If you’re reading this, there’s a problem. Someone’s flagged your name — maybe it’s internal, maybe it’s regulatory, maybe it’s been whispered across a boardroom table or put in writing by HMRC, the FCA, or the SFO. No matter where it started, it’s already threatening your income, your company, and your future.
These investigations don’t start with handcuffs. They begin with letters, interviews, audits, or requests for clarification. And if you respond without structure, you put yourself in a tighter bind than the accusation ever did.
This is a consultation service. It’s not courtroom drama. It’s structured legal direction to help you contain the risk and take the lead before others dictate the outcome.
Our Services
We advise senior executives, shareholders, regulated professionals, and private clients across the UK. Our services are designed to assess, contain, and support white collar matters from the moment an issue is raised. No speculation. Just structure. Each service below directly addresses the key exposures clients typically face during these matters.
Allegation Mapping and Offence Identification
We review the nature and scope of the alleged conduct, identifying whether it falls under fraud, false accounting, bribery, tax evasion, market abuse, or corporate misconduct. We break down the relevant legislation — including the Fraud Act 2006, Bribery Act 2010, and Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 — to clarify your position and responsibilities.
Communication Strategy and Regulatory Response Handling
Whether you’ve received an FCA notice, a COP9 letter from HMRC, or a voluntary interview invitation, we prepare or review every word of your written or spoken reply. We flag what can and cannot be disclosed, reducing the risk of legal missteps that create wider exposure down the line.
Internal Investigation Setup and Oversight
If the issue originated internally or involves other departments, we help set up and guide internal investigations. We provide support on legal privilege, interview boundaries, data collection, and how to present your findings without creating further liability. This is essential when preparing for dual-track proceedings (regulatory and civil).
Risk Analysis for Directors and Senior Officers
We evaluate duties under the Companies Act 2006, Corporate Criminal Offences regime, and any potential for personal prosecution. This includes assessing knowledge, failure to prevent, breach of fiduciary duty, and whether your indemnity cover or D&O insurance applies.
Anti-Bribery, AML, and Financial Controls Advisory
Where risk involves bribery, money laundering, or client asset mismanagement, we examine whether your current controls are fit for purpose and whether internal failures may impact your legal position. We structure remedial actions that may reduce penalties or improve negotiating power.
Parallel Proceedings Management (Civil, Criminal, Regulatory)
When investigations overlap, timing and communication must be carefully coordinated. We provide clear legal coordination for matters involving the FCA, SFO, HMRC, NCA, or foreign enforcement bodies to ensure no statement, filing, or hearing undermines another process.
Settlement Structuring and Deferred Prosecution Guidance
Not every matter ends in prosecution. Many conclude with structured outcomes — civil settlements, Deferred Prosecution Agreements, administrative penalties, or no-action outcomes. We help you position yourself for these options, working with financial investigators, forensic accountants, and regulators to achieve a contained resolution.
Pre-Interview Preparation and Statement Review
Whether under caution, voluntary, or compelled, interviews carry legal weight. We guide you through preparation, disclosure rights, questioning techniques, and how to respond without triggering secondary liability. One misworded answer can cost you the upper hand — we make sure you don’t hand it over.
Why Choose Us
We’ve advised clients facing FCA enforcement, SFO investigations, and HMRC fraud proceedings.
- We provide direct legal input — not third-hand summaries — to regulated professionals, board-level officers, and legal teams.
- We respond rapidly and structure each phase around statutory and procedural exposure.
- We work with forensic accountants, investigators, and foreign counsel when required.
- We support clients under pressure — helping contain regulatory escalation and reputational risk.
We build communication strategies that protect your legal standing without inflaming the matter.
Take Control Before the Accusation Controls You
Once your name is in a file, silence is rarely a strength. A single wrong move can change the direction of an entire investigation. We help you get structured, clear, and protected — starting now.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. If you had knowledge or failed to act under your statutory duties, you may be charged individually under joint liability or consent/connivance provisions.
HMRC issues a Code of Practice 9 (COP9) when they suspect serious fraud. You must disclose all irregularities through a Contractual Disclosure Facility. Legal support is essential from day one.
Unreviewed responses may become admissions. Even informal replies can limit your defence or create evidence against you.
It’s a court-approved resolution where prosecution is suspended in exchange for cooperation, remediation, or payment. They are available in corporate matters and require structured negotiation.
Legal advice privilege and litigation privilege can protect certain documents, but only when structured properly from the start. Mishandling this can make internal reports disclosable in court.
