

This presents heightened liability risks for companies, directors, and individuals. The key to avoiding corporate liability for bribery is for companies to make sure that they have strong and effective anti-bribery policies and systems.

That is where we come in. Freeths believe that if you get it right from the start then your policies will stand the test of time and will only require fine tuning should things change.

Why choose Freeths?

• We have built up years of relevant experience, both before and after the 2010 Act was introduced
• Our lawyers write effective and tailor-made anti-bribery policies and procedures
• You can call on us for anti-bribery training for your company
• Our lawyers represent Corporations and individual Directors in fully fledged criminal investigations by the Regulators

We are also here when things go wrong. Serious Fraud Office (SFO) investigations involve cross border and multiple jurisdictions, adding to the complexity of dealing with such cases. Our lawyers are used to dealing with them, of meeting serious allegations, and representing the interests of your company or individuals at formal interviews under caution or in Court. Call our Compliance and Regulatory team today to discuss how we can help you.