Practice Areas – Business Criminal Law and Compliance

Corporate Criminal Law

We assist companies, directors, executives, and supervisory bodies in matters where business operations may give rise to criminal liability.

We support clients both in the management of disputes (investigations, precautionary measures and trials) and in the prevention of risks related to governance, reporting and extraordinary transactions, adopting an approach integrated with legal, compliance, internal audit and finance functions.

Key activities

  • Defense in proceedings concerning corporate crimes (false corporate communications, obstruction of supervisory authorities, breach of fiduciary duties, etc.)

  • Assistance during reputational crises and in dealings with authorities and supervisory bodies

  • Criminal law support in extraordinary transactions (M&A, reorganizations, contributions in kind, demergers)

  • Analysis of information flows and internal responsibilities (delegations, powers of attorney, authorities, controls)

  • Legal opinions and risk assessments on governance structures and internal procedures

  • Coordination with technical advisors (accounting, corporate governance, forensic experts)

Insolvency Criminal Law

We provide assistance in criminal proceedings related to business crisis and insolvency procedures, protecting directors, statutory auditors, management and, where necessary, trustees and creditors.

We intervene promptly from the pre-proceedings stage and during internal reviews, in order to develop a defence strategy consistent with corporate documentation and the management decisions adopted.

Main activities

  • Defence in proceedings concerning bankruptcy offences (fraudulent, preferential, and simple bankruptcy) and insolvency-related crimes

  • Assistance on management conduct during periods of financial distress (payments, disposals, bridge financing, arrangements)

  • Support in dealings with trustees, commissioners, liquidators, and insolvency bodies

  • Document analysis and reconstruction of management decisions (resolutions, flows, responsibilities)

  • Coordination with financial advisors and accounting/forensic consultants

  • Management of searches, seizures, and document acquisition

Tax Criminal Law

We assist companies, entrepreneurs, and professionals in proceedings concerning tax offences, integrating criminal defence with a technical-accounting analysis of the facts.

We operate both in the preventive phase (tax audits, adversarial proceedings, risk assessment) and in criminal litigation, with particular attention to the impact on business continuity, banking relationships, and reputation.

Main activities

  • Defence in proceedings concerning tax returns, invoicing and accounting records, omitted payments, and undue set-offs

  • Assistance during audits and inspections, document seizures/collection, and interviews

  • Technical accounting analysis with consultants and party-appointed experts

  • Management of seizures and precautionary measures affecting assets (proceeds/price of the offence)

  • Coordinated strategy with tax advisors, including in the presence of parallel tax litigation

  • Preventive advice on transactions and accounting structures at risk

Compliance & Privacy

We support organisations in the design and maintenance of effective compliance systems, with a focus on the prevention of criminal risk, the management of information flows, and the protection of personal data.

We adopt a pragmatic approach: process mapping, definition of responsibilities and procedures, training, audits, and incident management.

Main activities

  • Privacy compliance (GDPR and national regulations): roles, privacy notices, records of processing activities, procedures, and technical/organisational measures

  • Data breaches and incident response: operational management, notifications, communications, and defence in the event of claims

  • Audits and gap analyses across HR, marketing, IT, sales, and supply chain processes

  • Staff training and awareness, including for high-risk functions

  • Whistleblowing: channels, procedures, and management of reports

  • Coordination with DPOs, IT security, HR, and internal compliance functions

Administrative Liability under Legislative Decree 231/2001

We assist companies in the prevention and management of the risk of corporate criminal liability, providing support both in the design and updating of Model 231 and in assistance during investigations and proceedings.

Particular attention is devoted to governance, delegations, and powers, in order to ensure that organisational safeguards are aligned with the company’s actual operations and defensible in judicial proceedings.

Main activities

  • Risk assessment and mapping of sensitive areas and processes/activities exposed to criminal risk

  • Drafting/updating of the Model 231 and related protocols, with integration of procedures and controls

  • Support to the Supervisory Body (OdV): supervision plans, information flows, audits, and minutes

  • Internal investigations and management of reports (including whistleblowing)

  • Defence of the entity and individuals in proceedings, including disqualifying and precautionary measures

  • Targeted training for senior management and operational functions

Environmental Criminal Law

We assist companies and management in criminal proceedings related to conduct relevant in the environmental field, integrating legal expertise with technical and specialist support.

We operate both from a preventive standpoint (procedures, controls, permitting management) and in the defence of complex proceedings involving multiple parties, sites, and supply chains.

Main activities

  • Defence in proceedings concerning waste, discharges, emissions, permits, and environmental crimes

  • Assistance during inspections and site visits (ARPA/ATS/NOE and other competent authorities)

  • Defence strategy developed with environmental and technical experts (sampling, analyses, reconstructions)

  • Support in document management and in dealings with permitting and supervisory authorities

  • Integration with Legislative Decree 231/2001 models and HSE procedures

  • Management of criminal risk within contracting and subcontracting chains (waste/transport/plants)

Workplace Safety under Legislative Decree 81/2008

We provide assistance in matters of criminal liability arising from workplace accidents and occupational diseases, adopting an approach that combines procedural defence with preventive organisational measures.

We focus in particular on the clear allocation of roles, powers, and responsibilities (delegations and sub-delegations), in order to ensure that the corporate system is effective, consistent, and auditable.

Main activities

  • Defence in proceedings concerning workplace accidents (including serious or fatal) and related safety offences

  • Assistance during inspections, site visits, and document seizures/collection

  • Analysis of corporate organisation: functions, spending powers, powers of attorney, and decision-making chains

  • Drafting and review of delegations and sub-delegations pursuant to Article 16, and HSE frameworks

  • Coordination with technical experts (safety engineers, occupational physicians, forensic experts)

  • Integration with Legislative Decree 231/2001 models and targeted training for senior management and supervisors

Medical Liability

We assist healthcare professionals and institutions in criminal proceedings related to clinical activity, leveraging technical medico-legal analysis and the reconstruction of the clinical decision-making and documentation process.

We operate both in out-of-court matters and in complex criminal proceedings, ensuring coordinated management of reputational and insurance-related impacts.

Main activities

  • Defence in proceedings concerning personal injury and involuntary manslaughter in the healthcare sector

  • Assistance with the acquisition of medical records, expert reports, and evidentiary proceedings

  • Coordination with medico-legal experts and medical specialists

  • Defence strategies based on clinical guidelines, best practices, and case-specific appropriateness

  • Support to healthcare providers on internal protocols, clinical risk management, and training

  • Management of relationships with insurers and party-appointed experts

Offences Against the Person and Property

We provide legal assistance, both in and out of court, in the main categories of offences affecting personal integrity, reputation, and assets, in both private and corporate contexts (including implications for governance and internal relationships).

We develop the defence strategy on a case-by-case basis, promptly assessing urgent measures, protection of the victim, and safeguarding of assets.

Main activities

  • Offences against the person: bodily injury, threats, stalking, private violence, defamation, and family-related offences

  • Offences against property: fraud, embezzlement, extortion, criminal damage, fraud schemes, and breaches of fiduciary duties

  • Protection of the injured party and civil party representation; applications for precautionary measures and protective orders

  • Defence of suspects/defendants: searches, seizures, and precautionary measures

  • Defence investigations and collection of evidence, including with private investigators and experts

  • Management of reputational aspects and, in a corporate context, coordination with HR and compliance