White Collar Crime

Securing successful outcomes for our clients in all areas and types of white collar crime

Trusted experts on white collar crime in Central and Eastern Europe

Whether you are a victim of fraud or yourself facing a criminal investigation, you need to move fast to stay ahead of the game and you want an excellent and highly efficient team of legal advisors at your side. You can rely on our White Collar Crime team’s experience in representing companies and individuals in all kinds of criminal investigations, including international investigations, and in conducting global asset tracing projects.

We can advise and represent you in corruption and fraud cases, and our strong regional ties and contacts allow us to combine our legal know how with our practical expertise so that we can create solutions that work for you in the real world. Last but not least, if you want to reduce your exposure to risk resulting from breaches of law or non-compliance, we have the tools to help you. We offer customised compliance training programmes and assist you in discovering hidden risks so that you can plan accordingly.

Key experts

All team members

Recognised specialists in corporate crime, investigations, global asset tracing, cybercrime & fraud

“I would highly recommend them for white-collar crime work in Eastern Europe. What stands out in particular is the strength of their lawyers in all these jurisdictions. They work very well as one team across offices and provide timely, thorough and practical advice.”
– The Legal 500

“Probably the leading Austrian firm in the space, with a deep understanding of the particular requirements of the near-universal cross-border nature of fraud, asset recovery and white collar crime work. All members of the team in my experience slot easily and confidently in any multi-jurisdictional team.”
– The Legal 500

What makes our team the best white collar crime lawyers for you?

Our regional, integrated firm offers distinct advantages, spanning the full spectrum of legal services.

An established international law firm with 60+ years of experience in Austria and CEE/SEE
A fully integrated team of jurisdiction-specific qualified lawyers across our offices in 13 countries.
Collaboration and innovation across multidisciplinary teams and offices
Excellent client satisfaction – responsive, client-oriented, and consistent
Experience with complex and cross-border matters covering the full spectrum of legal services
Knowledge and expertise to add value to deals across industries

Leading the legal field

Our lawyers are involved in key transactions and matters across the region, bringing their industry expertise and specialised business knowledge to add value to our clients’ work.

Advised banking group in light of criminal liability of one of the bank’s clients

Complete acquittal for major real estate investor accused of criminal conduct

Full dismissal in €1.9 billion criminal case

Criminal allegations against major banking client dismissed

Full acquittal for our client

Our team advised and successfully represented Cevdet Caner, a real estate investor who built up a real-estate portfolio with net worth EUR 1.5 billion, in criminal proceedings started after several years of investigative proceedings.

The alleged criminal conduct included money laundering, investment fraud related to real-estate bonds and defrauding involved credit institutions in relation to debt financing. We secured a full acquittal for our client.

Supporting banking group regarding criminal liability of bank client

Our team of white collar crime lawyers advised a banking group on the criminal liability of one of its clients in the Czech Republic and the consequences of this on the business relationship between them in light of several criminal proceedings and judgments against the bank’s client.

Successful criminal defence

We advised and successfully represented Airbus in various proceedings, including criminal proceedings, which occurred after the initial sale of 18 Eurofighter “Typhoon” military aircraft to the Republic of Austria. This is one of the most important criminal cases in Austria within the last decade with a value of EUR 1.9 billion. We secured a full dismissal of all allegations against our client.

Fraud & breach of fiduciary duty allegations dismissed

We advised Bank Medici in criminal investigations conducted by the Austrian Public Prosecutor and subsequently in the release of all frozen assets in various European jurisdictions resulting from the bank’s involvement in the Madoff fraud.

Our work resulted in the dismissal of the allegations of fraud and breach of fiduciary duty against our client.

What others say about us

“A source reports: ‘They work diligently and are able not only to perceive commercial issues but also to work with them.’”
– Chambers Europe

“Strong team, good to work with, fast communication.”
– The Legal 500

“Very strong, ambitious team and know how to handle big cases.”
– The Legal 500

“Wolf Theiss’ team provides legal advice in the most efficient way that take into account our goals despite the complexity of multi-jurisdictional affairs and transactions and schemes to be considered, analysed and solved.”
– The Legal 500

“Clients emphasise the team’s well-rehearsed advice, portraying it as ‘very experienced, focused, with good strategic and tactical approaches and ideas.”
– Chambers Europe

“The team is also praised for its ability to co-ordinate the work. One client states: ‘I only have good experience with the firm, the teamwork is good; it was fluent and completely uncomplicated.’”
– Chambers Europe

Areas of specialisation

Fraud & Breach of Trust

Employees have defrauded your company or its business partners? Decision-makers are disregarding the company’s interests and are involved in business damaging to the company? Whether you are the suspected party preparing a defence, or the investigation team pursuing damage claims against the responsible opponents, you need a highly experienced and knowledgeable team of white collar crime lawyers with years of experience working with criminal authorities. We offer you all this in one hand.

Furthermore, as representatives for the CEE/SEE in the International Fraud Group – a network of lawyers specialising in international fraud and asset recovery cases – our team can leverage connections globally to assist you in your pursuits.

Internal Investigations

Are you a subject of investigations initiated by the government, whistle-blower complaints, dawn raids, or as a result of fraudulent activities? For many years, we have been working on matters which require an in-depth internal investigation of occurrences that caused significant damage or some other severe impact to our clients and their businesses. This puts us in a leading position to provide high level service for you in such complex and sensitive situations.

Global Asset Tracing

When your business organisation is damaged due to criminal acts, time is of the essence; in particular in the first days following the discovery. The sooner you start tracing the assets the higher the chances to recuperate them and limit the damage. We help you gather the necessary details, and use our networks of asset tracing services and corporate intelligence firms and providers to give you an advantage in efficiently developing tailor-made strategies.

Cybercrime

The internet and e-communication have brought unparalleled opportunities; unfortunately, not just for business. Cybercrime is one of the fastest growing areas of criminal law with more and more criminals exploiting the anonymity and speed of the electronic world to commit an ever-growing number of crimes.

With offenders ranging from individual hackers to highly complex international cybercriminal networks, you need a team which has the size, the connections, the knowledge and the partners to react immediately. The close cooperation between our White Collar Crime, Data Protection, IT and Crisis Management specialists makes us highly effective in helping you.

Compliance

Today’s highly regulated global marketplace requires a multijurisdictional approach to ensure adequate compliance programmes. Criminal authorities increasingly look at existing compliance standards when exercising their discretionary powers to prosecute companies and scrutinise how companies react to criminal incidents going forward. You can rely on us to develop, monitor and enforce your corporate compliance programme and to improve your compliance and anti-corruption guidelines.

Criminal Law Proceedings

A criminal case is no place to skimp on your defence. Whether you are an individual or a business, we can represent you at all levels of criminal court proceedings against allegations such as corruption, fraud, insider trading and money laundering. Our Tax team has extensive experience in fiscal criminal law and can advise you on filing self-disclosures, in particular in Switzerland and Liechtenstein, or defend you against allegations of balance sheet fraud.

Crisis Management

Once you are a victim of cybercrime or fake president fraud, suffer data security breaches or are subject to a sensitive internal investigation, it is vital to move quickly and to have the right team of legal counsel at your side. We use our many years of experience advising clients in administrative, regulatory and government investigations to your benefit, and work together with you and with specialists in crisis PR to ensure the right message goes out to the media. We help in putting crisis management and communication plans and procedures in place, so that if it comes to the worst, you are well prepared.