We can provide urgent advice and support in respect of arrests, investigations and dawn raids.

The first hours of an investigation can be critical and your responses at that time could impact how the investigation proceeds and whether charges ultimately follow. We have expertise in dawn raid procedures and will advise you and protect your interests:

• Communication with the investigating team as to
• The legal basis for the search
• Intention to arrest and/or conduct interviews
• Approach to enabling access to company data post seizure
• Ensuring the protection of legally privileged material
• Advising you or colleagues prior to and at any interviews
• Post search, seizure and interview engagement with the investigating authority
• Advising as to any Restraint or Freezing Orders imposed
• Overseeing digital investigations with specialist IT support
• Advice on next steps for the company

The range of cybercrime offences changes and develops as technology advances. They include offences aimed at a digital device and those aimed at people. Our lawyers have acted in every type of cyber related criminal investigation. We also have access to a network of forensic experts and specialist barristers enabling us to provide the best advice and support.

Computer oriented cybercrime includes:

• Hacking - the unauthorised use of or access into computers or networks
• Phishing scams – designed to steal information from your device
• Identity theft
• Malicious software/malware - causing system crashes or deleting files or used to steal personal data. Viruses, worms, Trojans, spyware and ransomware are all types of malware.
• Allegations relating to certain uses of the ‘dark web’
• Cyberterrorism

Social media cybercrime offences include:

• Trolling  - which can be prosecuted under the Malicious Communication Act 1988 and the Communications Act 2003
• Online threats - including threats to kill, harm or to commit an offence against a person, group of people or organisation
• Disclosure of private sexual images without consent – so called “revenge porn”. It is a criminal offence to re-tweet or forward without consent, a private sexual photograph or film, if the purpose was to cause distress to the individual depicted
• Online harassment - conducted in a manner that could be expected to cause distress or fear
• Grooming - of a child to gain their trust for the purposes of sexual abuse or sexual exploitation
• Stalking - a form of harassment which can involve persistent and frequent unwanted contact, or interference in someone’s life

The FCA has wide-ranging powers to investigate, take enforcement action or bring criminal prosecutions. Individuals and companies may be investigated for potential criminal offences including insider dealing, money laundering, market abuse, misleading statements, or for regulatory breaches of the FCA’s regime. As a specialist criminal defence firm, we never lose sight of the primary concern of most of our clients: the threat of criminal prosecution.

We will advise you/your company as to how to respond to the investigation enquiries, interviews under caution, requests for information. Where appropriate we will negotiate with the FCA investigators with conduct.  We work with expert and experienced forensic accountants, computer specialists and barristers to provide the support and advice required at any stage.

At their core, professional disciplinary investigations and proceedings commonly follow a broadly similar process to criminal investigations and trials. Evidence is gathered and assessed. Charges may be brought, and these may be amended following negotiation. Where charges are denied, a ‘trial’ is held to determine the facts.

We bring decades of experience in criminal defence work to our professional disciplinary work, which has included advising and/or representing professionals before bodies including the General Medical Council (GMC), Institute and Faculty of Actuaries (IFoA), Solicitors Conduct Authority (SRA), Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).

We will work with you to identify whether there is any breach of regulations, whether this can be proved by your professional body and your best tactical approach, all aimed at minimising the impact on you and your career of the investigation and/or proceedings.

We accept instructions on a private basis. As a member of the Legal Aid Agency’s “High Cost Case Panel”  we can obtain public funding for representing defendants in the very largest fraud cases, however, we do not take on all publicly funded cases and not all lawyers in the firm are available for this work. Please contact us to discuss your case and funding arrangements.

Please click here for more information on our specialist fraud and financial crime work.