INSOLVENCY AND CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS 4 min read
By Nicola Sharp, Syedur Rahman
October 31, 2016
When a company collapses, it is a testing time for everyone associated with it: owners, creditors and trading partners. Read more
Pensions and the risk of fraud 2 min read
October 31, 2016
Official figures from ActionFraud, the national fraud reporting centre, report that £1.2 billion is lost to investment fraud every year in the UK. Pensions is seen as an area where such fraud is increasing. Read more
BITTER PILL 3 min read
September 15, 2016
AstraZeneca has become the latest global drug maker to face financial penalties as part of a probe into companies that paid bribes to boost sales. In paying $5.5M to settle the allegations, it has shown both the damage bribery can cause to a company and the authorities’ determination to punish such behaviour. Read more
NO AVOIDING IT 3 min read
September 15, 2016
Under new Treasury rules that have been published for consultation, a fine of up to 100% of the tax that was avoided could be imposed on any accountant or financial advisor whose efforts to help a client escape paying tax are judged to be unlawful. Read more
FAIR TRADE? 3 min read
September 15, 2016
Wrongful trading is where a company director knows, or should have realised, that the firm was going into liquidation but continues trading. Fraudulent trading is where a company director knows or should have realised that the firm was going into liquidation but continues trading with the intention of defrauding creditors. It is this intention to defraud creditors that distinguishes fraudulent trading from wrongful trading – and why fraudulent trading carries heavier penalties, as it is always a criminal act. Read more
COLLAPSE 3 min read
September 15, 2016
The recent allegations surrounding the demise of BHS are a classic example: Philip Green’s financial tactics, Dominic Chappell’s unsuitability for running a company and BHS’s failure to move with the times are just three of the accusations that have regularly been made. The Parliamentary Work and Pensions Committee has asked the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) to start a formal inquiry, Green and Chappell seem intent on criticising each other, meanwhile BHS staff lose their jobs and worry about their pensions. Read more
Putting right the wrongs and minimising the damage when your company is accused of business crime. 3 min read
September 15, 2016
It must decide what legal support, if any, to offer to those who are accused of the wrongdoing. But most importantly, the company has to do what it can to ensure its continued existence. Whether the company is now being run by a new regime or by those untainted by the allegations, those in charge must look forward and plan ahead. Read more
INSECURE 3 min read
August 31, 2016
The SFO has been granted extra money by the government to assess whether ENRC used bribery to secure mining contracts abroad. But is it only ENRC who should be taking heed of this? Certainly not. Read more
OFFSHORE THING 3 min read
August 31, 2016
Tax evasion hit the headlines with a vengeance in Spring with the Mossack Fonseca scandal. But those in business and finance need to see beyond the headlines if they are to avoid tax evasion problems of their own. Read more
THE PREFERRED OPTION 4 min read
August 31, 2016
The SFO has revealed some details of its second DPA. While the announcement does not give us all the information, it certainly serves as an indicator of the value of knowing what is wrong in your company and how to proceed. Read more
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