Anti-Corruption Enforcement 2022 Year in Review: Biden Administration, British Parliament fight corruption with enforcement, legislation
News
January 23, 2023
Jenner & Block published the Anti-Corruption Enforcement 2022 Year in Review, a comprehensive analysis of significant developments in anti-corruption laws and practices worldwide. The interactive website provides a deep dive on recent trends in the US, UK, and around the world. – detailing the results of the Biden Administration’s aggressive enforcement action campaign; key policy changes; and the most impactful court cases, Deferred Prosecution Agreements (DPAs), and criminal charges of 2022.
"We anticipated an uptick in US anti-corruption enforcement in 2022, due in part to waning impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the announced priorities of Biden’s Department of Justice and Securities and Exchange Commission nominees," said Keisha Stanford, the report’s Managing Editor and Co-Chair of the firm’s Anti-Corruption and Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) practice. "The results have been a mixed bag. In the past year, the Biden administration has implemented additional policies, brought a series of enforcement actions, and announced negotiated resolutions. However, the number of Foreign Corrupt Practices Act enforcement actions and federal prosecutions for domestic corruption offenses were still lower than the 2019 numbers."
The 2022 report analyzes significant developments in anti-corruption laws and practice. The report offers an overview of the FCPA and the UK Bribery Act (UKBA), and answers questions that may be pertinent to companies operating in the international marketplace.
"The UK has seen a number of enforcement actions in 2022, including the first prosecution of a company for the substantive offence of paying bribes and the third prosecution for the corporate offence of failing to prevent bribery" said Special Counsel Lucy Blake, a co-editor of the report. "However, the SFO has also suffered negative publicity, as two reviews revealed a lack of resourcing and culture of distrust at the agency leading to the overturning of convictions in the Unaoil investigation and disclosure failings in the prosecution of individuals. As current Director Lisa Osofsky prepares to step down in 2023, all eyes will be on the Serious Fraud Office to see whether it can bolster its reputation in the coming years."
Edited by Keisha, Lucy, Marcus Childress, and Tessa Roberts, the report draws on the insights of Jenner & Block lawyers with extensive experience in private practice and government, including former senior officials at the US Department of Justice (DOJ), UK Serious Fraud Office (SFO) and the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
View the report. (Disclaimer: the information presented here is not legal advice.)
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© 2026 Jenner & Block LLP. Attorney Advertising. Jenner & Block LLP is an Illinois Limited Liability Partnership including professional corporations. This publication, presentation, or event is not intended to provide legal advice but to provide information on legal matters and/or firm news of interest to our clients and colleagues. Readers or attendees should seek specific legal advice before taking any action with respect to matters mentioned in this publication or at this event. The attorney responsible for this communication is Brent E. Kidwell, Jenner & Block LLP, 353 N. Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60654-3456. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Jenner & Block London LLP, an affiliate of Jenner & Block LLP, is a limited liability partnership established under the laws of the State of Delaware, USA and is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority with SRA number 615729. Information regarding the data we collect and the rights you have over your data can be found in our Privacy Notice. For further inquiries, please contact dataprotection@jenner.com.
News
January 23, 2023
Jenner & Block published the Anti-Corruption Enforcement 2022 Year in Review, a comprehensive analysis of significant developments in anti-corruption laws and practices worldwide. The interactive website provides a deep dive on recent trends in the US, UK, and around the world. – detailing the results of the Biden Administration’s aggressive enforcement action campaign; key policy changes; and the most impactful court cases, Deferred Prosecution Agreements (DPAs), and criminal charges of 2022.
"We anticipated an uptick in US anti-corruption enforcement in 2022, due in part to waning impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the announced priorities of Biden’s Department of Justice and Securities and Exchange Commission nominees," said Keisha Stanford, the report’s Managing Editor and Co-Chair of the firm’s Anti-Corruption and Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) practice. "The results have been a mixed bag. In the past year, the Biden administration has implemented additional policies, brought a series of enforcement actions, and announced negotiated resolutions. However, the number of Foreign Corrupt Practices Act enforcement actions and federal prosecutions for domestic corruption offenses were still lower than the 2019 numbers."
The 2022 report analyzes significant developments in anti-corruption laws and practice. The report offers an overview of the FCPA and the UK Bribery Act (UKBA), and answers questions that may be pertinent to companies operating in the international marketplace.
"The UK has seen a number of enforcement actions in 2022, including the first prosecution of a company for the substantive offence of paying bribes and the third prosecution for the corporate offence of failing to prevent bribery" said Special Counsel Lucy Blake, a co-editor of the report. "However, the SFO has also suffered negative publicity, as two reviews revealed a lack of resourcing and culture of distrust at the agency leading to the overturning of convictions in the Unaoil investigation and disclosure failings in the prosecution of individuals. As current Director Lisa Osofsky prepares to step down in 2023, all eyes will be on the Serious Fraud Office to see whether it can bolster its reputation in the coming years."
Edited by Keisha, Lucy, Marcus Childress, and Tessa Roberts, the report draws on the insights of Jenner & Block lawyers with extensive experience in private practice and government, including former senior officials at the US Department of Justice (DOJ), UK Serious Fraud Office (SFO) and the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
View the report. (Disclaimer: the information presented here is not legal advice.)
Related Capabilities
© 2026 Jenner & Block LLP. Attorney Advertising. Jenner & Block LLP is an Illinois Limited Liability Partnership including professional corporations. This publication, presentation, or event is not intended to provide legal advice but to provide information on legal matters and/or firm news of interest to our clients and colleagues. Readers or attendees should seek specific legal advice before taking any action with respect to matters mentioned in this publication or at this event. The attorney responsible for this communication is Brent E. Kidwell, Jenner & Block LLP, 353 N. Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60654-3456. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Jenner & Block London LLP, an affiliate of Jenner & Block LLP, is a limited liability partnership established under the laws of the State of Delaware, USA and is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority with SRA number 615729. Information regarding the data we collect and the rights you have over your data can be found in our Privacy Notice. For further inquiries, please contact dataprotection@jenner.com.
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