Internal investigations have significantly increased in recent years.
Legal and judicial practices are evolving around the world: plea bargaining for legal entities, increased executive responsibility, and regulatory frameworks – encompassing both soft law and hard law – that increasingly encourage the use of such investigations.
A significant cultural shift has heightened demand from regulators, enforcement authorities, and in-house counsel for the conduct of such investigations.
Whether in France, Germany, or Italy, ADVANT member firms have a strong and widely recognized track record in conducting internal investigations, spanning any kind of misconduct, including criminal offences or workplace-related matters.
Our member firms structure each investigation in compliance with the specific formalities and procedural requirements of the applicable national law, thereby ensuring that attorney-client privilege is preserved over the investigation findings. Whether under French, German, or Italian law, our teams are well-versed in the conditions governing the protection of privileged communications and work product and take all necessary steps to safeguard the confidentiality of the investigation's outcomes vis-à-vis third parties and authorities.
Our teams possess in-depth knowledge of the multifaceted legal challenges that arise in this field across all three jurisdictions.
We handle complex, cross-border, and multi-jurisdictional internal investigations requiring specialized knowledge. To this end, we rely on a shared best-practices framework, which we tailor to the specificities of French, German, or Italian law.
As the legal landscape governing internal investigations continues to evolve, we also provide strategic counsel to guide our clients through the applicable regulatory frameworks.
We frequently assist clients, amongst others, with:
Internal investigations regarding any kind of criminal offences, including corruption, bribery, fraud, money laundering, and other conduct carrying criminal consequences;
Internal investigations into criminal behaviors of assault or harassment in the workplace;
Internal investigations concerning health and safety matters in the workplace;
Responding to requests from Authorities in connection with ongoing investigations;
Post-investigation recommendations and advisory support;
Training on investigation-related matters (including internal investigation process, protection of whistleblowers, application of GDPR to such investigations, etc.)
Implementation or review of internal reporting channels.
ADVANT member firms are responsive, adaptable, and well-equipped to manage large-scale and cross-border internal investigations.
With a substantial team of attorneys, we offer our clients the opportunity to be advised by a tailor-made team across Europe, with a dedicated contact person and aligned rates.
