For the SFO, the year 2023 was largely a story of an organisation trying to turn a page. The flurry of activity around the departure of former Director Lisa Osofsky and the appointment of Nick Ephgrave QPM, gave a taste of what might be expected of the agency in the months to come. Ephgrave's tenure started with due fanfare with new investigations announced and a series of raids whilst several long running international investigations were dropped shortly before Ms Osofsky's departure. After a difficult few years in which the SFO had repeatedly made headlines for the wrong reasons, this new leadership, together with the reforms set out in the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023, which gained Royal Assent in October, offered the prospect of change. However, despite the buoyant mood, key challenges remain if the SFO is to prove itself.

https://www.mishcon.com/news/sfo-new-investigations-and-prosecutions-2023