Investigations, White Collar, and Fraud

Investigations - Services - Hogan Lovells

Our world-class team advises on the most complex, high-stakes investigations across all key jurisdictions. Our exceptional insights at the intersection of business, government and enforcement agencies - combined with a commercial, accessible style - enables us to guide clients through sensitive matters with clarity, precision and strategic foresight.

Our services
Testimonials
Contacts
Our experience
Recognitions
Insights

Global Investigations Review (GIR) describe us as “one of the world’s best investigations and white-collar practices.”

Any business facing an investigation needs external advisors who understand the pressures of managing legal risk while supporting business continuity.

Our global investigations team combines deep regulatory insight with practical experience to help you navigate complex and sensitive matters - efficiently, discreetly, and in alignment with your corporate objectives.

Whether you're facing regulatory scrutiny, allegations of fraud, bribery, or corruption, sanctions breaches, money laundering, whistle-blower complaints, or dawn raids, we provide the strategic guidance needed to protect your business and reputation. We understand the importance of internal coordination, stakeholder management, and informed decision making.

Our exceptional team includes several former prosecutors from enforcement agencies, giving us an authoritative perspective on enforcement strategy, criminal liability, regulatory violations, tax investigations, and asset recovery. We represent and defend executive boards, and we help them design internal compliance programs that align with global legislation.

Local issues can quickly escalate into cross-border investigations. We are experienced in managing multi-jurisdictional matters, including those involving offshore entities. With teams across China, Europe, the Americas, Africa, and the Middle East, we can help you anticipate and respond to international legal risks - whether that involves freezing assets, coordinating with foreign regulators, or navigating the intersection of global regulation, law and local enforcement.

We can work as an extension of your team - providing clear advice, actionable solutions, and the confidence to move forward.

Our capabilities at a glance

148

We have 148 investigations and white-collar partners in 12 jurisdictions globally

We have 41 former prosecutors and enforcement officials from 20 agencies globally

Ranked in the top 10 of the GIR 30 since its inception

19 teams ranked worldwide by Chambers & Partners

25 leading practitioners ranked worldwide by Chambers & Partners

Hear from our clients and industry leaders

Hogan Lovells can count on leading corporate defense lawyers in countries where many other major law firms barely even have a presence.

Global Investigations Review

The instant background knowledge and ability to adapt to incredibly complex legal and regulatory issues is very obvious. I was impressed by this team and rate them 10 out of 10.

Chambers & Partners (client quote)

The firm's advice is technically excellent, but also practical and easy to understand and put into practice.

Chambers & Partners (client quote)

Hogan Lovells has an excellent team that provides quality legal services and is very closely aligned to what is happening in the government.

Chambers & Partners (client quote)

Many of the attorneys have had agency experience. They bring both the perspective of working for the government and private sector to their work. They are experts in their fields.

Chambers & Partners (client quote)

Financial crime

Bribery and corruption

Anti-bribery and corruption compliance and due diligence

Global asset recovery

Whistleblowing

Business and human rights

False Claims Act and qui tam

Financial crime risks – from money laundering and sanctions breaches to fraud, bribery, and corruption – are increasingly at the top of regulator and enforcement authority agendas. The consequences for companies can be severe, including financial penalties, criminal liability, loss of licenses, and reputational damage. We combine deep sector knowledge, international reach, and first-hand regulatory experience to help clients prevent, detect, and respond to financial crime issues across jurisdictions.

Our lawyers have guided multinational banks, global corporates, fintech innovators, and other regulated entities through high-stakes matters, including internal investigations, cross-border regulatory inquiries, and large-scale compliance remediation projects. We understand the complex requirements of anti-money laundering regimes and related financial crime laws, and we know how regulators and prosecutors approach enforcement.

Regulators are intensifying their scrutiny of bribery and corruption. Authorities in the United Kingdom (UK), United States (U.S.) and EMEA increasingly coordinate investigations, share intelligence and pursue companies and individuals across borders. For multinational businesses, this means allegations can escalate quickly into multi-jurisdictional proceedings, with risks that include fines, criminal liability and reputational harm.

We have decades of experience guiding companies and executives through the full range of bribery and corruption matters - from whistleblower complaints to complex, high-stakes investigations. We apply this experience to protect your business interests and position you for the best possible outcome.

