Strategies for Implementing the U.K. Bribery Act’s Requirement of Adequate Procedures for Intermediaries

Intermediaries are crucial to many businesses, sometimes even mandatory, and are replete with corruption risk – under both the FCPA and the U.K. Bribery Act, they can generate criminal liability for their principals if they bribe to win business.  In many jurisdictions, intermediaries are routinely used to enter markets; to identify opportunities; to access and build relationships with decision-makers responsible for awarding contracts, including public officials; to assist with navigating complex local laws, regulations and customs; and to win business.  How can a company mitigate the risks these ubiquitous third parties pose?  In a guest article, James Maton, a partner in Edwards Wildman Palmer UK LLP’s London office, provides strategies to that end by reference to the requirements of the U.K. Bribery Act, one of the most comprehensive anti-bribery statutes in the world, with broad application to global activities connected to the U.K.  It requires companies and partnerships to have adequate procedures intended to prevent bribery in both their private and public sector business activities.  Maton’s article considers the key principles that should underpin those procedures, and the steps an organisation can take to reduce the bribery risks posed by intermediaries.

To read the full article

Continue reading your article with an ACR subscription.