When it comes to defending against bribery allegations, companies usually provide documents to demonstrate compliance with the relative laws; conversely, an investigative arm of the government, such as the U.K. Serious Fraud Office (SFO), will provide their own documentary evidence to prove that a company engaged in bribery and/or corruption. Almost never, however, would you see a prestigious, worldwide law firm file documents in civil litigation alleging its (former) client engaged in bribery and corruption. Yet, that is precisely what happened in a recent filing in a civil action in Commercial Court in London.
