On November 1, 2015, several important amendments to the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines became effective. The amendments include changes to the guidelines governing fraud and economic crime that will have a significant impact on the prosecution of individuals for a wide range of conduct. We summarize several of the amendments that could have a significant impact on sentencing and settlement negotiations in FCPA cases.

The UK Serious Fraud Office’s annual report for the year ended March 31, 2015 reports, among other things, a 78% conviction rate, 16 new investigations while 30 defendants await trial. These statistics represent an upward trend from the previous year. Details of enforcement 1. The SFO has opened 16 new…