Criminal proceedings can halt a company's operations even when there are no well-founded claims against it: an office search, seizure of servers, freezing of accounts or goods, rulings granting temporary access to documents. High-risk sectors — crypto, fintech, IT — are especially vulnerable, as regulation there is still taking shape and the technical details of the business are not easy to explain to investigators and courts.
We analyse risks, prepare the company for possible investigative actions, attend searches, challenge freezes and unlawful decisions, and defend company officers. For ongoing support we offer a retainer arrangement, with the scope and cost agreed individually.
When to seek help
- A search is under way or has been carried out at your office or warehouse
- The company's accounts, property, goods or virtual assets have been frozen
- You have received a ruling on temporary access to documents
- The director or accountant has been summoned for questioning
- The company works with virtual assets or payments and wants to prepare for possible checks
- A company officer has been served a notice of suspicion under an economic crime article
What the lawyer does
Criminal law risk audit
We review contracts, payments and corporate structure for vulnerabilities that could trigger criminal proceedings and propose ways to reduce them.
Search response protocol
We draw up instructions for staff: who deals with investigators, whom to call, how to protect data and keep the business running during investigative actions.
Attendance at searches and temporary access
We attend searches and the execution of temporary access rulings, monitor the scope of what is seized and insist on copying data instead of seizing servers.
Lifting freezes
We appeal rulings freezing property, accounts and assets, file motions to lift a freeze once its grounds no longer apply, and seek the return of seized items.
Defending company officers
We represent directors, accountants and owners at questioning and defend those served a notice of suspicion, provided there is no conflict of interest between them and the company.
Support for high-risk businesses
We explain to investigators and courts the technical aspects of working with virtual assets, payments and IT products, and involve specialists and experts where needed.
Documents to prepare
- Rulings on searches, temporary access or arrest of property
- Records of investigative actions and inventories of seized items
- Constitutional documents, key contracts, financial statements
- Bank statements and documents on movements of funds or virtual assets
- Summonses, law enforcement requests and correspondence with the authorities
- Internal KYC/AML policies, if the company has them
What you get
- A map of criminal law risks and recommendations to reduce them
- Staff instructions in case of a search
- Motions and complaints regarding freezes and seized property
- Defence of company officers and regular reports to owners
Frequently asked questions
What should we do if the company's accounts are frozen?
Obtain a copy of the freezing ruling and find out in which proceedings and on what grounds it was imposed. The ruling can be appealed, and if the grounds no longer apply you can ask for the arrest of property to be lifted under Article 174 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CPC/КПК). At the same time, it is worth assessing how to reduce the impact of the freeze on payments to counterparties.
Can servers and computers be seized during a search?
The Criminal Procedure Code (CPC/КПК) restricts the seizure of electronic information systems: as a general rule the investigation copies the required information, and the storage devices themselves may be seized only in cases defined by law, for example when expressly permitted by the ruling. A lawyer attending the search insists on these rules being followed and records violations.
Do you work with crypto and fintech companies?
Yes, cases involving businesses in high-risk sectors — crypto, fintech, IT — are a separate area of our practice. We take into account the specifics of virtual assets, payment services and KYC/AML requirements and explain these processes to investigators and courts. The legal regime for virtual assets in Ukraine is changing, so we assess each situation under the rules in force.