Senior, discreet representation in white collar matters.
A regulator's letter, a notice to produce, an interview request, or a charge sheet — each is a moment that can shape your career, your business and your reputation. We act for professionals, directors and business owners facing investigation or prosecution, with the discretion these matters demand.
Who we act for
Our white collar clients are almost always people who have never been near a criminal court before. They tend to be:
- Company directors and executives, including those caught up in events they did not personally direct.
- Accountants, financial advisers, mortgage brokers and lawyers facing regulatory or criminal scrutiny.
- Small and medium business owners, particularly in industries with heavy compliance obligations.
- Public servants and former public servants in misconduct or corruption matters.
- Employees being interviewed as part of an investigation into their employer.
What we act on
- Fraud and dishonesty offences — From obtaining financial advantage by deception to large-scale, multi-count fraud allegations under the Criminal Code (Qld) and Commonwealth Criminal Code.
- ASIC investigations and prosecutions — Insider trading, market manipulation, continuous disclosure breaches, directors' duties, and director disqualification proceedings.
- Tax fraud and ATO investigations — Serious tax evasion, GST fraud, Project Wickenby-style matters, and parallel criminal and civil exposure.
- Bribery, corruption and secret commissions — Including foreign bribery offences and CCC matters in Queensland.
- Money laundering and proceeds of crime — AUSTRAC and AFP investigations, restraining orders, and forfeiture proceedings.
- Cartel conduct and competition offences — ACCC investigations into price fixing, market sharing and bid rigging.
- Insolvent trading and phoenix activity — Acting for directors facing liquidator examinations or criminal charges following corporate collapse.
- Cybercrime and computer offences — Unauthorised access, data theft and online fraud.
- Regulatory prosecutions — Including matters brought by the ATO, ASIC, ACCC, APRA, Fair Work Ombudsman and Queensland regulators.
Where we add the most value
White collar matters are won and lost in the months before charges are laid. The decisions made during an investigation — whether to answer questions, what documents to produce, how to engage with the regulator, what to say at a section 19 examination or compulsory interview — shape what the case looks like by the time it reaches a courtroom.
If a regulator has written to you, called you, or asked for documents, that is the moment to take advice. Not after.
How we work
- Pre-charge strategy — Engaging with investigators, managing notices and summonses, preparing you for interviews and examinations, and protecting privilege wherever possible.
- Parallel proceedings — Coordinating defence of criminal charges alongside civil penalty proceedings, regulatory action, professional disciplinary processes and adverse publicity.
- Senior counsel and forensic experts — We brief a select group of senior and junior barristers experienced in white collar work, and we work alongside forensic accountants and digital forensics specialists when the matter calls for it.
- Sentencing and mitigation — Where a plea is the right outcome, we prepare sentencing submissions thoroughly — character references, expert reports, restitution evidence — to achieve the best result available.
- Reputation management — We work with reputable communications advisers, where needed, to manage the press dimension of high-profile matters.
Discretion
Many of our white collar clients are dealing with a matter their family, their colleagues, or their board do not yet know about. We understand that, and we work accordingly — confidential meetings, secure communications, and engagement structures that respect the sensitivity of the work.