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Partner Nicolas Brooke has been interviewed by Le Monde du Droit following new guidance recently issued by France’s Ministry of Justice in relation to French deferred prosecution agreements (CJIPs).

Nicolas was interviewed on 12 June 2020. This can be accessed on Le Monde du Droit’s website, here.

Justice Minister Nicole Belloubet issued a circular on 2 June that clarifies what companies must do to be offered a judicial public interest agreement (CJIP), France’s version of a deferred prosecution agreement. The circular states that to be eligible for a CJIP, a company must not have previous convictions and must voluntarily disclose the misconduct. It must also cooperate with prosecutors, and while the Ministry of Justice does not specify the degree of cooperation needed, it notes that companies should help prosecutors identify individuals most central to the misconduct.

Nicolas has deep experience in the management of complex and international high stakes litigations. He specialises in internal investigations and compliance, and advises the Firm’s clients on white-collar crime issues, the implementation of compliance and remedial programmes, crisis management and civil fraud matters.

The Legal 500 EMEA Guide recognises Nicolas as a ‘Leading Individual’ for compliance, and notes he has “outstanding professional skills and shows a good sense of strategy. His previous experience as general counsel led him to play a key role in the negotiations of multi-jurisdictional settlements with prosecution authorities; he thus perfectly knows the international investigations environment.” Who’s Who Legal France 2020 recognises Nicolas for his investigations expertise and notes his “impressive hands-on experience of negotiating multi-jurisdictional settlements”.