General-purpose AI is making fraud, impersonation and cyber compromise cheaper, faster and harder to attribute – and current safeguards do not reliably prevent harm....more
2/18/2026
/ Artificial Intelligence ,
Bribery ,
Business E-Mail Compromise (BEC) ,
Corruption ,
Cyber Attacks ,
Cybersecurity ,
Emerging Technologies ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Fraud Prevention ,
Identity Theft ,
Incident Response Plans ,
Risk Management ,
Third-Party Risk
This publication examines the latest developments in ESG compliance, focusing on the current state, global trends, and the outlook for 2026. It discusses the recent slowdown in new EU ESG regulations, such as the revision and...more
2/5/2026
/ Compliance Management Systems ,
Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) ,
Due Diligence ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
EU ,
EU Directive ,
Popular ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Risk Management ,
Supply Chain ,
Sustainability
The Serious Fraud Office has spent the past two years building pace, confidence and public credibility. But the announcement of the Director's retirement – followed closely by the imminent exit of senior prosecutors on...more
2/4/2026
/ Anti-Corruption ,
Bribery ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Corporate Misconduct ,
Criminal Prosecution ,
Enforcement ,
Enforcement Priorities ,
Financial Crimes ,
Fraud ,
Investigations ,
Serious Fraud Office (SFO) ,
UK ,
White Collar Crimes
The UK’s Anti-Corruption Strategy, published in December 2025, recognises the defence sector as a priority risk area, as rising defence spend increases exposure to procurement corruption and insider threats. But the Strategy...more
1/28/2026
/ Anti-Corruption ,
Bribery ,
Conflicts of Interest ,
Contract Management ,
Corruption ,
Defense Contracts ,
Defense Sector ,
Procurement Guidelines ,
Public Contracts ,
Risk Management ,
UK ,
Whistleblowers ,
White Collar Crimes
The United Kingdom enters 2026 with a reinvigorated enforcement landscape. Whether the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has turned a corner remains an open question, but the agency now has a bold agenda of pursuing faster...more
1/6/2026
/ Anti-Corruption ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Corporate Misconduct ,
Corruption ,
Cross-Border Transactions ,
Deferred Prosecution Agreements ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Failure to Prevent ,
Financial Crimes ,
Fraud ,
HMRC ,
Partnerships ,
Serious Fraud Office (SFO) ,
UK ,
White Collar Crimes
Introduction -
As the holiday season ushers in its busiest months, retailers and fashion brands are confronting a marketplace reshaped by rapid technological disruption, shifting regulatory expectations, and increasingly...more
12/26/2025
/ Anti-Bribery ,
Artificial Intelligence ,
Brand ,
Cookies ,
Data Privacy ,
Due Diligence ,
E-Commerce ,
Fashion Industry ,
Gifts ,
Innovative Technology ,
Machine Learning ,
Online Platforms ,
Payment Systems ,
Policies and Procedures ,
Retailers ,
Risk Management ,
Supply Chain ,
Sustainability
Ownership and funding: Be able to explain the ownership structure, verify the source of funds and demonstrate that key individuals have been appropriately assessed. Transfer governance: Put in place robust procedures for...more
As the holiday season ushers in its busiest months, retailers and fashion brands are confronting a marketplace reshaped by rapid technological disruption, shifting regulatory expectations, and increasingly savvy consumers. AI...more
12/19/2025
/ Advertising ,
Artificial Intelligence ,
Brand ,
Copyright ,
Data Privacy ,
Data Protection ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
Fashion Industry ,
Greenwashing ,
Innovative Technology ,
Machine Learning ,
Marketing ,
Payment Systems ,
Privacy Laws ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Retail ,
Retailers ,
Sustainability ,
Sustainable Business Practices ,
Third-Party Risk ,
Trademarks ,
Vendors
The government's recent announcement of sweeping criminal court reforms marks a shift from the proposals outlined in the Independent Review of the Criminal Courts published in June 2025. Both the Independent Review and the...more
12/16/2025
/ Appellate Courts ,
Constitutional Challenges ,
Criminal Justice Reform ,
Criminal Procedure ,
Due Process ,
Financial Crimes ,
Fraud ,
Jury Trial ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Sentencing ,
UK
There is a clear sense that the current UK Government wants to put criminal justice reform back on the agenda – and economic crime is a big part of that. Fraud and corruption plainly cost the UK economy huge sums, yet...more
The Budget 2025 introduces a series of targeted measures to strengthen the UK's approach to economic crime and fraud enforcement. While these changes are incremental rather than transformative, they reflect the government's...more
12/11/2025
/ Anti-Corruption ,
Anti-Money Laundering ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Financial Crimes ,
Fraud ,
HMRC ,
