Debevoise & Plimpton is advising Rolls-Royce on a probe by the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) into bribery and corruption allegations involving intermediaries in overseas markets.

Last week the company confirmed it had passed on information to the SFO regarding alleged malpractice in Indonesia, China and other countries.

Rolls-Royce, which announced it would cooperate fully with the probe, said it was too early to predict the outcome of the investigation, but confirmed it could include the prosecution of individuals and the company.

The company said it had developed a new Global Ethics Code and Intermediaries Policy in recent years, and would be appointing an independent senior figure to lead a review of procedures and report to its ethics committee.

"I want to make it crystal clear that neither I nor the board will tolerate improper business conduct of any sort and will take all necessary action to ensure compliance," said chief executive John Rishton.

The SFO and Debevoise declined to comment further on the matter.

Debevoise counts several heavyweight litigation partners among its ranks, including practice chair Mary Jo White, the former US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and former UK Attorney General Lord Goldsmith, who took up the post of European litigation chair on joining the firm in 2007.

Earlier this year, Rolls-Royce appointed a new general counsel, recruiting former British Airways GC and Brick Court Chambers door tenant Robert Webb QC.

From 2009, Webb also served as the chairman of Autonomy, the software company acquired by Hewlett Packard (HP) last year and last month referred by HP to US and UK authorities after HP for alleged accounting misrepresentation.

Other law firms Rolls-Royce has worked with in the past include Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Eversheds and Addleshaw Goddard, which was added to the company's panel of legal advisors in 2008.