Clifford Chance

First UK Deferred Prosecution Agreement provides important lessons for APAC corporates

7 December 2015

In a landmark judgment, the UK courts have approved the first ever application by the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) for a deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) reached with a defendant facing charges under the UK Bribery Act 2010 (UKBA). The agreement illustrates the high degree of international co-operation in bribery investigations and has important lessons for corporates in how best to deal with regulators and prosecutors when facing accusations of bribery. The conduct in question took place outside the UK, highlighting both the extra-territorial effect of the UKBA, and the SFO's stated commitment to enforcing the legislation worldwide.

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