Corporate Fraud Lawyers & Business Fraud Investigation

At Draycott Browne, we have a specialist team of experienced Corporate Fraud Solicitors who are experts in advising on all matters of Corporate Fraud.

If you have been accused of an offence of this nature, it is important to seek advice from a legal specialist as soon as possible. At Draycott Browne Solicitors, we have represented a variety of clients in high value fraud cases since 1998, and we have the knowledge required to get the best possible solution for you.

Allegations of fraud can be extremely damaging to the reputations of both a company and an individual so it is vital that you respond quickly to any accusations and seek immediate legal advice to ensure the best chance of a successful outcome

Our experienced Corporate Fraud Solicitors realise that an investigation can be extremely stressful and complicated, and we will endeavour to provide advice every step of the way. We will liaise with the police, HMRC or other authorities on your behalf, taking as much of the stress away from you as possible.

We have a proven track record of successfully defending some of the most difficult and serious cases so if you are facing charges for business fraud, call Draycott Browne today to receive the advice and support you need.

How can our Corporate Fraud Solicitors help? 

Corporate fraud is a complex and time-consuming area of the law that will have a significant impact on operations. Draycott Browne is committed to building your case in an efficient manner, helping to secure a resolution that is best for you.

At Draycott Browne, we can guarantee you a highly skilled and experienced team of solicitors who have the expertise and technical knowledge necessary to defend the allegations against you. We take pride in our track record of achieving consistently excellent results and in providing a service of the highest quality.

We will robustly challenge any evidence against you and will work closely with the relevant enforcement agencies, like the Serious Fraud Office (SF0) on your behalf, helping to minimise the impact to you and your business.

We also have 20 years’ experience dealing with key agencies such as:

• Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC)
• Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)
• Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)
• Crown Prosecution Service (CPS)
• National Crime Agency (NCA)
• Department for Business Innovation and Skills
• Trading Standards

We have a formidable reputation right across the industry for defending cases of this nature with the tenacity and attention to detail that is second to none, providing you with the best, most pro-active and most effective defence available.

The experienced solicitors at Draycott Browne pride themselves on helping our clients at every step throughout the legal process. We will:

• Provide you with assistance in relation to dawn raids
• Prepare you for interviews with the authorities
• Secure bail on your behalf
• Challenge the authorities on search warrants and restraining orders
• Prepare your defence for a trial
• Successfully defend you in court

From the moment you instruct us, we will work with you to assess and review your business operations to not only defend you against current investigations but also to protect you against allegations in the future.

What is corporate fraud?

Corporate Fraud is a particularly complex area of the law that can be very difficult to understand, generally marked by misappropriation of monies. Corporate fraud is defined as a deliberately dishonest act carried out by a business or an individual with the intention of deceiving others, including lending companies or investors for financial gain, or to gain some form of commercial advantage to the individual or business perpetrating the fraudulent activity it can target both individuals and companies.

Corporate Fraud cases are often complex and sophisticated situations and may even cross international boundaries. Types of Corporate Fraud include:

Asset striping

Asset stripping refers to the process of purchasing an undervalued company with the intent to sell off its assets for a profit. The individual assets of the company, including equipment and property, may be more valuable than the company as a whole because of factors such as poor management or poor economic conditions.

Wrongful trading

When a business continues to trade as normal, even though the managers or directors are aware of the fact that they are going out of business. This is classed as a civil offence, so any directors implicated may be held personally liable for company debts, or may be banned from acting as the director of any limited company for up to 15 years.

Fraudulent trading

When a business carries on business operations with the intent of purposefully deceiving and defrauding its creditors. This is classed as a criminal offence and is punishable by considerable fines and liabilities, depending on the severity of the fraud and potentially improvement.

Money laundering

Money laundering is the possession, use, concealment or acquisition of criminal property like money or goods.

Tax fraud

Tax fraud includes tax evasion, where an individual or company deliberately fails to declare their income or falsifies expenses to avoid their tax liability. It also includes instances where VAT is unpaid to the government or where goods that are liable for VAT, excise duty or customs duty are smuggled to avoid paying tax.

Investment fraud

Investment fraud is any scheme or deception relating to investments that affect a person or company including illegal insider trading, fraudulent manipulation of the stock market, share scams and pyramid schemes.

Boiler room fraud

A boiler room often refers to a space set up to facilitate cold calling where sales techniques to sell stocks are based on misinformation, deception and coercion.

Other types of corporate fraud can include:

• Account takeover
• Application fraud
• Bankruptcy-related fraud
• Business directory fraud
• Charitable publication scams
• Cheque fraud
• Cheque over payment fraud
• Domain name scams
• Exploiting assets and information
• Fake invoice scams
• False accounting
• Fixed line fraud
• Insurance fraud
• Intellectual property fraud
• Long and short firm fraud
• Mortgage fraud
• Payment fraud
• Receipt fraud

When should you seek legal advice? 

You should contact Draycott Browne immediately if you:

• Have been informed that you are under investigation
• Are facing a prosecution
• Have been asked to speak to the authorities
• Have been charged with fraud

By seeking legal advice from the start of the investigation, your case is more likely to be successful. We urge you to speak to a legal advisor from the moment you are informed that you are under investigation.

Our team of legal specialists is happy to provide advice and representation at any point during your case.

What are the penalties for business fraud?

The penalties handed out will depend on the type of fraud committed and with consideration of the harm caused and the culpability of the perpetrator. The financial harm and impact beyond monetary loss to the victim will be considered, and culpability will be measured by whether the fraudulent act was planned or opportunistic.

Punishments for committing business fraud can range from community orders and substantial fines through to lengthy prison sentences.

Contact our Corporate Fraud Solicitors

Draycott Browne, one of the country's leading Criminal Defence Law Firms, is highly regarded across the legal profession and recognised as experts across all matters of financial and business law. Our specialist Business Crime Solicitors possess a breadth of knowledge that is unrivalled in the industry and we take great pride in our dedication and professionalism. We are relentless in the pursuit of achieving the best result possible for all of our clients and will continuously work hard on your behalf with an attention to detail and tenacity that is second to none.

Our Criminal Defence Solicitors have practised within the area of business crime since 1998, and their experience and expertise are guaranteed to give you the best possible chance of a successful case. Draycott Browne is one of Manchester's top business crime solicitors firms. We regularly provide specialist criminal defence representation to clients in Manchester, Liverpool and London. We offer our services to clients throughout the whole of England and Wales. When facing such serious consequences, you cannot afford to settle for anything less than Draycott Browne. Call our business crime team today.