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Sara Koski

Counsel
I have been mostly in contact with counsel Sara Koski who is a very knowledgeable, experienced, multi-lingual lawyer who always puts the client first and is ready to go the extra mile to help the client achieve an optimal or even better end result. She is among the best connoisseurs of French compliance legislation and regulations and has repeatedly helped large corporations and mid-sized companies to navigate their way out of the labyrinth of often conflicting legal obligations in several countries and continents.
Legal 500 EMEA – Compliance
About

Sara assists clients in a broad range of compliance matters including design and implementation of compliance programs, carrying out risk mappings, anti-corruption due diligence and internal investigations regarding both general anti-corruption regulations and in the life sciences sector.

Sara began her career with compliance & risk management and life sciences teams in the Paris office of a leading American law firm. She has developed an in-depth experience in relation to the investigation and prevention of corruption and related issues in France (in particular, "Sapin II" Law anti-corruption measures, French "Duty of Vigilance" Law, Registers of lobbyists and beneficial owners, etc.).

Her experience also covers compliance aspects in the life sciences sector (French "Anti-Gift Law" and "Sunshine Act", sector specific ethical guidance and rules adopted by SNITEM, LEEM MedTech Europe, EFPIA, etc.).

Professional QualificationsAvocate admitted to the Paris Bar

EXPERIENCE

  • Assistance of a French based global group in the context of development of compliance processes to meet requirements under Sapin II law relating to anti-bribery and anti-corruption aspects and under a so-called Duty of vigilance law relating to corporate social responsibility, including development of risk assessment materials, design and roll-out of various compliance procedures for the group worldwide (including: code of conduct, whistleblowing hotline, etc.)
  • Assistance of an international group with the design and implementation of a global compliance program for all entities of the group present on 5 continents: global risk assessment, subsequent design and roll-out of compliance procedures (including an anti-corruption policy, third party screening mechanisms, conflict of interest policy)
  • Assistance of the French subsidiary of a global group with the design of its governance and compliance functions (compliance officer's role, duties, reporting lines, hierarchical position, and resources)
  • Assistance of a French based global company in the context of a multi-jurisdictional survey relating to EU beneficial owner rules and their transposition in the national laws
Languages
  • French
  • English
  • Finnish
  • Italian
Education
  • University of Paris I, Panthéon-Sorbonne, Master's degree in international business law and anglo-american business law, 2009

Awards

  • Legal 500 EMEA 2024 - Tier 3 - Compliance.

"A structured and united team." Client testimonials – Legal 500 2024.

  • Legal 500 EMEA 2024 - Tier 4 - Dispute Resolution: White-collar crime.

“Solid team, led by Fabien Ganivet and Pierre Stasse, solid experience.” and “‘Extremely efficient. Solution-oriented. Pierre Stasse is very practical, solution-oriented and competent. He is able to grasp quickly all the non-criminal aspects of a case.” Client testimonials – Legal 500 2024.

Publications

Seminars

  • Visiting speaker: SNITEM compliance conference “Overview of anti-corruption laws”. - Avril 2023, Paris;
  • Visiting speaker:  Compliance class regarding international contracts to ESSEC Business School, Master in Management students, March 2023;
  • Conference “Thirty years of corporate criminal liability: issues and prospects for companies and their executives”. Speakers: Fabien Ganivet, DLA Piper (alongside Pierre Stasse and Sara Koski), David Chilstein, Professor at Paris 1 Panthéon – Sorbonne, Emmanuel Dupic, Compliance and Ethic Director, Dassault Aviation - February 2023, Paris.
  • HEC lecturer - Compliance in the healthcare sector: focus on internal investigations (since 2023) ;
  • Speaker: Live Talks session regarding corruption risks in the Nordic market organized by Nordic Business Ethics, December 9, 2022;
  • Speaker: Webinar regarding transposition of the EU whistleblower directive in Finland organized by DLA Piper Finland, November 15, 2022;
  • Conference 5 years after the eev of the sapin law June 30, 2022 (Sara co-hosted this conference with Fabien):
  • Visiting speaker: Compliance class regarding selection of third parties to HEC Master/LLM Droit et Management International students, since 2020;
  • Co-speaker at HEC in International Contracts class regarding compliance risk in third party relations on 7 February, 2020.

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