For those of you who have not yet done so, you should check out the great resource available on the UK Bribery Act, through a website entitled thebriberyact.com. Hosts Barry Vitou, of the London office of Wiston and Strawn, and Richard Kovalevsky Q.C., from 2Bedford Row-the Chambers of William Clegg, Q.C., provide, in one site, one of the best collection of resources that can be found on the UK Bribery Act, all at no cost to the viewer. They also have a newsletter which is distributed through email subscription. Two of the sites more recent postings provide recent guidance and development from the UK Serious Fraud Office (SFO) on two of the most vexing topics for Bribery Act (or the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) for that matter) compliance practitioners, facilitation payments and hospitality under the UK Bribery Act.

Unlike the FCPA, the Bribery Act has no exemption for the payment of facilitation payments. Additionally, there is no affirmative defense or otherwise noted exemption or exception for hospitality, whether bona fide or not, under the Bribery Act. Therefore, under a strict interpretation of the Bribery Act, any facilitation payment or conceivable hospitality granted a customer or client could be a violation of the Bribery Act.