Managing liability risks under anti-corruption laws can be a daunting prospect for most corporations, but this task is particularly complicated for multinationals with operations in developing economies where history, culture and customs impact day-to-day business.

The emphasis placed on anti-corruption by enforcement agencies is likely to continue, particularly in light of new anti-corruption laws in the UK and China.

This week, on July 1, the UK Bribery Act comes into effect; China's new anti-corruption law became effective May 1, 2011. These new laws, alongside the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), have some overlap in terms of the types of conduct prohibited by the statutes, they also contain significant differences that may have far-reaching implications for business.

This Client Alert explores the challenges for multinationals doing business in the developing markets of Asia. It looks specifically at the new rules in play, it examines the extraterritorial cross-over of enforcement and penalties, and it discusses some of the tactics multinationals are using to address the challenges of doing business in Asia.

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