Fulcrum has a deep experience in working closely with our clients to provide bespoke, pragmatic, and sophisticated advice – avoiding the legal and strategic pitfalls that exist.
From the very onset of the COVID-19 lockdown, we have been in a position to move seamlessly to provide clients with continuity in relation to their ongoing investigations, and to launch new investigations.
We work closely with our clients’ IT teams, and we choose our own technology partners carefully, in order to ensure that the right technology is deployed, at the right time.
We have close working relationships with market leading legal technologists, enabling us to harness the most secure and accurate technology to facilitate our investigations. For several years we have been deploying technology to assist with all elements of an investigation. From the remote collection of data, the use of Technology Assisted Review (“TAR”) and predictive coding, virtual interview bundles, and secure file-sharing, in addition to conducting remote interviews.
A remote investigation into suspected bribery in Nigeria
An investigation in relation to a consultant in Zambia
Training a French multinational
Dec 22 2020
As the year draws to a close, we look back and reflect upon some of the key developments in cases of corruption around the world in 2020.
At the beginning of the year, the UK Serious Fraud Office…
Dec 18 2020
It’s fair to say 2020 has been littered with new challenges, changes to working practices, and economic pressures for businesses around the world. Business operations have had to adapt swiftly; no…
Dec 11 2020
Earlier this year the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s (“OECD’s”) Working Group on Bribery issued a warning to be vigilant against corruption in the era of COVID-19 as the…
Genuine Expertise: We have been, and continue to be, involved in many of the most significant and high profile international white-collar crime and regulatory investigations of the last decade. We have acted for, and currently act for, governments, listed multinationals, top-tier banks, and C-suite executives.
Vertically Integrated: We provide everything from initial due diligence and compliance advice through to acting as trial counsel for companies and executives facing prosecution.
Bespoke: We build the right team to suit the specific needs of our clients on a case-by-case basis.
International: We work where our clients work and have real, on-the ground experience in over 20 jurisdictions across the globe, including conducting long-running projects with teams based within our clients’ offices, and have conducted effective, technology driven remote investigations in relation to dozens of others.
Conflict-free: The exclusive and specialised nature of our practice means we are generally conflict-free.
Flexible Fee Structures: Our years of experience operating on fixed fee and flexible pricing models means that our clients benefit from transparency, certainty and the ability to budget regardless of the complexity or size of the matter.
We pride ourselves on being able to deliver flexible, tailored pricing models to suit our clients’ businesses. Some clients prefer hourly rates, but much of our work is also undertaken on a fixed fee basis, so that our clients can benefit from transparency, certainty, and the ability to budget, regardless of the complexity or size of the instruction.
None of our lawyers have billable hour targets because we don’t believe that this delivers the best efficiencies, service, or value for our clients. We believe that the most important thing we can deliver to our clients is the quality of our advice and not just the number of hours that our lawyers work.
We are based on London but we operate across the Globe. We work wherever our clients need us to work and have significant experience of overseas investigations and litigation. Almost all of our work involves international elements. More details of our international work can be found here.
Are you a barristers' Chambers?
Our origins are at the English Bar, having been founded by two barristers (David Williams QC and Ivan Pearce) and the ‘Chambers’ in our full name is a nod to this history (which you can read more about here). Whilst we continue to employ a number of barristers, we are not a Chambers or ’Set’; instead we are regulated by the SRA and now employ solicitors, investigators, compliance experts, and other professionals, alongside our barristers. This means that we are perfectly positioned to assist our clients with every aspect of their compliance, investigations, defence, and disputes needs. Most people now know us simply as Fulcrum.
What is your relationship with Fulcrum Diligence?
Fulcrum Diligence is our sister company who specialise in delivering due diligence reports and training, and advice on Counter-Party (or Third-Party) due diligence systems and controls.
The two companies often work together on a variety of matters including internal investigations and compliance.
You can learn more about our due diligence offering and Fulcrum Diligence here.
The practice areas and sectors listed on our website are illustrative of the type of work we do, and the sectors we operate in, but they are not exclusive.
If you are seeking assistance in relation to compliance, investigations, white-collar or regulatory criminal defence, or disputes, it is likely that we will be able to help.
Please do contact us.
We need advice on a matter but we’re not based in the UK. Can you help?
Yes. Most of our work is for international clients or clients with a significant presence overseas.
The nature of modern commerce means that transactions often cross borders and involve multiple jurisdictions. The first, important step, is to understand which jurisdictions’ laws and regulations are applicable. We can advise on that.
Criminal law is becoming increasingly extra-territorial in its reach and you might fall within its jurisdiction in circumstances that may surprise you. The jurisdictional reach of the bribery offences under the UK Bribery Act, for example, extends to offences that are committed or partly committed in the United Kingdom and offences committed abroad by persons with a close connection to the United Kingdom.
We also work closely with carefully selected partners across the Globe whom we can call upon at a moment’s notice to advise on matters of foreign law and procedure.
Yes. As well as acting for corporates, we frequently represent and advise individuals who find themselves subject to document requests, questions, or interviews by regulators, prosecutors, or other government agencies. In recent years we have represented senior executives in some of the most high profile SFO investigations, including Rolls Royce and Rio Tinto.