The Washington, D.C.-based law firm Steptoe & Johnson LLP,has opened an office in Beijing, to provide advice to international companies on the legal and regulatory developments that affect their businesses.

The World Bank's Anti-corruption Department has barred seven companies, including four from China and three from the Philippines, from WB-sponsored projects on suspicion of conspiring to collude on tenders for road projects in the Philippines.

A new report by Business for Social Responsibility says that companies working directly with factory managers to equip suppliers with skills, knowledge and systems to take ownership of corporate social responsibility issues are more effective in addressing persistent issues such as labor standards violations, environmental degradation, and poor health and safety protection.