Incentives ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Tax Evasion ,
Tax Fraud ,
UK ,
Whistleblower Awards ,
Whistleblowers
The SFO has issued updated guidance on how it evaluates an organisation's compliance programme, accompanied by a press release positioning this as part of its “refreshed” approach to corporates. The new document replaces the...more
12/1/2025
/ Anti-Corruption ,
Bribery ,
Compliance Management Systems ,
Compliance Monitoring ,
Deferred Prosecution Agreements ,
Failure to Prevent ,
Fraud ,
Risk Assessment ,
Serious Fraud Office (SFO) ,
UK ,
Whistleblowers
Fraud isn't standing still. As everyday digital tools become more powerful, they are also making some of the oldest scams faster and harder to spot. Fraud isn’t standing still As everyday digital tools become more powerful,...more
11/24/2025
/ Artificial Intelligence ,
Contract Terms ,
Cybersecurity ,
Data Security ,
Financial Crimes ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Fraud ,
Identity Fraud ,
Machine Learning ,
Risk Management ,
Supply Chain ,
Third-Party Service Provider
A new government survey published on 5 November 2025 shows that external fraud against UK businesses is both widespread and under-recognised, revealing a persistent gap between corporate controls and confidence in their...more
Independence in expert analysis is essential Adverse inferences from missing data will only be drawn where the circumstances demand it Preservation must be handled rigorously, with clients tested and explanations for gaps...more
10/7/2025
/ Corruption ,
Data Preservation ,
Evidence ,
Expert Witness ,
Football ,
Forensic Examination ,
Fraud ,
Investigations ,
Match Fixing ,
Sports ,
Sports Betting
When the UK government launched Economic Crime Plan 2 (ECP2) in March 2023, its ambitions were clear. Building on the first Plan, the 2023-26 strategy set out three overarching goals: to cut fraud; reduce money laundering and...more
9/5/2025
/ Anti-Fraud Provisions ,
Anti-Money Laundering ,
Asset Recovery ,
Corporate Liability ,
Economic Sanctions ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Financial Crimes ,
Fraud ,
HMRC ,
Money Laundering ,
Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) ,
Risk Assessment ,
Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) ,
UK ,
White Collar Crimes
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and Serious Fraud Office (SFO) have overhauled their Corporate Prosecutions guidance – clarifying how prosecutors will handle charges, forum and case strategy going forward. The previous...more
The Insolvency Service (IS) has set out a bold five-year vision to become the UK's lead enforcement body for corporate and insolvency standards in its investigation and enforcement strategy paper for the period 2026–2031,...more
The publication of the Independent Review of the Criminal Courts in June 2025 marks a significant attempt to reshape the structure, governance and workload of England and Wales' criminal justice system. The Review has clear...more
On 9 June 2025, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) published revised guidance for the enforcement of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA). Much attention has been paid to the apparent “unpausing” of enforcement...more
The Serious Fraud Office’s evolving approach to corporate engagement took another step forward this month. On 12 June 2025, speaking at a London conference, the SFO’s Chief Investigator Michael Gallagher provided the...more
In this article, we look at the proposed Anti-Corruption Directive, its impact on companies incorporated outside the EU and how non-EU countries might respond if it is implemented, looking to Ukraine and the UK as case...more
6/18/2025
/ Anti-Corruption ,
Bribery ,
Compliance ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Enforcement ,
EU Directive ,
Jurisdiction ,
Multinationals ,
Risk Management ,
UK Bribery Act ,
Ukraine
The UK Home Office has published an updated version of Transparency in Supply Chains (TISC), A Practical Guide which provides guidance on how organisations should “comply with the letter and spirit” of corporate reporting...more
On 24 April 2025, the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) issued new guidance signalling a notable shift in its approach to corporate criminal enforcement. For the first time, the SFO has stated that if a company self-reports...more
4/25/2025
/ Corporate Counsel ,
Corporate Crimes ,
Corporate Misconduct ,
Deferred Prosecution Agreements ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Fraud ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Self-Reporting ,
Serious Fraud Office (SFO) ,
UK ,
White Collar Crimes
The United Kingdom (UK), France, and Switzerland announced on 20 March 2025 that they have jointly launched the International Anti-Corruption Prosecutorial Taskforce to combat complex international white-collar crime. The...more
4/3/2025
/ Anti-Corruption ,
Bribery ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) ,
France ,
Money Laundering ,
Popular ,
Serious Fraud Office (SFO) ,
Switzerland ,
UK ,
White Collar Crimes