White Collar Crime Lawyers
We defend financial fraud, corruption and money-laundering matters, and build preventive programmes.
Overview
Financial crime cases differ from ordinary criminal matters in one essential respect: the evidence is entirely documentary and digital — transfers, ledger entries, correspondence and system logs. Anyone who enters an investigation without understanding their own financial file finds silence or confusion read against them, while a document-backed explanation changes the file from the outset.
We defend in cases of financial fraud, breach of trust, forgery, money laundering, bribery and offences arising from commercial activity, from the complaint and investigation before the Public Prosecution through to final judgment. We also support companies with internal investigations before matters become complaints.
A large share of these complaints originate in a commercial dispute: a collapsed partnership, unsettled accounts, an argument over entitlement. A good defence begins by showing the civil nature of the relationship through documents, not with a general denial that leaves the other narrative unchallenged.
The legal framework
Financial crime is governed by a specialised substantive and procedural framework:
- The Law of Criminal Procedure and its safeguards in investigation and detention
- The financial fraud and breach of trust regime
- The Anti-Money Laundering Law and the counter-terrorism financing regime
- The Anti-Bribery Law and the provisions on forgery
- The Anti-Cyber Crime Law in digital offences
- The Public Prosecution and the regulators competent to refer matters
Situations we handle
A breach of trust complaint from a partner
Usually an accounting dispute in substance. Organised financial records are the real defence, not general submissions.
An allegation of fraud in a transaction
We analyse the sequence of the transaction and the correspondence to show good faith and actual contractual performance.
A money laundering suspicion on an account
The source of funds and its documentation is the centre of the file. Delay in assembling it lengthens the investigation and any restrictions.
An internal corporate investigation
Before any complaint: document what happened, preserve digital evidence, and establish responsibility precisely before external escalation.
An employee accused of forging documents
This requires technical examination of the document and its context. A hasty admission in investigation is sometimes more damaging than the underlying act.
Costly mistakes we see
- 1
Explaining the financial file from memory
Numbers are explained with documents, not recollection. An inaccurate statement in the record becomes a contradiction used against you later.
- 2
Contacting the other party after a complaint
Messages become evidence and can be read as attempted influence. All contact should go through the lawyer.
- 3
Deleting data or correspondence
Deletion conceals nothing in a digital environment and reads as bad faith, weakening your position for nothing.
- 4
Deferring the defence to the trial stage
Financial crime files are built during investigation. Arriving late means defending with what remains.
How the procedure runs, step by step
Financial crime cases usually begin as an administrative or financial investigation before they become criminal, and everything said at the administrative stage is used in full at the criminal one.
- 1
Assess exposure early
We establish the facts, the individuals concerned and the investigating body: the Public Prosecution, Nazaha, or a sector regulator. Identifying the body determines the procedure and the rights available.
- 2
Run a protected internal investigation
We conduct a documented internal investigation to establish the truth ahead of the investigating body. A company that knows the size of the problem negotiates from a known position; one that does not is ambushed by its own evidence.
- 3
Protect the entity and separate liabilities
We separate corporate liability from individual liability and document the controls the company had in place. Controls genuinely applied are the entity’s strongest defence against attribution of the act.
- 4
Manage the investigation and representation
We attend employee interviews, organise document production, and scope what is requested. Unbounded document production opens files that were never the subject of the investigation.
- 5
Settlement or defence at trial
Where a statutory settlement route exists we weigh it against trial. At trial we build the defence on absence of intent, procedural nullity, and the weakness of attributing the act to this defendant specifically.
Documents we will ask you for
- The investigation or summons letter
- The org chart and authority matrix
- Financial documents connected to the alleged facts
- Compliance policies and internal controls in force
- Internal or external audit reports
- A list of the employees concerned and their authorities
Fees and timelines
Financial crime matters are priced by stage: investigation and prosecution, first-instance court, then appeal. Corporate internal investigations are offered as a standalone deliverable with a defined scope and written report. We do not tie fees to the outcome of a judgment.
On timing: the investigation stage can run weeks to months depending on document volume and the number of parties. Financial cases are generally slower than others because they require accounting and technical examination.
Common questions
Is a financial dispute with my partner a crime?
Not necessarily. Many complaints are commercial or accounting disputes in substance, and the defence rests on showing the civil nature of the relationship through documents: contracts, transfers and correspondence evidencing commercial dealing.
When do I need a lawyer in a financial case?
As soon as you learn of a complaint or summons, and before making any statement. Financial files turn on documents, and organising them before the investigation changes the outcome more than any later advocacy.
What is an internal investigation and when do we need one?
An examination a company conducts on suspicion of internal wrongdoing: documenting events, preserving evidence, and establishing responsibility before external escalation. It gives the company an organised position instead of late reactions.
Can financial cases be settled?
A settlement may end the private right, while in many offences the public right does not lapse by waiver. We separate the two early, because that determines what a settlement can actually resolve.
What happens to accounts during an investigation?
Precautionary measures including account restrictions may be taken depending on the file. Providing source-of-funds documentation quickly usually shortens the period of restriction.
Is the company liable for its employee's act?
Liability can arise depending on the nature of the act, the scope of employment, and whether supervision and internal controls existed. Documented compliance policies materially improve the company's position.
How long does a financial case take?
Generally longer than ordinary cases, because of accounting review, technical reports and multiple parties. Investigation alone can run for months before any referral.
Do you also represent complainants?
Yes, we represent companies and individuals who have suffered loss in preparing and pursuing a complaint and claiming the private right — but never both sides of the same matter.
Related services
Criminal Defence Lawyers
We engage early in criminal matters, from investigation through trial, to protect the client's rights at every stage.
Compliance Documentation Lawyers
We build the compliance policy set your organisation needs, drafted to be workable.
Administrative Lawyers
We represent individuals and companies before the administrative courts and in challenges to government decisions.