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Serious Fraud Investigation & Prosecution Defence

A corporate criminal investigation can be particularly difficult for individuals or companies to navigate and manage. Not only is your liberty at risk but also the finances of the individual or business. An investigation of this nature can have wide reaching financial consequences for your business and your family.

ABR Solicitors are routinely instructed as defence solicitors in complex serious fraud and money laundering matters both nationally and internationally. We represent clients all over the UK, regularly handling cases involving assets worth many millions of pounds.

Our team can support you if you are already under investigation or facing prosecution for serious fraud. If you are unhappy with the duty solicitor assigned to you at a police station and have been Released Under Investigation (RUI), we can take over your defence immediately.

Our serious fraud defence lawyers are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and can be at your side for every stage of an investigation and any subsequent prosecution.

We are one of the leading business defence teams in the country. The prestigious Legal 500 client guide ranks us Tier 1 for General Crime and Tier 2 for Fraud in Yorkshire and the North East, while Chambers & Partners ranks us Band 1 for Crime and Band 2 for Financial Crime.

We adopt a robust and pro-active approach to our representation of both individuals and companies at all stages of proceedings. Our team of expert fraud defence solicitors ensure that you obtain the best form of defence.

All of the serious fraud lawyers in our team have extensive experience of dealing with the various prosecuting agencies nationally and internationally, including the Serious Fraud Office (SFO), The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), The City of London police and Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC).

We can advise on options such as self-reporting serious fraud and Deferred Prosecution Agreements (DPAs) where appropriate.

If you are facing an investigation or prosecution for serious fraud, you need to ensure that you place yourself in the best possible position from the outset by having ABR on side.

Get immediate expert representation for a fraud investigation or prosecution

If you need immediate expert advice and representation for a Serious Fraud Office investigation or prosecution at any time, please contact your local ABR Solicitors office in Leeds, Liverpool, London, Nottingham or Birmingham.

Our expertise with serious fraud investigations & prosecutions

Our team of experienced serious fraud lawyers defend people investigated and prosecuted by the Serious Fraud Office (SFO), the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), The City of London police, Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC), the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS), the Insolvency Service, Trading Standards and the National Crime Agency (NCA).

Such cases include but are not limited to the following:

Acting as a director whilst disqualified
Advanced Fee Fraud
Banking Fraud
Benefit Fraud (including alleged use thereof in Human Trafficking cases)
Boiler Room Fraud
Bribery and Corruption
Carbon Credits Fraud
Cheating the Revenue
Company and insolvency Act offences
Computer Fraud
Conspiracy to defraud
Construction Industry Fraud
Credit Card Fraud
Creditor Fraud
Deferred Prosecution Agreements (DPAs)
Duty Evasion
False Accounting
Fraudulent Trading
Identity Fraud
Insider Trading
Insurance Fraud
Investment Fraud
Land Banking Fraud
Money Laundering
Mortgage Fraud
Missing Trader Intra Community Fraud (MTIC)
Ponzi schemes
Property Fraud
Proceeds of Crime Act offences and confiscation proceedings (POCA)
Red Diesel Fraud
Revenue Fraud
Scrap metal Fraud
Section 2 notices
Tax Fraud
VAT Fraud

What our specialist fraud defence lawyers can offer you

ABR Solicitors has extensive experience dealing with allegations of serious fraud and our expert fraud defence solicitors will ensure that you have a real grasp of the allegations which you are facing and how best to defend them. We work as a team with you, expert barristers and accountants to ensure that your case is defended every step of the way.

From the minute you know you or your company are under investigation, you need a robust proactive team on board ensuring that the right tactical decisions are taken and challenges made to the process.

We are recognised by the Legal Aid Agency (Ministry of Justice) as an expert legal firm able to handle the largest fraud cases prosecuted as we are a member of the Very High Cost Case panel.

We hold the following awards:

Fraud Law Firm of the year –UK (Corporate USA Awards 2019)
Fraud Law firm of the year England (Global Law Experts Annual awards 2019)
Best Fraud Law Firm –UK (Lawyers World 2019)
Best Specialist Criminal Law Firm –England (Legal Awards 2019)
Criminal law firm of the year-England (Lawyer International legal 100 awards 2019)
Fraud lawyer of the year-UK Rob Rode (Finance Monthly Fintech Awards 2019)

We are independently recognised as one of the leading business defence teams in the country. We are ranked Band 1 for Crime and Band 2 for Financial Crime by leading client guide Chambers & Partners, while the prestigious Legal 500 client guide ranks us Tier 1 for General Crime and Tier 2 for Fraud in Yorkshire and the North East.

Rob Rode who leads the team is described as “an extremely impressive and dynamic team leader” who “combines fearless tenacity with an exceptionally personable attitude”. He is an “experienced charismatic fraud lawyer”.

How we can protect your business against accusations of serious fraud

Self-reporting serious fraud & Deferred Prosecution Agreements

If you have reason to believe a fraud offence may have been committed within your organisation, it is often in your best interests to self-report the issue to the Serious Fraud Office or another relevant agency.

By self-reporting and working constructively with investigators, it can be possible to suspend criminal proceedings even if it is found that serious fraud has occurred. Investigating agencies can be willing to enter a Deferred Prosecution Agreement (DPA) where you agree to pay a fine and make improvements to your organisation to avoid future offences.

Our specialist serious fraud defence team can provide experienced legal support if you believe fraud may have occurred within your organisation. We can advise you on whether self-reporting is in your best interests and guide you through the process for doing so and any subsequent investigation and related proceedings, helping to minimise the impact on you and your business.

Dealing with a serious fraud investigation

Should you be investigated by the Serious Fraud Office or another agency, we can guide you through this challenging time, helping to protect you and your business, and giving you the best chance of securing a favourable outcome.

It is important to handle a fraud investigation carefully as you must co-operate with investigators while making sure you do not compromise your defence.

Having supported a wide range of businesses through investigations by the Serious Fraud Office and other agencies, we can provide seasoned expertise, so you know exactly what to do and what not to do at every stage of an investigation and any subsequent prosecution.

Serious Fraud prosecution defence services

If you are facing prosecution for a fraud offence, you need the very best criminal defence team in your corner. Our team are highly experienced in helping clients to prepare for criminal proceedings and have well-established relationships with a number of highly regarded specialist fraud defence barristers, so we can make sure you have the very best advice and representation for every stage of a fraud prosecution.

With a strong understanding of how these prosecutions work and the various angles of defence available, we can make sure all relevant evidence to support your case is collected and presented effectively. We have a strong track record of seeing our clients acquitted or securing lower penalties where a conviction is unavoidable.

Applications to vary restraint orders

A common step in fraud cases is for investigators to apply to a court for a restraint order under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (POCA). If a restraint order is granted, your personal property and business assets can be frozen meaning you will lose access to them immediately.

This can obviously have a very negative impact on you and your family, especially where the restraint order is unexpected and you have not had time to plan for how you will meet your essential day-to-day living costs.

Our team are very effective at challenging restraint orders and we are often able to have the conditions of the order varied, allowing you access to any property and assets you need to support yourself and your family.