2017 was an important year for the UK’s Serious Fraud Office (“SFO”). The Government’s plan to merge the SFO with the National Crime Agency was scrapped, seemingly securing the SFO’s future as an independent investigator and prosecutor. 2018 looks set to be equally important. Director of the SFO, David Green, is due to step down, […]

On 17 January 2017, Sir Brian Leveson QC approved the UK’s third Deferred Prosecution Agreement (“DPA”), resulting in orders for disgorgement, penalties and costs exceeding £500 million. This is the largest DPA since their introduction in the UK in 2014. Herbert Smith Freehills’ London Corporate Crime and Investigations team negotiated the first DPA with the […]

Rolls-Royce has agreed to pay £671m to settle bribery and corruption cases with UK and US authorities. The aerospace firm is set to pay £497m plus costs to the Serious Fraud Office (SFO), which started investigating claims in 2012 of wrongdoing overseas. At the time, the SFO asked the firm for information about possible bribery […]

London’s Southwark Crown Court recently approved only the second Deferred Prosecution Agreement (DPA) since the introduction of DPAs in 2014. Herbert Smith Freehills’ London Corporate Crime and Investigations team negotiated the first DPA with the SFO, which was concluded in November 2015. The recent announcement of the UK’s second DPA indicates that DPAs are likely […]