Comprehensive investigative advice on a global footing

With award-winning global investigations teams in more than 40 countries, we provide focused support for cross-border investigations involving your organization. We combine our insights, experience and resources globally to advise on some of today’s most complex issues, including bribery and corruption, money laundering, antitrust and competition, cybercrime and sanctions breaches.

Our global investigations team focuses on mitigating business interruption, economic loss, and reputational damage.

Regulatory coordination and enforcement continue to grow, founded on increased public scrutiny, ESG mandates, cross-border and multilateral cooperation and information sharing, and pressure on governments to respond to allegations of misconduct. International prosecutions, criminal liability and severe penalties for non-compliance have set the stage for a more stringent and intrusive investigative environment.

We provide an effective response to regulatory intervention and raids, and advise on audit inquiries, bribery, corruption, fraud, money laundering, market abuse, tax evasion, product liability, labor and employment matters, sanctions, anti-competitive behavior, asset recovery, and cyber security issues.

“DLA Piper’s major strength is its size and global presence, with investigations lawyers stationed across the globe. It is frequently sought out for help on complex multinational cases…clients have come forward to say they choose the firm for its cost-effectiveness and efficiency in providing advice across multiple jurisdictions.”

GIR 100, 2022

We also provide up-to-date insights into international regulatory developments, investigation hot spots, and current enforcement trends. We can advise on compliance strategies that minimize exposure to an investigation, provide advocacy in the face of contentious and non-contentious regulatory and contractual problems, and have experience in crisis management.

Our international team includes more than 70 former enforcement agency officials, including former federal prosecutors in the US and Puerto Rico. Our breadth of experience means we can help you to resolve subject matter specific, sector-driven and country-specific matters.

Whether you’re involved in pharmaceuticals, healthcare, technology, telecoms, banking, financial services, energy, infrastructure, or mining, we have the industry experience to help you to address the toughest investigative challenges.

Awards and recognition

Experience

  • Representing the audit committee of a multinational technology company for the entirety of its internal investigation and resulting government investigation. This focused on whether certain substantial payments in connection with the company’s India operations were made improperly and in possible violation of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and other applicable laws. The company resolved both DOJ and SEC actions, notably receiving a declination of prosecution letter from DOJ on the same day DOJ announced the indictments of the company’s former president and former general counsel. The company also resolved the SEC matter on a no-admit/no-deny basis for approximately USD28 million.
  • Assisting a number of global life science companies in respect of various internal investigations and business conduct reviews across their operations worldwide, particularly in developing and emerging markets including China, Southeast Asia, Middle East, and South America.
  • Representing a telecommunications company in connection with a multi-year investigation into possible violations of the FCPA conducted by US authorities. This involved allegations the company gave civil servants hundreds of tickets to the World Cup soccer finals. We negotiated a favorable resolution with the SEC, including a relatively modest USD4.1 million penalty, and no action was taken by the US Department of Justice.
  • Assisting some of the world’s largest global life science companies in respect of various internal investigations and business conduct reviews across their operations across the globe, particularly in developing and emerging markets such as China, South East Asia, Middle East, and South America.
  • Conducting an international investigation in China, Hong Kong, Nigeria and Japan for a Japanese company concerning allegations of bribery and corruption.
  • Acting for a worldwide logistics company in connection with a major Serious Fraud Office investigation in relation to allegations of facilitation payments made in a large number of countries worldwide.
  • Advising on a corporate manslaughter investigation arising from a fatal accident of an employee at a plant decommissioning service.
  • Representing a NASDAQ-listed-South African based technology company that is the subject of a joint investigation regarding allegations of bribery and corruption by the SEC and DOJ into potential violations of the FCPA and securities laws.
  • Advising a multinational consumer products company regarding the implementation of numerous global compliance initiatives through to completion as it attempted to resolve an FCPA investigation.
  • Represent an international investment bank in investigations being conducted by the US Attorneys’ Office in the Southern District of New York and the Securities and Exchange Commission into potential insider trading activity.
  • Representing the Audit Committee of a publicly-traded telecommunications company in connection with its internal investigation of whistleblower complaints regarding potential violations of the securities laws.

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