Criminal Law / White-Collar Crime / Criminal Tax Law / Criminal Procedure
Criminal law and criminal procedure pose significant personal, financial and reputational risks to accused individuals, companies and directors. We represent and advise private individuals and companies at all stages of criminal and administrative criminal proceedings, from the initial police interview through coercive measures and searches of premises to the main court hearing and appeal proceedings. A particular focus of our work lies in white-collar and tax criminal law, where we combine criminal law expertise with our proven know-how in company and tax law.
Criminal Law Services
In general criminal law, we undertake criminal defence as well as the representation of victims and private prosecutors. We support you in all situations where criminal allegations are made, and ensure that your procedural rights are safeguarded at an early stage and effectively.
- Defence and representation in pre-trial investigations and main proceedings before criminal authorities and courts
- Advice on police interviews, house searches, seizures and other coercive measures
- Representation of victims and private prosecutors, including the assertion of civil claims in conjunction with criminal proceedings
- Criminal law advice to corporate bodies, boards of directors and senior executives on liability and risk issues
Services: White-Collar Crime
In the field of white-collar crime, we defend and advise companies, financial intermediaries, board members and senior executives in complex proceedings relating to property offences, corruption, money laundering and other white-collar crimes. We combine our experience in criminal procedure law with our expertise in company law, tax law and regulatory law to develop economically viable solutions.
- Defence of companies and their governing bodies against allegations of fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, embezzlement, money laundering and other white-collar crimes
- Support during internal investigations, forensic inquiries and compliance measures
- Advice at the interface between criminal law and regulatory law (financial market supervision, professional and administrative criminal law)
- Support in international mutual legal assistance proceedings in criminal matters (extradition, asset freezes, seizures)
Services in Criminal Tax Law
In criminal tax law, we combine substantive tax law with experience in criminal procedure. We advise and represent individuals and companies in criminal tax proceedings before tax authorities, law enforcement agencies and courts.
- Defence and advice in cases of allegations of tax evasion, tax fraud, misappropriation of withholding tax and other tax offences (in particular under the Federal Tax Act and cantonal tax laws)
- Assistance with voluntary disclosures, back-tax and penalty tax proceedings
- Strategic advice on minimising criminal law risks in relation to structuring, restructuring and international tax matters
- Support in proceedings relating to value-added tax, withholding tax and tax at source
Services in Criminal Procedure Law
Criminal procedure law is often just as decisive for the outcome of proceedings as the substantive charge itself. At every stage of the proceedings, we ensure that our clients’ rights of defence are consistently upheld and that constitutional and human rights guarantees are observed.
- Representation at all stages of criminal proceedings under the Swiss Code of Criminal Procedure (pre-trial investigations, preliminary investigations, interim proceedings, main proceedings and appeals)
- Challenging coercive measures (detention, searches, seizures, surveillance measures)
- Drafting of criminal complaints, applications for prosecution and appeals, as well as appeals to cantonal courts and the Federal Supreme Court
- Advice on procedural rights (the right to remain silent, access to case files, defence counsel’s rights) and on coordination with civil, tax or regulatory proceedings