Partner

Sam Eastwood

Litigation & Dispute Resolution, Global Investigations & White Collar Defense, Global Anti-Corruption & FCPA

 "Sam Eastwood: a master of his craft. Always on top of his game, incisive but also a creative thinker. Excellent team player, very results focused."

"Responsive, committed, high quality in terms of advice and research."

Legal 500, Hall of Fame

Overview

Sam Eastwood represents corporations, boards of directors, board committees, executives and public officials in criminal, civil and regulatory enforcement proceedings around the world.

Sam advises corporates and financial institutions on anti-corruption, economic sanctions, anti-money laundering and human rights in the context of investigations, complex transactions and compliance programme development and testing. He also advises corporates across a range of sectors, in particular aerospace and defence, chemicals, financial institutions, oil and gas, telecommunications, mining, shipping, transportation, engineering and heavy machinery, and FMCG. Sam's investigations and compliance work has included mandates in China, Southeast Asia, Africa (including Gabon, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Namibia, Nigeria, Liberia, South Africa, Mozambique, Democratic Republic of Congo, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Egypt and Libya), Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkey, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Brazil, the United States, the Middle East, the Nordic region and throughout Europe.

Experience

Monitorships

  • World Bank-appointed monitor –Acting as Independent Compliance Monitor for Macmillan Publishers Limited (now Springer Nature) 18 months), reporting to the World Bank and the Serious Fraud Office in connection with corruption issues which led to its debarment (2011-2013).
  • African Development Bank monitor – 12 month engagement (2019/2020) as an Independent Integrity Compliance Consultant reporting to the African Development Bank (“AfDB”) in relation to the Integrity Compliance Program of a Chinese company that had been debarred by the AfDB and other MDBs.

At the end of the monitorship periods both companies successfully applied for release from debarment.

Recognition

  • Band 2: Financial Crime. Sam Eastwood advises financial institutions and corporations on compliance and regulatory matters, including anti-bribery and corruption issues. "Sam is extremely knowledgeable and skilled. He has a great eye for legal details, but his advice is still very practical and business-friendly." "Sam has been very supportive, helpful and had a lot of insight on the issues we are looking at." "He makes sure that the client is really happy and builds great relationships. He is so experienced and provides great service." Chambers UK
  • Listed in the Hall of Fame and as a key lawyer for Regulatory Investigations and Corporate Crime, "Sam Eastwood: a master of his craft. Always on top of his game, incisive but also a creative thinker. Excellent team player, very results focused." "The Mayer Brown team, principally Sam Eastwood, have been working with the Institute for Public Policy Research in Namibia on a pro bono basis on a matter dealing with international accountability and asset recovery relating to corruption. We don’t have a basis for making comparisons as we don’t work with other law firms. However, the service and advice from Mayer Brown has been excellent – highly committed and personalised at the same time." "We have worked with Sam Eastwood and several of his colleagues such as James Ford. Sam is either available immediately or very quickly for communications. His advice has proved invaluable. In addition, Sam and the Mayer Brown team have conducted high quality research that has helped us formulate our positions. In summary: Responsive, committed, high quality in terms of advice and research." Legal 500

Admissions

  • England and Wales
  • Solicitor Advocate and Accredited Mediator

Professional & Community Involvement

  • Sits on the Board of Spotlight on Corruption
  • Sits on the board of the Management Committee of University College London’s Centre for Ethics and Law
  • Member the City of London White Collar Crime Committee
  • Co-chair of the Professional Against Corruption Group which he helped to set up at the time of the UK anti-corruption summit in 2016
  • Founding member of the International Association for Independent Corporate Monitors
  • Part of the Knowledge Partner Team supporting the Integrity and Compliance taskforce for the 2020 G20/B20 initiative hosted by Saudi Arabia
  • Trustee of Beating Time (a Prison Charity)
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