At Fenecas Law LLP, we represent companies, directors, professionals, and senior executives in high value white collar crime and regulatory investigations. Allegations of corporate crime are serious: they can lead to criminal liability, significant fines, professional sanctions, reputational collapse, and personal consequences for directors.
White collar investigations are more common than ever in Ireland. Regulators such as the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement (ODCE), the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau (GNECB), the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC), the Central Bank of Ireland, and the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) are increasingly active in pursuing corporate wrongdoing.
We act when individuals and businesses are under scrutiny, providing robust defence, strategic guidance, and discreet crisis management. Our aim is to protect our clients against unwarranted allegations, contain risk, and preserve reputations.
Types of White Collar Crime Disputes We Handle
We advise and represent clients in a broad range of contentious matters, including:
- Corporate fraud investigations – Allegations of false accounting, financial misstatements, and irregular transactions.
- Insider trading and market abuse – Claims relating to securities trading and Central Bank investigations.
- Corruption and bribery – Prosecutions under the Criminal Justice (Corruption Offences) Act 2018.
- Cartel and competition offences – CCPC dawn raids, information requests, and prosecutions for price fixing or anti competitive practices.
- Money laundering investigations – Disputes arising from AML/CFT compliance obligations and suspicious transaction reporting.
- Tax fraud and evasion allegations – Criminal and Revenue enforcement proceedings.
- Directors’ liability – Reckless or fraudulent trading claims under the Companies Act 2014.
- Cyber enabled crimes – Claims of fraud or identity theft linked to hacking, phishing, or digital payment compromise.
- Asset seizures – Contentious challenges to Criminal Assets Bureau confiscations or restraint orders.
Each case requires immediate, strategic advice to preserve rights, prepare defence, and manage reputational impact.
Regulatory and Criminal Investigations
When subject to investigation, early engagement is essential. We defend clients during:
- Dawn raids and searches – Advising directors and staff during on site inspections and seizures.
- Compelled interviews – Preparing and representing clients for questioning before the ODCE, CCPC, or Central Bank.
- Document requests and production – Protecting privilege, confidentiality, and limiting unnecessary disclosure.
- Parallel criminal and regulatory proceedings – Coordinating strategies where multiple agencies are involved.
- Prosecutions in the District Court, Circuit Court, and Central Criminal Court.
We help clients navigate the pressure of investigations, ensuring that rights are protected and legal exposure minimised.
Crisis Management & Reputational Protection
Allegations of white collar crime present not only legal but also reputational crises. Public reporting, shareholder scrutiny, and regulatory press statements can severely damage confidence. We act to:
- Develop media and communication strategies alongside PR professionals.
- Manage disclosure obligations to shareholders, regulators, and markets.
- Protect directors and employees from unnecessary reputational harm.
- Ensure clients meet ongoing governance obligations while disputes are pending.
Our approach combines litigation strength with commercial awareness, ensuring the long term viability of clients’ businesses.
Acting for Directors & Executives
Directors and executives face personal scrutiny during white collar investigations. We act to:
- Defend allegations of fiduciary breach or reckless/fraudulent trading.
- Resist director disqualification or restriction applications.
- Respond strategically to search warrants, summonses, or asset restraint orders.
- Protect personal reputation and career viability throughout proceedings.
We provide discreet, strategic support while vigorously defending our clients’ legal rights.
Acting for Corporates & Institutions
Corporates require strong defence where allegations risk destabilising entire businesses. We advise:
- Boards and compliance officers during live investigations.
- Corporates facing sectoral inquiry (e.g. banking, healthcare, construction, tech).
- Institutions required to self report potential breaches of financial crime obligations.
- Companies responding to employee fraud allegations, whistleblower reports, or regulator scrutiny.
Our aim is to safeguard corporate viability while ensuring compliance with statutory and governance duties.
Litigation, Court, and Regulatory Defence
Our contentious services include:
- High Court injunctions – To challenge unlawful searches, asset freezes, or disclosure orders.
- Judicial reviews – Contesting regulatory decisions or sanctions.
- Defence of prosecutions – Representing clients in criminal proceedings at every level.
- Settlement negotiations – Where appropriate, achieving pragmatic settlements or undertakings to limit exposure.
We are trial ready litigators with the commercial insight to know when settlement is in the client’s best interest.
Strategic Considerations
White collar crime disputes require:
- Speed – Acting quickly during dawn raids or initial arrest.
- Preparation – Gathering evidence, instructing forensic accountants, and building a defence narrative.
- Parallel process management – Handling civil, regulatory, and criminal tracks simultaneously.
- Confidentiality – Protecting business or individual reputations through discreet management.
- Realistic strategy – Providing honest assessments of risk, exposure, and likely outcomes.
We adopt a clear, practical approach rooted in protecting clients at both the legal and reputational level.
Why Choose Fenecas Law LLP?
- Specialist contentious focus – Experienced in defending complex regulatory and criminal enforcement actions.
- Cross sector knowledge – Advising across finance, tech, healthcare, professional services, and beyond.
- Litigation excellence – Skilled in High Court challenges, commercial litigation tactics, and full trial defence.
- Commercial awareness – Recognising the operational and reputational pressures clients face.
- Comprehensive defence – Addressing the interplay of civil claims, regulatory exposure, and criminal risk.
Contact Us
If you are under investigation for white collar crime, or if your business is facing allegations of corporate wrongdoing, decisive action is essential. Contact Fenecas Law LLP for confidential, strategic advice and robust defence in contentious white collar matters across Ireland.
