Fraud Investigation Practice Overview

Practice Overview

Our fraud investigation and litigation practice stands at the forefront of global financial crime enforcement. With over two decades of experience, we represent multinational corporations, financial institutions, government entities, and high-net-worth individuals in some of the world's most complex fraud cases.

The practice combines legal expertise with forensic investigation, financial analysis, and cutting-edge technology to uncover fraudulent schemes, trace misappropriated assets, and pursue accountability through civil litigation, criminal prosecution, and regulatory enforcement.

What distinguishes our practice is the integration of former prosecutors, forensic accountants, digital forensics specialists, and seasoned trial attorneys—all working collaboratively to deliver results that matter. We don't just investigate fraud; we build cases that win.

Key Statistics

Our practice's scale and success are reflected in compelling numbers:

Areas of Expertise

Our fraud practice encompasses six core specializations:

• Corporate Fraud: Financial statement fraud, embezzlement, procurement fraud, securities fraud, and corporate espionage. We represent companies defending against allegations and pursue perpetrators who have defrauded our clients.
• Investment Fraud: Ponzi schemes, pyramid fraud, investment adviser misconduct, cryptocurrency scams, and hedge fund fraud. We represent both defrauded investors seeking recovery and financial institutions facing regulatory scrutiny.
• Banking & Payment Fraud: Wire fraud, ACH fraud, credit card fraud, check fraud, money laundering, and trade finance fraud. We work with banks, payment processors, and regulators to investigate and prosecute financial crimes.
• Insurance Fraud: False claims, policy manipulation, healthcare fraud, workers' compensation fraud, and premium fraud. We advise insurers, SIUs, and policyholders in complex fraud investigations.
• Asset Recovery & Enforcement: Asset tracing, freezing orders, cross-border judgment enforcement, offshore structure penetration, and clawback actions. We help victims recover stolen assets across jurisdictions.
• Forensic Investigation & Expert Reporting: Digital forensics, forensic accounting, data analytics, evidence preservation, and expert witness testimony. Our forensic experts provide court-admissible analysis supporting fraud cases.

Our Approach

Our fraud investigation methodology is structured around four pillars:

1. Rapid Response

Time is critical in fraud cases. We mobilize within hours to secure evidence, preserve digital data, obtain freezing orders, and prevent dissipation of assets. Early intervention dramatically increases recovery prospects and strengthens prosecution cases.

2. Forensic Rigor

Our investigations adhere to the highest forensic standards. We employ certified forensic accountants, digital forensics specialists, and data analysts who reconstruct complex transactions, recover deleted evidence, and produce court-admissible findings that withstand cross-examination.

3. Strategic Litigation

Not all fraud cases should proceed to trial. We evaluate prosecution prospects, settlement leverage, and reputational considerations to recommend the optimal strategy—whether aggressive litigation, negotiated resolution, or regulatory cooperation.

4. Global Coordination

Modern fraud schemes cross borders. We coordinate investigations across jurisdictions, leverage Mutual Legal Assistance Treaties (MLATs), liaise with international law enforcement, and enforce judgments globally to ensure perpetrators cannot escape accountability by jurisdictional arbitrage.

Team Composition

Our multidisciplinary team brings diverse expertise:

• Former Federal Prosecutors: 15+ attorneys with prior service in DOJ Fraud Section, FBI White Collar Crime Division, SEC Enforcement, and equivalent agencies in Europe and Asia. They understand how prosecutors think and build cases accordingly.
• Forensic Accountants (CFE, CPA): Certified Fraud Examiners and CPAs who reconstruct financial flows, identify accounting manipulations, and quantify damages. Many have Big Four forensic practices experience.
• Digital Forensics Specialists (CISSP, EnCE): Certified information security professionals who recover deleted data, analyze network intrusions, trace cryptocurrency transactions, and preserve evidence under chain-of-custody protocols.
• Licensed Private Investigators: Former law enforcement officers conducting witness interviews, surveillance operations, asset searches, and background investigations to support legal proceedings.
• Trial Attorneys: Seasoned courtroom lawyers who have prosecuted and defended fraud cases at trial. They translate complex financial evidence into compelling narratives for judges and juries.

Technology & Tools

We leverage cutting-edge technology to gain investigative advantages:

• Advanced Data Analytics: Statistical analysis, Benford's Law testing, network analysis, and machine learning algorithms to detect anomalies indicative of fraud within large datasets.
• Blockchain Tracing: Specialized tools (Chainalysis, Elliptic, CipherTrace) tracking cryptocurrency transactions through mixers, anonymization layers, and cross-chain bridges.
• E-Discovery Platforms: Relativity, Nuix, and proprietary tools for processing, analyzing, and producing electronically stored information (ESI) in compliance with discovery obligations.
• Forensic Imaging: EnCase, FTK, and X-Ways for forensically sound device imaging, deleted file recovery, and metadata analysis.
• Visualization Tools: Timeline creation, relationship mapping, and interactive dashboards presenting complex financial transactions in accessible formats for judges, juries, and regulators.

Global Reach

Fraud knows no borders, and neither do we. Our practice maintains physical presence and local counsel relationships across major financial centers and offshore jurisdictions where fraudulent assets are commonly hidden.

We regularly coordinate investigations involving multiple jurisdictions, navigating differing legal systems, evidence rules, and enforcement mechanisms. Our attorneys are admitted to practice in the US (federal and multiple states), UK, Germany, France, and other jurisdictions, with multilingual capabilities supporting seamless international coordination.

Key jurisdictions where we maintain active fraud practices include: United States, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Switzerland, Singapore, Hong Kong, UAE, Cayman Islands, British Virgin Islands, Luxembourg, and Liechtenstein.

Track Record & Outcomes

Representative successes include:

• Recovered €350 million for investors defrauded in multi-jurisdictional Ponzi scheme, achieving one of the highest recovery rates in European fraud history.
• Successfully defended Fortune 500 corporation against €200 million securities fraud allegations, obtaining dismissal after demonstrating inadequacy of forensic accounting supporting plaintiff's claims.
• Prosecuted complex trade finance fraud involving forged bills of lading across four jurisdictions, securing convictions and asset forfeitures exceeding $80 million.
• Advised major insurer in healthcare fraud investigation resulting in $150 million in subrogation recoveries and criminal prosecution of organized fraud ring.
• Traced and recovered $45 million in cryptocurrency stolen through ICO fraud, utilizing blockchain analysis to identify cash-out points and obtain freezing orders before dissipation.
• Represented whistleblower in SEC enforcement action resulting in $25 million sanction against investment adviser and $5 million whistleblower award—among the largest in recent years.

These outcomes reflect not just legal victories, but meaningful accountability and substantial asset recovery for defrauded victims and institutional clients.