Crisis Consulting for Your Company in Germany

In addition to potential criminal prosecution, severe sanctions in the form of fines or order suspensions are often imposed for compliance violations that have occurred. To minimize the impact of these sanctions on business operations, immediate action is necessary.

With our crisis-oriented ad hoc advice, we act as a go-between for you and the competent authorities, providing immediate and comprehensive support. Additionally, we offer strategic advice on, among other things, the possible defense against claims for damages and the necessary public relations work to manage the crisis - even if fines have already been imposed or government bodies have begun their investigative activities.

If your company faces criminal investigations, voluntary disclosure can help return to legality and tax honesty.

We offer comprehensive and implementation-oriented advice related to the submission of a voluntary disclosure and/or in the context of criminal tax proceedings: In addition to detailed counseling sessions, key components of our consulting practice include coordination with other involved parties and correspondence with the responsible state authorities.

If the acute case has already occurred, i.e. the state investigative bodies are already at the company’s door, there is a risk of hasty actions that may be detrimental to the further proceedings. The first few hours of an official search are crucial for the further investigation or criminal proceedings and are particularly prone to errors.

In addition to prevention and possible, resource-saving process planning, our experts can also advise you on the correct behavior in connection with government searches and seizures to minimize the possible adverse effects of government investigations and prosecutions.

If your company has suffered a high-profile compliance breach that has damaged its reputation, and consequently, the public’s trust, it’s crucial to repair this damage and restore your company’s image post-crisis.

Three key factors should be considered:

• Firstly, it’s crucial to issue a clear apology to the public for the compliance breach. This step is often overlooked by companies.
• Secondly, it’s vital to address the crisis sustainably. It’s not just about managing the symptoms of the crisis, but also pinpointing the actual causes. The company needs to investigate how and why the breach occurred.
• Lastly, particularly for significant compliance breaches that have attracted media attention, there should be an externally visible change within the company. For instance, are credible third parties introduced as ‘cleaners’ and ‘faces of the new beginning’, or is it just an internal employee who might have been involved? As demonstrated by Volkswagen, a slightly revised company logo can also aid in signaling a fresh start.