International clients
Overview
Procurement fraud in an Australian subsidiary. A local executive with unexplained wealth. A whistleblower report from an Australian office. For an overseas parent or general counsel, the hardest part is rarely the law. It is being able to act quickly and decisively in a jurisdiction where you may not have established relationships.
We act for overseas corporates and funds, and for international families and individuals, whether the problem sits inside an Australian operation, with an Australian counterparty, or in assets that have found their way here. Many of our international clients already have Australian lawyers; they come to us for the specialist layer: the fraud, investigation and recovery work.
We act as the single point of contact for the Australian problem: investigation directed under legal professional privilege, urgent asset preservation, employment steps, regulator engagement and, where accountability matters, referral to Australian police prepared so that it will be actioned.
What we handle
- fraud and corruption inside Australian subsidiaries and joint ventures;
- joint venture and acquisition disputes: breach of warranty, fraud and misrepresentation claims;
- foreign bribery exposure with an Australian connection: our partner Tam McLaughlin worked on Australia’s first successful foreign bribery prosecution during his time at the Australian Federal Police;
- asset tracing into and out of Australia;
- enforcement of foreign judgments and cross-border recovery;
- coordination with your home-jurisdiction counsel and investigators.
How we work with you
One senior lawyer owns your matter and answers to you directly. We work to your time zone, and we report in the form your board or audit committee needs.
Privilege is considered before any investigative step is taken. Australian privilege rules differ from those elsewhere, and in some jurisdictions the concept scarcely exists at all. The difference determines what can later be protected, and it matters most at the very start of a matter, which is when it is most often overlooked.
