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The general crime sector is grappling with a number of significant changes likely to create a raft of ongoing challenges for lawyers and clients alike. Harsh financial restrictions in the form of legal aid cuts and the introduction of Crown Court means testing will no doubt create difficulties in maintaining the provision of quality services.

The fragile economic climate has undoubtedly exposed a wide range of fraudulent behaviour, triggering an increase in civil litigation. Particular trends have emerged in the financial services sector involving financial institutions whose previous investments in structured finance transactions have led to significant losses. Such activity is becoming increasingly international in nature as the transactions become more sophisticated, with a number of cases originating in Russia and the former Soviet states, as well as in emerging markets where transparency and controls are less developed. On the positive side, litigants have been able to take advantage of the worldwide freezing and disclosure orders and extensive search order relief available from the High Court.

In the corporate fraud arena, the will to investigate and prosecute companies as well as individuals continues to escalate, with the FSA particularly active in pursuing potential market abuse and insider dealing cases, and an increasing tendency for regulators across the globe to co-ordinate their efforts, notably between the US and UK and across Asia and Europe. Multinational companies have also been keen to establish that their international offices are fully compliant with US and EU sanctions, particularly economic and technology sanctions imposed on Iran.

Looking ahead, the delayed coming into force of the Bribery Act, which includes a corporate criminal offence of failing to prevent bribery, means that 2011 is likely to be another busy year.

Licensing, gaming and betting has historically been covered as a single practice area, but has this year been split into separate sections for Licensing and Gaming and betting, partly in recognition of the changes to gambling regulation in recent years. The focus of the Licensing section is on entertainment and liquor licensing, while the Gaming and betting section covers corporate, commercial and regulatory work in the sector, including in relation to remote gambling.

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