Left out of the bargain: settlements in foreign bribery cases and implications for asset recovery

Over the past decade, countries have increasingly used settlements - that is, any procedure short of a full trial - to conclude foreign bribery cases and have imposed billions in monetary sanctions. There exists a gap in knowledge, however, regarding settlement practises around the world and the disposition of these monetary sanctions - notably through the lens of recovery of stolen assets. Left out of the Bargain, a study by the Stolen Asset Recovery Initiative (StAR), provides an overview of settlement practises by civil and common law countries that have been active in the fight against foreign bribery.