Barry Vitou focuses his practice on white collar defense and special investigations, advising corporates and individuals in connection with compliance, pre-investigations, investigations, and prosecutions conducted by numerous law enforcement agencies. Barry frequently represents clients under investigation by U.K. and U.S. law enforcement agencies and prosecutors, including the U.K.’s Serious Fraud Office (SFO), the Financial Conduct Authority, the Information Commissioner’s Office, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Barry regularly appears on television and radio, discussing the topics of corruption, money laundering, and the UK Bribery Act.
Barry counsels clients on law enforcement investigations all over the world including the European Union, Russia, and the British Overseas Territories. He also conducts internal investigations around the world and handles self-reporting actions. Barry has conducted compliance advisory mandates and global money laundering investigations for clients in numerous jurisdictions.
Experience
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Representing a corporation under investigation by the Serious Fraud Office linked with the ongoing DOJ and SEC investigation into Unaoil bribery allegations. °
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Representing a corporation in the first challenge (Judicial Review) of the Serious Fraud Office Section 2 (equivalent to US subpoena) powers to compel documents and information from parties outside the UK in respect of documents held outside the UK. °
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Represented corporation in the infrastructure sector on the first failure to prevent bribery prosecution following claims of non-cooperation by the SFO and the refusal of the SFO to offer a Deferred Prosecution Agreement (DPA). Resolved matter in under a year. The case was successfully disposed of with a lower penalty and less onerous penalty than the preceding DPA. The case threw into sharp relief the lack of incentive, in certain circumstances, of entering into a DPA to dispose of a criminal offence and sparked a debate into the DPA ‘offer’ and further discounts in DPA’s which followed. °
