Robert Semp

Full Profile

Robert specialises in white collar crime and compliance. He also advises on internal investigations relating to compliance breaches and corporate criminal behaviour. Robert acts for clients across a range of sectors including construction, financial services, food and beverage, agriculture and real estate. Robert's practice encompasses all key aspects of financial crime compliance.

He advises clients on conducting thorough risk assessments, developing and drafting tailored policies, and implementing effective compliance programs. Robert also conducts comprehensive reviews of existing compliance frameworks to identify areas for improvement, ensuring that clients meet evolving regulatory standards.

Robert supports clients facing complex inquiries into potential regulatory breaches or criminal behavior. He provides strategic guidance on self-reporting obligations, assessing whether disclosures to authorities are required, and liaises with prosecutors, regulators, and enforcement agencies as needed. This approach ensures clients are prepared to address issues proactively while protecting their legal and reputational interests.

Experience

Third-Party Risk Management

• Developing and implementing a comprehensive, end-to-end third-party risk management framework for a major Middle Eastern gigaproject. This includes designing and embedding a robust due diligence screening process, drafting, and formalising associated policies and procedures, and creating a supplier risk assessment process covering various financial crime and compliance areas, such as sanctions, fraud, bribery, environmental impact, health and safety, and worker welfare.
• Leading third-party due diligence teams in the UK and Romania for a major Middle Eastern gigaproject. This involves reviewing reports, identifying risks, and providing training to mitigate risks and embed TPRM processes.

Compliance and Risk Assessments

• Conducting a global bribery and corruption risk assessment for a multinational hotel company, assessing risk at both a corporate and hotel level.
• Developing and conducting a global financial crime risk assessment for a multinational agribusiness, covering bribery, sanctions, and fraud, with actionable strategies to enhance compliance controls.
• Producing a bribery and corruption risk assessment for a private equity group, identifying key risks and delivering legal advice to improve compliance across diverse investments.
• Advising during M&A due diligence for transactions totalling GBP 1.3 billion, reviewing target companies’ compliance policies, and drafting warranties to mitigate risks.
• Supporting a multinational food and beverage company in integrating an acquired business by conducting compliance gap analysis, focusing on anti-bribery, and onboarding risks, and providing recommendations to strengthen controls.
• Advising a middle eastern gigaproject on the implications of the UK’s Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 on their business, ensuring compliance and mitigating risks.

Investigations

• Assisting in negotiations for the two UK DPAs, including initial investigations, disclosure exercises, financial terms calculation, and contributing to compliance program design as part of remediation.
• Investigating bribery, money laundering, and forgery allegations for a global real estate company, conducting interviews and document reviews to manage reputational and regulatory risks.
• Conducting a fraud investigation for a fintech client, performing forensic reviews, consulting with law enforcement, and advising on money laundering risks.

Criminal Advisory

• Providing guidance to a multinational mining company on extradition risks and INTERPOL notices, developing a UK-focused strategy and making representations to prevent illegitimate extradition.
• Assisting in private prosecutions, drafting responses to costs applications under relevant legislation, and contributing to legal strategies.