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White-collar and corporate crime
The criminal law team defends and advises individuals and companies vis-à-vis public prosecutors’ offices, courts and authorities in all fields of corporate criminal law and the law of fiscal offences as well as the law of administrative offences. Preventive advice and corporate compliance comprise another key area of our practice.
Leading law firm for compliance and criminal law 2019
WirtschaftsWoche Top-Kanzleien 2019
Ranked as one of the best law firms for compliance and D&O liability
WirtschaftsWoche "Top-Kanzleien" ranking of 12 May 2017
Leading law firm for compliance advice
Legal 500 Germany 2017
strong expertise in criminal law
JUVE German Commercial Law Firms 2017
Recommended law firm for competition law
Handelsblatt/Best Lawyers® "Germany's Best Law Firms and Lawyers 2019"
We constantly advise companies in crisis situations arising from criminal law issues. If a company faces investigation based on alleged criminal behaviour of one of its employees, we coordinate – to the extent expedient – the defence of the employee in the sense of a joint defence defending common interests. We defend the company against sanctions such as fines and forfeiture. In the interests of the company we maintain a close communication with the investigating authorities in order to avoid e.g. high-profile investigations.
Selected references
- Defending several international groups of companies against corporate fines and forfeiture
- Advising a telecommunications group in investigation proceedings against employees on grounds of embezzlement and tax evasion
- Defending several companies (i.a. active in plant engineering) against charges of negligent homicide due to occupational or industrial accidents
- Defending a German commercial airport against charges in the field of environmental criminal law
- Defending a construction company against corruption and competition law charges
We defend individuals in investigation proceedings as well as in all other criminal law proceedings. If coercive measures are imposed, we provide on-the-spot “First Aid” and set the course for the ongoing proceedings. We have specially trained teams of lawyers at our offices for this purpose.
As experienced defence lawyers we aim at responding strategically to any investigation proceedings as early as possible in order to avoid official charges and thus a bench trial.
Selected references
- Defending board members of several banks and savings banks as well political officials, i.a. against charges of embezzlement
- Defending an internationally active hotel investor against an accusation of subsidy fraud
- Representation in numerous corruption proceedings including corruption abroad
- Defending a managing director in a complex procedure concerning fiscal offences
- Defending a construction company against corruption and competition law charges
- Defending a member of a supervisory board against charges in the field of employment-related criminal law
Another focus of our practice is preventive advice on criminal law and criminal law compliance. We support companies in identifying and minimising criminal law risks at an early stage. This includes supporting our clients in establishing compliance systems, drafting guidelines that are tailored to the company and training employees. In this regard we can rely on the resources of our multidisciplinary corporate compliance competence team, for example in questions of competition, employment or data protection law.
We frequently carry out audits in order to clarify possible infringements internally but also independent of any particular suspicion. In case of concrete suspicions we may also—in close collaboration with the respective company—take over the internal investigations. This includes identifying and evaluating evidence and interviewing employees. To the extent necessary we will also contact investigative authorities or supervisory bodies.
Selected references
- Development and implementation of corporate compliance programmes and training courses in numerous large and medium-sized companies as well as public sector companies
- Audits for numerous globally active industrial companies (including several DAX companies), sometimes including extensive internal investigations
Lawyers
Publications
Prechtl, Entscheidungsanmerkung zu BGH, Beschl. vom 8.5.2019 - 5 StR 146/19 in: ZJS 6 (2019), 522
Veit, (Strafbarkeits-)Risiken bei der Durchführung von E-Searches, NZWiSt 2015, 334
Veit, Übertragung strafbewehrter Arbeitgeberpflichten durch ausdrückliche Beauftragung gem. § 14 Abs. 2 Nr. 2 StGB, Entscheidungskommentar, WiJ 02-2013 (PDF)
Kraft/Veit, Schwarzarbeit am Bau - Übersicht, Gefahren, Lösungsansätze, NZBau 2011, S. 321 ff.
Kraft, Die Garantenpflicht des Leiters der Innenrevision und des Compliance-Officers zur Abwendung von unternehmensbezogenen Straftaten, wistra 2010, S. 81 ff.
Kraft, Zur Garantenstellung des Compliance-Officers - Unterlassungsstrafbarkeit durch Organisationsmangel?, CCZ 2009, S. 29 ff. (mit Rechtsanwalt Dr. Klaus Winkler)
Kraft, Angestelltenbestechung im Geschäftsverkehr – Strafbarkeit weltweit?, Der Syndikus, September/Oktober 2003, S. 34 ff. (mit Rechtsanwalt Dr. Heiko Ahlbrecht)
Veit, "Kekse sind erlaubt", Interview mit Dr. Vivien Veit zum Thema Bestechung, Baunetzwerk.biz, 14.12.2018 (zum Beitrag)
Veit, Gastbeitrag zum Risiko aktiver Korruption, Compliance Manager (zum Beitrag)
Kraft, Rezension: "Der strafprozessuale Beweisantrag" von Rüdiger Deckers, StRR 2009, S. 57 f.
Kraft, Umweltstrafrecht, 2. Auflage, Düsseldorf, 2006
Giesen, Die Tatmittel in der Diebstahls- und Raubqualifikation gemäß §§ 244, 250 StGB
Langen, J., Historische Entwicklung und aktuelle Rechtslage des Betrugstatbestandes, 2003, GRIN Verlag München
Kraft, Das nemo-tenetur-Prinzip und die sich daraus ergebenden Rechte des Beschuldigten in der polizeilichen Vernehmung – Eine rechtsvergleichende Untersuchung des amerikanischen und deutschen Strafprozessrechts, Dissertation, Hamburg, 2002