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White Collar Crime & Regulatory Offences

If you are being investigated for alleged criminal offences committed in the course of business or breaches of regulatory law, our specialist White Collar crime team are here to help. We take strategic measures to defend our clients’ rights, liberty and professional reputations.

Bell Lamb & Joynson is one of the leading firms of criminal defence solicitors in the North West of England, with particular expertise handling complex, high value and often high profile cases of business crime and regulatory offences.

Based in Liverpool, Runcorn and Warrington, we support and advise clients across the region and further afield with a wide range of matters, from failing to prevent money laundering to serious fraud, embezzlement and tax evasion.

We are members of the Serious Fraud Panel, with particular experience handing Very High Costs Cases (VHCC).

Whatever allegations you are facing, you will likely be worried about the impact on your career and your personal life.

Serious white collar crime and regulatory cases often have the potential to attract media attention, and many of our clients have never faced the criminal justice system before.

We understand this; as well as our legal expertise, our team are experienced in reputation management, helping our clients keep the situation as private as possible.

As a result of our strong track record of success and excellent quality of service, our criminal lawyers are ranked in the top 10 firms nationally, based on independent client feedback at Review Solicitors.

Get in touch with our white collar crime solicitors

If you or someone you know needs fast, expert criminal law advice and defence at the police station, during investigation or at court, get in touch with our white collar crime solicitors in Liverpool, Runcorn or Warrington.

Call 03444 124348 | Ask us a Question

For urgent out of hours matters call FREEPHONE 0808 196 1790

We can travel across the country to assist people at the police station, place of detention or at court. Our lawyers are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

We advise that you do not answer the police’s questions until we are by your side to help you – give us a call before you go to the police station or (if you’re arrested) tell the police you want to talk to your solicitor at Bell Lamb & Joynson.

This includes if you have been invited for a voluntary interview under caution – these interviews are not as casual as the authorities want you to think.

Remember, anything you say during a police interview could be used to charge you or as evidence in court.

How our white collar crime and regulatory offence solicitors can help you

We have experience representing and defending directors, employees, other professional individuals and companies in internal investigations as well as investigations and prosecutions for white collar crime and regulatory crime. Our expertise includes:

Serious fraud
Conspiracy to defraud
False accounting
Embezzlement
Bribery and corruption
Money laundering
Breach of money laundering regulations
Insider trading and dealing
Financial crime
HMRC investigations and tax crime
Antitrust and competition
Environmental crime
Directors’ duties and criminal liability
Fraudulent trading
Data protection investigations and prosecutions
Cyber crime
Corporate manslaughter
Corporate crime and prosecutions
Dawn raids
Proceedings of Crime Act 2002 (PoCA proceedings), including Freezing Orders and confiscation proceedings

We can assist you at every stage of the criminal justice system, providing practical advice about your options, fierce representation and emotional support. Our expertise covers:

General advice if you are worried about becoming the subject of a criminal or regulatory investigation or prosecution.
Advice and representation at the police station or place of detention if you are arrested or invited for a voluntary interview under caution.
During criminal investigations if you are released under investigation or on bail.
At court, including the Magistrates Court, Crown Court and appeal courts.

We can handle investigations and prosecutions brought by a wide range of enforcement authorities and regulatory bodies, including:

Crown Prosecution Service (CPS)
Serious Fraud Office (SFO)
National Crime Agency (NCA)
Economic Crime Unit
Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC)
Office of Fair Trading (OFT)
Health and Safety Executive (HSE)
Trading Standards
Environment Agency

If you are contacting us on behalf of someone else, we are also more than happy to help.

Why choose us to defend regulatory and business crime allegations?

As one of the top Criminal Law teams in the country in terms of client reviews and case volume, you can trust us to provide the high quality of legal advice you need.

Visit our Criminal Law Solicitors page for more information about our reviews, skills and accreditations.

White collar crime FAQs

What is white collar crime?

White collar crime is an umbrella term covering a wide range of economic crime, often associated with professional or ‘white collar’ workers. Examples of white collar crimes include money laundering, serious fraud and false accounting.

What are regulatory offences?

All businesses are affected by regulations to some extent. Different regulatory bodies are responsible for monitoring different types of regulated activities. For example, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) ensures businesses comply with health and safety laws and the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) regulates the work of solicitors.

Where a business breaches its regulatory obligations in relation to certain activities, the regulatory body responsible can investigate and take enforcement action.

Regulators can often impose their own penalties for breach of regulatory obligations. In the most serious cases, regulators may seek to criminally prosecute those responsible and the case will often be referred to the police or Crown Prosecution Service.

What should you do if a regulatory or criminal investigation is opened against you or your business?

You should seek legal advice as soon as possible to ensure the investigation is conducted correctly and brought to a close as soon as possible.

We regularly provide pre-charge advice to people facing investigations, including making representations on their behalf to the authorities or regulatory body.

With us on your side, you have the best possible chance of achieving a positive outcome. In many cases, we are able to get the investigation dropped or resolved with no further action being taken against our client.

What should you do if you are arrested or invited for a voluntary interview under caution in relation to white collar crime or a regulatory offence?

You should contact a solicitor who specialises in white collar crime and regulatory offences, such as our legal experts.

We understand that facing prosecution can be frightening, particularly if you have never been in trouble with the law before. You are probably worried about the future of your business, your career and the impact on your family. While it may be tempting to endure it alone to keep the situation as private as possible, getting legal advice is essential.

The most important thing to remember is that you are entitled to legal advice in interview, even if you attend voluntarily. You do not have to answer the police’s questions until we are by your side.

We can speak to the officers or enforcement agents before they interview you to find out what the allegations are regarding. We can then provide advice, help you prepare, and attend the interview with you. We are discreet and will take all available steps to keep the proceedings as private as possible.

Our police station representatives can offer this service free of charge. So, there is no downside to giving us a call and asking us to represent you.

Can a company be prosecuted?

Yes, there are a number of laws under which a corporate entity (as well as any individuals responsible) can be prosecuted, including:

Corporate manslaughter
Failure to prevent the facilitation of tax evasion
Failure to prevent bribery
Vicarious liability – where an employer can be held responsible for the acts or omissions of an employee in the course of their employment
The ‘identification principle’ – where a person commits a crime while representing the ‘directing mind and will’ of the company

Get in touch with our white collar crime solicitors

Call 03444 124348 | Ask us a Question

For urgent out of hours matters call FREEPHONE 0808 196 1790

We can travel across the country to assist people at the police station, place of detention or at court. Our lawyers are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.