Becoming an international team player: the evolution of white collar crime lawyers

Are we entering a new era of white collar crime (WCC)? Current developments certainly suggest this to be the case. While the "classics" of WCC, such as embezzlement, fraud or corruption, will continue to play a significant role in the work of WCC lawyers, more and more matters that have traditionally not fallen under this umbrella are now being internationally regulated and prosecuted under criminal law or are part of the portfolio of a WCC lawyer. Areas such as environmental crime, ESG, sanctions, cybercrime and cybersecurity, the establishment of the European Public Prosecutor's Office, deferred prosecution agreements, data management and litigation-PR are just a few examples. These developments highlight that, to understand the legal and factual background of such matters and effectively assess the criminal law aspects to the satisfaction of clients, the modern WCC lawyer now should embrace a role as an internationally active team player. After all, success is sweeter when shared.

author: Oliver Michael Loksa