One year on: what has the Bribery Act done for us?

Melanie Wadsworth (+44 (0) 20 7450 4560, melanie.wadsworth@FaegreBD.com) is a corporate partner in the London office of Faegre Baker Daniels LLP and was a participant in the UK government’s consultation on the Bribery Act. She advises companies on risk assessment and policy development in this area, including managing exposure to liability for the acts of third parties.

It is almost a year since the UK Bribery Act 2010 came into force on 1 July 2011. There was at that time much gnashing of teeth about what the Act would mean for UK businesses and the dire fate awaiting those whose anti-corruption policies and procedures were not in good shape. As we approach the first anniversary of the Act’s implementation, Melanie Wadsworth of Faegre Baker Daniels asks, what has been the true impact of this legislation and how has it changed the anti-corruption landscape?