Pennsylvania White Collar Criminal Defense Attorneys
When businesses face allegations of corporate misconduct, the way these allegations are investigated and how the findings of the investigation are addressed can impact the corporation's future and the freedom of corporate officers and/or directors. In fact, corporate managers, officers and directors may find themselves the subject of criminal investigations and grand jury indictment if they do not properly deal with the allegations. One way to show good faith in addressing a potential criminal problem is by conducting an internal corporate investigation.
Typical business crime allegations for which companies may want to conduct an internal investigation include:
- Business fraud, including accounting fraud, contract fraud, insurance fraud, tax evasion or tax fraud and Sarbanes-Oxley violations/securities fraud
- Embezzlement or misappropriation of funds
- Environmental crimes
- Violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act
Corporate officers need to understand exactly what actions have occurred and whether those actions are, in fact, violations of any law. When that is known, the business can develop a remediation plan to prevent such actions in the future.
The Philadelphia internal corporate investigations lawyers at Boyle, Autry & Murphy can assist corporate counsel in conducting an internal investigation. If your company does not have in-house counsel or if in-house counsel is not experienced with internal investigations, we can conduct the investigation and advise your company on how best to deal with the results.
At Boyle, Autry & Murphy, we take a team approach to internal corporate investigations. Our Harrisburg corporate fraud defense attorneys work closely with corporate personnel and with experienced investigators to determine what has occurred:
- Our criminal law team is led by senior partner Dennis E. Boyle, a lawyer with more than 20 years of experience in investigations as a Navy staff advocate and an assistant U.S. attorney and district attorney. He has personally directed hundreds of investigations. Mr. Boyle is certified as a criminal law specialist with the National Board of Trial Advocacy and has been named a "2011 Super Lawyer."
- Our in-house investigators include a former special agent with the FBI with extensive experience in white collar criminal investigations and a former stockbroker with extensive experience in the financial services industry.
The Internal Corporation Investigation Process
The first step in an internal investigation is a review of the evidence, which may include accounting records, forensic evidence or interviews with witnesses. Once the investigation has been completed, an attorney will conduct a legal review to determine if any liability exists: corporate criminal or civil liability, officer and/or director liability, or breaches of fiduciary duty.
All investigations undertaken by Boyle, Autry & Murphy are completely confidential. Should liability be found, our defense attorneys have decades of experience dealing with federal prosecutors. Frequently, they have been able to approach state or federal authorities to explain the circumstances in a manner that avoids federal criminal indictment or adverse publicity for the company.
Contact Philadelphia Internal Corporate Investigations Lawyers
The outcome of your case could depend on what steps you take during the initial stages of an investigation. Protect your rights. Contact a Pennsylvania white collar crime attorney at Boyle, Autry & Murphy to schedule a free consultation at our York, Philadelphia or Camp Hill offices.
