— The United States has sought to prosecute distant individuals and companies that might otherwise assume they were beyond its reach

— Last summer three City bankers were sent to Houston, Texas, after losing an extradition fight. Prosecutors alleged that David Bermingham, Giles Darby and Gary Mulgrew — the NatWest Three — had entered into a corrupt arrangement with Andrew Fastow, the former Enron finance chief, who pleaded guilty to fraud charges. In 2002 the bankers were indicted on charges of wire fraud, which entails criminal activity committed by telephone

— Wire-fraud charges can be brought against individuals and companies that operate in the US only by the internet

— Ian Norris, the former chief executive of Morgan Crucible, is facing examination in the US after he lost an extradition battle last year. He faces price-fixing charges, which he denies

— Several betting industry executives have been caught by surprise on trips to the US. Peter Dicks, the former chairman of Sportingbet, was targeted, although all his warrants were dropped

— America’s hold on foreign executives is strengthened by the willingness of companies to list in New York. However, the trend is in decline. New rules have made it easier for companies with US-listed securities to retreat

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