White-collar crimes

For many years, BWHS lawyers have offered advice on the criminal liability of board members and supervisory boards, associates, employees and business partners.

The specific nature of white-collar crime requires knowledge not only of the norms of criminal law and procedure, but also of business law in its broadest sense.

White-collar crimes are often found outside the Criminal Code, in special laws regulating different market segments and the legal obligations of traders.

The extensive experience and knowledge of our lawyers in this field allow us to present our clients with all the solutions available in a given situation and to respond quickly in a criminal case.

Passivity or avoidance of contact with law enforcement can further complicate the legal position of the suspect or defendant and expose them to loss of business reputation. Criminal proceedings can also have a negative impact on company image and employee morale.

Examples of offences dealt with by BWHS lawyers include:

  • fraud and misappropriation of property,
  • material and intellectual forgery of a document or invoice,
  • causing damage to business,
  • active and passive managerial corruption,
  • corruption in the public sector,
  • extortion of a loan or compensation,
  • the offence of ‘money laundering’,
  • frustrating or reducing the satisfaction of creditors, concealing assets,
  • offences relating to the mishandling of company records, removal or falsification of records,
  • contractor exploitation,
  • offences relating to public tenders,
  • forgery of money or means of payment,
  • securities offences,
  • offences of failing to file financial statements in a timely manner, keeping unreliable records, failing to perform other duties as defined in the Accounting Act,
  • breach of business confidentiality,
  • failure to declare the company bankrupt,
  • breach of obligations under the Code of Commercial Companies,
  • offences relating to trading in financial instruments.

Our clients include: board members of financial companies, including those listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange, compliance departments in companies with a particular degree of sensitivity (pharmaceutical, medical, banks, investment funds), state-owned companies, financial and operational directors, chief accountants, former employees and directors of companies in various sectors of the economy.