Crisis management
Conference Report
The European Fraud and Compliance Lawyers Association (EFCL) was delighted to host this year’s annual conference in one of Europe’s leading financial centres, Frankfurt on 9 June 2017.
The EFCL was pleased to welcome back delegates from its inaugural conference and to welcome a number of new members from all over Europe.
After a warm welcome from the EFCL Chair, Oliver Kipper, delegates had the opportunity to hear from a number of highly distinguished speakers on the topic for this year’s conference, ‘Crisis Management’.
The conference was opened by its keynote speaker, Judy Krieg, (previously Chief Compliance Officer at Rolls Royce Plc) whose speech, ‘Whistleblowers, Leaks and the Media: changing the world of investigations and enforcement’ provided a fascinating insight into the background to the Rolls Royce scandal and the conflict between data protection and leaks.
Judy’s excellent presentation was swiftly followed by the first panel session of the day, at which panel members and delegates explored an ever-present and pervasive issue for lawyers: ‘Conflict of Interest’. The panel was chaired by Holger Matt, and populated by lawyers from across Europe - Roberto Pisano (Italy), Jason Masimore (UK), Marcin Klimczak (Poland) and Wolfgang Spoerr (Germany). The Panel members shared their personal experiences and grappled with some example case studies. This proved to be a very interactive session, with the audience themselves even contributing their own ‘conflict’ conundrums for the panel to consider!
After a chance to network over lunch, the second panel session looked at the practicalities of ‘Information Management’ in the wake of a crisis. Delegates had the benefit of hearing from a diverse panel including Benedict Hamilton from Kroll, Andy Rivett-Carnac from Headland Consultancy, Alfredo Dominguez (Cuatrecasas, Madrid office) and Mark Beardsworth (Brown Rudnick, London), all chaired by Kevin Roberts. This session offered a fascinating insight into issues ranging from PR considerations on behalf of a client to discussion on the benefits and pitfalls of early interaction with the authorities and investigators. The chair, Kevin Roberts, posed what was perhaps the most popular question of the day - whether it was the ‘open kimono’ approach or the ‘suit of armour’ approach that was preferred by panellists!
For the eagerly awaited final session which was chaired by Dominika Stępińska-Duch, panel members were tasked with addressing the audience on the thorny topic of ‘Internal Investigations’, with a particular focus on cross-border considerations. The panel explored the different approaches taken from the US to across Europe. The panel members, Rich Albert from the US, Neil Swift from the UK, Uwe Heim from Germany, and Marc Henzelin from Switzerland, individually and collectively brought a wealth of experience to the discussion.
The day concluded with closing remarks and thanks from the EFCL Chair, followed by a beautiful drinks reception and dinner, at the splendid MainNizza restaurant, on the banks of Frankfurt’s Main River. This provided an excellent opportunity for attendees to continue their discussions and develop new connections with their European counterparts.
The EFCL would like to express its thanks to both the speakers and the delegates for attending this year’s EFCL conference, and to give special thanks to all those who helped organise another excellent event. It is their hard work and dedication that ensures the continued success of the EFCL.
Report written by Rebecca Meads
Click here for the PDF version of the programme.
Photo Impression
