PRACTICE AREA

Corporate Criminal Defense and Compliance

Preventing and responding to corporate criminal risk requires a precise understanding of decisions, controls and facts, without reaching premature conclusions about people or organizations.

Discuss a matter

Case files and secured storage for a confidential review of business matters.

THE CONTEXT

An internal alert, a discrepancy in records or an external communication may raise sensitive questions about business activity. The first step is to distinguish what is known from what still needs verification. An organized assessment avoids combining facts, interpretations and rumors into a single explanation of the matter.

A preventive perspective examines how transactions are authorized and how unusual situations are identified or raised internally. Responding to a specific matter requires clarity about participants, information and responsibilities. Both discussions call for careful handling of documents and specialist review suited to the particular circumstances and people involved.

A perspective supporting
every decision.

ADVISORY FOCUS

01
Operational prevention
Identification of potential exposure points in processes, third-party relationships and approval arrangements to organize questions about the controls and responsibilities that exist within the company.
02
Background assessment
Organization of information and chronologies relating to alerts or incidents, defining the scope of an evaluation and the coordination needed with specialists in the disciplines involved.
03
Criminal matters
Legal assessment of situations connected with business activity to define an approach to the matter, taking account of the position and particular needs of each participant.

Understand. Organize.
Move forward.

HOW WE APPROACH A MATTER

01
Define the situation
Identify the origin of the request, participants and known facts. Avoid premature characterizations while gathering the context necessary for a focused and informed assessment.
02
Organize the information
Agree responsibilities and appropriate channels for examining records. Keep their origin, versions and outstanding questions clear within the agreed scope of the particular matter.
03
Coordinate the response
Determine the steps and specialists required by the circumstances. Distinguish immediate response decisions from preventive improvements that may be considered at a later stage.

Before we begin

Does an internal warning establish that a crime occurred?

A warning raises a question requiring assessment. Characterizing events calls for specialist analysis and context; an initial suspicion should not be treated as an established conclusion about the situation.

What should an initial contact include?

Provide a general description, identify who is seeking assistance and mention any communication received. The appropriate channel and scope for examining sensitive information can then be agreed separately.