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Tax evasion does not begin with a raid. It begins with a tax audit that suddenly starts asking questions. What was the purpose of those transactions. What are the relationships between the parties. What was the sequence of steps.
That is the moment when you need a lawyer who understands both the criminal and the tax dimension.
RThe line between legitimate tax optimization and tax evasion is thin. In many cases it can be demonstrated that the business model was legitimate – and prosecution can be stopped at the preparatory stage.
From a defence perspective, grant cases come down to two things: whether there was intent or merely negligence — and who specifically bore responsibility for the failing.
In a real case we handled, our client faced 5 years' imprisonment for unlawfully disbursed grants worth millions.
We challenged individual criminal liability – demonstrating that staff turnover and accounting deficiencies pointed to negligence rather than intent.
We challenged the proportionality of the sentence, and the appellate court converted the custodial sentence to a suspended one. Not every grant case can be turned around completely. But in most, the sentence can at least be substantially reduced – if the defence is well prepared.
An inflated loss does not have to be fraud — it may be a valuation error. Contradictions in witness statements can be exploited. And proving intent is often the weakest point of the prosecution in insurance cases.
An employee channelled money through fictitious invoices. A former director appropriated advance payments. A commission sale that ended without an accounting.
Embezzlement can be a case where the company is the perpetrator – typically through a director or senior employee. But equally, it can be a case where the company is the victim.
If the perpetrator is someone inside the company, we handle the criminal complaint and concurrent employment law steps, the pursuit of compensation, and where applicable the freezing of the perpetrator's assets. If the company or its statutory body member is charged, the defence often rests on whether the act was intentional or a negligent failing.
Money laundering – the legalization of proceeds of crime – can affect companies that had no knowledge of the source of the funds, if they cannot demonstrate that they take their AML program seriously. That is precisely why having processes in place before the first inquiry from an authority is essential.
We handle both defence where a matter is already open and preventive structuring. For corporate clients, this typically means evaluating internal processes and correctly configuring internal procedures.
Bribery can affect a company even when it was the initiative of a single individual without the knowledge of management – if the company cannot demonstrate that it took prevention seriously. A compliance program counts double in this area.
In the defence, we address two dimensions – the act itself and the company's prevention system. In many cases, the critical step is rapidly assessing who in the organization knew what and what they did about it. If management acted correctly and an individual circumvented the system, the company's liability can be separated out.
We represent directors and board members who are accused by the company or a majority shareholder of having caused damage through their decisions. We also represent companies that have suffered damage through the conduct of a former director and wish to pursue their rights in criminal proceedings.
Internal corporate fraud has three layers – criminal, employment law, and asset recovery. When the perpetrator is inside the company, each is handled differently.
We request the relevant documentation, establish the facts, and propose a solution discreetly – outside the knowledge of the parties involved, where necessary. The goal is not just to identify who did it. The goal is to stop the damage from continuing, recover the money, and do so in a way that disrupts the company's operations as little as possible.
While the statutory body member faces the threat of personal prosecution, a ban on holding office, and the loss of personal assets – with their defence resting on refuting personal fault – the company faces the risk of frozen accounts, suspended payments, loss of public contracts, and reputational damage, with the goal of its defence being to invoke the statutory exculpation and preserve business continuity.
In life, things sometimes happen that place you in a situation you never anticipated. Perhaps you have received a police summons. Perhaps criminal proceedings have been initiated against you. Perhaps you are simply not sure what is happening or what you should do.
want to discuss the situation
The cost always depends on the scope and stage of the case. For individual steps – analysis of a request, accompaniment to an interview, drafting an objection — we work on an hourly rate. For extensive cases that will run for months, we recommend a retainer with pre-agreed team capacity. We tell you the rate and estimated scope at the initial consultation – upfront. You approve both the budget and the work reports.
Call a lawyer. Before the defence lawyer arrives, employees have the right to remain silent and not to release documents beyond what clearly follows from the search warrant. The search must be conducted according to the rules – on the basis of a court order, with a protocol, with the possibility of the defence lawyer being present. Any deviation from the rules may later be grounds for challenging the evidence the police secured. The presence of a lawyer during a search often determines what will be admissible in court.
Yes. The criminal liability of the company and the statutory body member are two separate dimensions and in many cases run in parallel. A company can be charged with a criminal offence committed by its director – and the director can be charged in the same matter personally. Breach of the duty of care of a proper manager is a criminal risk, not just a civil law one. When we represent both parties, we clarify at the outset who we are representing as a client and with whom we will merely be coordinating.
Yes – a new development from July 2026 is the conditional waiver of criminal prosecution of a legal entity. It does not require an admission of guilt — only consent to the procedure, compensation for harm, and a commitment to remediation. The matter closes without a conviction and without a public hearing – which, from the perspective of reputation and any follow-on civil proceedings, makes a fundamental difference.
Write to us or call. A few sentences about the situation – and any documentation you already have – is enough. We get back to you within 24 hours and arrange an initial consultation – in person or online, according to your preference. Everything you tell us is covered by legal professional privilege from the very first word. The consultation does not commit you to any further engagement.
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