Deferred Prosecution Agreements (DPAs) are a negotiated settlement with the Serious Fraud Office (SFO), which a corporate can enter into after it has been charged with economic crime such as bribery, money laundering, or fraud.

Investigations by the SFO usually come as a surprise to the business under investigation. The first the business knows about it is likely to be when the SFO turns up at your premises for the raid. It can be quite a shock.