Control the first response to an investigation.

The first hours of a regulatory or criminal investigation can shape everything that follows. We advise on evidence preservation, privilege, internal communications, information requests and interviews, then develop a response based on the powers and procedure of the relevant authority.

Get advice on an investigation

When an investigation has started, or is about to

A dawn raid, interview under caution or information notice has landed.
An internal investigation may need to be reported, and the file has to be accurate when it is.
Civil, employment or recovery proceedings may run in parallel with a regulatory or criminal enquiry.

When another route may be better

If the immediate need is a civil recovery, an employment process or a limited internal review, those should be scoped as such rather than treated as interchangeable with a defence to a statutory investigation. We identify the authority, its powers and the client’s objective before a single response is sent.

Powers differ by authority

Interviews under caution are governed by the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 and the PACE Codes. Compulsory powers, privilege and ‘use’ restrictions are technical and vary by statute. The paragraphs below are a starting map, not a substitute for advice on a named notice.

Serious Fraud Office

The SFO investigates and prosecutes serious or complex fraud, including bribery and corruption falling within its remit. It has compulsory interview and document powers under the Criminal Justice Act 1987. Those powers, the status of answers given under compulsion, and the interaction with a later prosecution are distinct from an ordinary police interview. Timing, privilege and what is said in the first response matter.

Financial Conduct Authority

The FCA’s investigation and enforcement work sits primarily under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 and the Handbook. Notices, interviews, skilled-person reviews and settlement discussions follow the authority’s own procedure. An authorised firm, an individual at a firm, and an unauthorised person are not in the same position. We advise by reference to the actual notice and the relevant part of the Handbook, not a generic ‘regulator’ script.

HMRC

HMRC information powers sit mainly in the Taxes Management Act 1970 and related tax statutes. A civil enquiry, a Code of Practice 8 or 9 investigation, and a criminal investigation are different processes with different consequences. Where tax advice is required, we coordinate with specialist tax advisers rather than treating an HMRC letter as if it were an SFO or FCA notice.

How the first response is controlled

Dawn raids and urgent first response. Who may speak, what must be preserved, and what must not be deleted. Privilege is identified early.
Notices and compulsory powers. The notice is read against the actual statute and procedure. We advise on scope, timing and what a sufficient response looks like.
Interviews under caution. Whether to attend, how to prepare, and what the papers show are decisions taken on the facts of the allegation, not as a website slogan.
Internal investigations and reporting decisions. If the organisation also needs an internal enquiry, hold, access and privilege are settled before interviews start. Notification to an authority is a legal judgment on the facts.
Parallel civil, employment or recovery proceedings. A related claim, dismissal or recovery can collide with the investigation if it is not sequenced. We treat that as part of the advice.
Resolution, challenge or defence. Settlement, a challenge to the process, or a defence to proceedings — only as the facts and the forum allow. We will not describe an investigation as closed unless it is.

Principal risks

Saying too much can waive privilege or create a narrative you cannot later support.
Saying too little, or deleting material, can become a separate allegation.
A parallel civil or recovery case can collide with a defence if it is not sequenced.

Fees

We agree the scope and charging basis before substantive work begins. Most matters are charged by reference to time; a fixed fee may be available for a clearly defined preliminary review. Full rates and terms are on the Pricing page.

Who is responsible

Each matter is supervised by a named solicitor. Specialist investigators and forensic professionals are introduced where their expertise is needed, with their role and status explained. Job titles on this site are not a reserved-activity authorisation. Confirm current authorised individuals on the Regulatory information page and the public SRA record.

Questions we are asked

Will you tell a regulator more than is required?

No. Disclosure should be accurate and sufficient. It should not be a story offered in hope.

Can defence run with recovery against someone else?

Yes, where the facts support it. Sequencing is part of the advice.

Should I attend an interview under caution?

That depends on the allegation, the papers and PACE. We will not give a blanket yes or no on a website.

What is a dawn raid?

A search under warrant or statutory power. The first hours are about hold, privilege and who speaks. Do not destroy devices.

Are your fees covered by insurance?

Directors' and officers' liability cover and legal expenses insurance will often pay for this work. Where you have that cover we will, at your request, notify the insurer, seek their agreement to our rates and bill them directly. Insurers frequently impose a panel rate below ours; if they do, we will tell you the difference in writing and you decide whether to cover the gap or instruct panel counsel instead. You remain responsible for our fees if the insurer declines or withdraws cover.

Get advice on an investigation.

Name the authority if you can, describe the notice or contact, and say what deadline you have. Do not send large volumes of confidential material through this form.