Clifford Chance

Chief Risk & Compliance Officer Bahare Heywood, Head of International Compliance Vanessa Hui and Regional Managing Partner, Germany, Peter Dieners discuss how our Compliance Framework helps us act responsibly and with integrity.

As the regulatory environment has become more complex and our compliance function has grown over recent years, Clifford Chance has responded by being one of the first in the industry to create a robust framework for managing compliance with the regulations applicable to us.

Our Compliance Framework documents our approach to compliance. It sets out the organisational structure of the Compliance function and provides details on governance, reporting lines, roles and responsibilities.

“It’s a framework that will enable us to effectively and proactively identify changes in the regulatory landscape, put in place the appropriate compliance programmes to manage our compliance risks and ensure there is accountability and ownership at the highest level,” says Chief Risk and Compliance Officer Bahare Heywood.

“It’s crucial as a responsible business that everyone in the firm understands what is expected of them in terms of our compliance commitments. Our Compliance Framework sets out these expectations clearly and works in tandem with our Code of Conduct to reinforce our principles and values and the strong culture of compliance we have at Clifford Chance.

In developing the framework, we drew on the vast amount of experience and expertise from across the network on advising clients in this area. Alongside Bahare and Head of International Compliance Vanessa Hui, the project was led by a multi-disciplinary group including Peter Dieners, Regional Managing Partner (Germany) who regularly advises clients on compliance governance matters; Ulrich Lembeck, Of Counsel, also based in Dusseldorf and Patricia Barratt, Director of Anti-Bribery Compliance based in London to ensure that the Framework meets industry and client expectations.

“The result of this work is an industry-leading Compliance Framework which will inspire confidence in the robust compliance systems we have in place,” says Peter. “Not only for our clients but among internal and external stakeholders too.”

“I am honoured to have played a role in formulating this framework,” says Vanessa. “It makes me very proud to work for a firm that promotes its values, principles and focus on being a responsible business in this way.”