Leading global law firm Baker McKenzie recently hosted seminars for senior executives in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Ras Al Khaimah on how to best manage fraud investigations in the workplace to minimize damage and avoid similar risk issues in the future.
The interactive briefing with senior representatives from Baker McKenzie’s Compliance & Investigations teams in the UAE and the UK was moderated by Andreas Carleton-Smith, Control Risks’ CEO of Middle East and Africa. Over 100 senior representatives from leading corporates, financial institutions and government entities gathered to discuss practical issues around the first response on discovering fraud, interacting with domestic and foreign regulators, working with the police, prosecutors and courts in criminal and civil proceedings, applying international best practice and protecting the organisation from fraud in the future.
“With all types of fraud taking place even in the most secure workplaces, companies today are facing significant challenges,” said Borys Dackiw, Co-Managing Partner and Head of Compliance & Investigations of Baker McKenzie Habib Al Mulla in the UAE. “This can have a massive impact on the organisation’s operations, finances and reputation, and the first steps a company takes upon discovering fraud are crucial in both the short and long term. Cooperation, coordination and compliance are key.”
Hugh Lyons, Dispute Resolution Partner at Baker McKenzie in London, added, “Ultimately, the best way to protect yourself from fraud is to ensure that a robust corporate governance infrastructure is in place, which will offer better clarity and control over what measures you can take and what risks you can manage.”
Baker McKenzie will be running further seminars in the UAE on investigations, risk management and compliance in the coming months.