Criminal law for business

Criminal law

Our approach

We act immediately and effectively, offering round-the-clock, comprehensive support in criminal matters. We protect clients from mistakes during arrest or interrogation. We also respond offensively – helping to uncover theft of know-how, fraud, or embezzlement, leading to favorable verdicts for our clients.
We work closely with our compliance and civil litigation teams, which allows us to effectively prevent the risk of criminal and fiscal liability. We efficiently gather evidence and ensure fast information flow that directly impacts the outcome of the case.
When necessary, we engage private investigators and former security service officers.

For whom?

Our support is directed at entrepreneurs who want to actively manage legal risks related to economic crimes – both at the prevention stage and during criminal proceedings. We advise management boards, supervisory boards, compliance departments, and internal auditors.
We represent clients in criminal proceedings at both the investigative stage and before courts of all instances. We act as auxiliary prosecutors and defense attorneys, supporting managers, corporate officers, and other participants in business life (in criminal and fiscal criminal cases).

Criminal liability is a real risk in business. Due diligence is no longer a choice, but a necessity – especially for management boards and supervisory boards.
Anna ChrobotPartner, Attorney-at-Law

Benefits

Criminal cases are all about speed, discretion and understanding the realities of business. Our support combines legal competence with the ability to manage a crisis and build trust in the most difficult moments.

Comprehensive crisis management

Criminal proceedings can destabilize even the most efficiently functioning organization – we know how to manage them. We help companies survive crises without losing reputation, support management in internal and external communication, and conduct legal actions in a way that minimizes disruption to day-to-day operations.

Trust-Based Relationships

Due to the sensitive nature of criminal cases, the pillars of our white-collar crime advisory are confidentiality, trust, and professionalism. We operate with full respect for these values, building lasting relationships with management boards, supervisory boards, and other stakeholders. This enables us to effectively support clients in critical moments.

Business Awareness

We do not operate in isolation from business realities – we understand the challenges entrepreneurs face in running a business. We are familiar with corporate mechanisms, the functioning of various industries, and the risks involved – from corruption and financial abuse to cyberattacks and conflicts of interest. As a result, our clients gain not only legal defense but also real support in decision-making.

Services

Our legal support in white-collar crime is based on three key services:

Representation at all stages of criminal proceedings

We provide defense in criminal cases, including those involving fraud (e.g., tax fraud, corruption) or actions detrimental to the company. We act as legal representatives of victims and auxiliary prosecutors.

We offer assistance in analyzing business situations for potential criminal law violations and in preparing notifications to law enforcement authorities.

Prevention of economic and fiscal crimes within corporate structures (compliance elements)

We assess criminal law risks associated with specific transactions and help minimize them. We develop procedures tailored to the entity’s needs – including anti-corruption policies and crisis response protocols.

We implement effective mechanisms for reporting and handling irregularities (we co-created the proprietary reporting tool WhistBoard).

We identify areas that generate significant personal liability risks and help organize the formal assignment of responsibilities within the company structure. We assist in selecting D&O insurance (in cooperation with experienced brokers).

We provide training on topics such as personal liability of top management and behavior in crisis situations (arrest/search/interrogation).

Management of irregularities and crisis situations

We assess criminal law risks after transactions and conduct investigations following reports of irregularities.

We assist in cases of unannounced inspections and searches. We conduct security audits at the intersection of criminal and fiscal criminal law, supporting entrepreneurs in detecting fraud and abuse.

Completed projects

We support clients in various matters related to criminal law. Here are some examples of projects we have completed.

We secured the acquittal of a client accused of acting to the detriment of a company

We represented a management board member and supervisory board member in a multi-threaded criminal case concerning actions detrimental to the company (worth tens of millions of PLN). After approximately 10 years of litigation in criminal court and a conviction by the first-instance court, we succeeded in securing a final acquittal for the client. The appellate court based its reasoning on our defense arguments presented in the appeal.

We represented a client in a case involving managerial corruption

We supported a company in a case involving abuse of authority by former employees

We participated in a case involving a public procurement for the military

We represented the former Chief Operating Officer of a client – a company specializing in manufacturing equipment for the military and other uniformed services – in a criminal case concerning attempted fraud and false certification (Articles 286 and 271 of the Penal Code) related to the execution of a public procurement for the military. The contract was valued at EUR 1.597 billion. The preparatory proceedings were discontinued twice, but the case eventually went to trial.

After conducting complex evidentiary proceedings, the District Court in Toruń acquitted our client entirely, fully accepting the defense’s arguments and confirming the absence of intent to commit fraud.

We secured the conviction of a counterparty accused of cross-border fraud

We represented a Spanish car-sharing company in a criminal case against a Polish counterparty accused of cross-border fraud. The value of the offense was estimated at over PLN 3 million.

The case included fiscal criminal elements – including failure to issue VAT invoices for intra-community supply of goods (Article 62 §1 of the Fiscal Penal Code). Our support covered the entire process – from preparing the notification of a suspected crime to representation in court.

As a result of our actions, the Polish counterparty was sentenced to 1.5 years of imprisonment and ordered to compensate the damage.

TEAM