Our global platform gives you consistent support wherever issues arise. When an investigation starts, we move quickly. If proceedings follow, we can defend you through each stage, while also helping you remediate weaknesses to strengthen your future position.

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Anti-bribery and corruption laws are now enforced globally, with regulators coordinating across borders and raising expectations of companies. Businesses are facing closer scrutiny not only under the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and UK Bribery Act, but also under newer and more assertive regimes in EMEA. Enforcement activity is expanding, expectations are rising, and businesses need to show that their company’s programs and due diligence can withstand global review.

Investigations can be triggered by acquisitions, third-party dealings or operational weaknesses, and lead to significant fines, criminal liability, and reputational harm.

Whether as part of the ordinary course of business, an M&A transaction or other situation, we can help you design, test and enhance compliance frameworks that are proportionate, practical and credible with regulators.

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We can help you find and recover money. From asset freezing to judgment enforcement, our experienced team can guide you through complex administrative, legislative, and judicial processes. With over 30 years of experience, we’ve handled some of the most high-profile cases globally.

We collaborate closely with our world-class litigation, arbitration, investigations, white collar, insolvency, and banking litigation teams to protect businesses’ interests worldwide. Our cross-border expertise spans jurisdictions including the British Virgin Islands, the Bahamas, Eastern Europe, Asia, and Africa.

We deliver results in even the most challenging scenarios, regularly acting for liquidators, trustees, funders, investors, and other claimants in major asset recovery and judgment enforcement matters.

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We work with clients in all sectors across the full range of whistleblowing matters. Before an issue arises, we help our clients to design and implement whistleblowing policies and procedures which comply with local law and regulations. When concerns are raised, our understanding of the potential implications allows us to quickly advise, ensure the first steps taken are precise and informed, and then prepare our clients for what comes next.

Through a combination of legal excellence, global insight, and a strong commitment to ethical practices, we deliver strategic guidance on how to respond to a whistleblower. Conducting or supporting internal investigations, we thoroughly address issues in a manner consistent with both legal obligations and best practices. We always strive to identify both global and local solutions that are tailored to the unique challenges that our clients face.

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Human rights risks can arise in any business – through direct operations, supply chains, or partnerships. Allegations of child labor, forced labor or workplace abuse frequently triggers cross-border disputes, reputational crises and regulatory scrutiny.

We support multinational businesses on human rights due diligence in line with the United Nations (UN) Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, and national legislation frameworks worldwide.

These obligations may be your first step into binding human rights compliance. We can help you understand and implement the requirements, and develop policies, procedures and risk-management systems that withstand both regulatory and public challenge.

Our work spans the full spectrum of issues that you may encounter. We’ve acted in some of the market-defining disputes in this field, enabling us to identify how risks crystallize, how cases are argued, and how to put you in the strongest position.

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Investigations and litigation under federal and state False Claims Acts (FCA) are among the most complex disputes faced by companies and individuals in heavily regulated industries. The penalties and damages in FCA cases can pose an existential threat to defendants.

Successfully navigating the complexities of high stakes matters requires more than experienced FCA litigators. It demands the additional expertise of regulatory lawyers who can put those allegations in context, because they understand your business and the rules that govern it. That combination of skill sets lies at the core of our multidisciplinary FCA practice. From the initial fact-finding investigation through litigation and complex settlement discussions, we are the team you need on your side.

False Claims Act and Qui Tam

Steering the course

Despite compliance leaders recognizing that environmental, social and governance (ESG) compliance integration is increasingly critical to their organization’s business strategy, our Steering the Course 3 interview series with 600 compliance leaders revealed the current state of ESG risk management in businesses.

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Key contacts

Stephanie Yonekura

Partner

Stephanie Yonekura

Partner

Los Angeles

Jonathan L. Diesenhaus

Partner

Jonathan L. Diesenhaus

Partner

Washington, D.C.

Dr. Sebastian Lach

Partner

Dr. Sebastian Lach

Partner

Frankfurt

Liam Naidoo

Partner

Liam Naidoo

Partner

London

Nick Williams

Partner

Nick Williams

Partner

Singapore

Meet the Investigations, White Collar, and Fraud team

Representative experience

Coordinating a global approach

The challenge

A UK-listed manufacturer identified potential misconduct within a joint venture overseas, raising concerns about liability under both UK and local laws. The issue triggered immediate scrutiny from the board, who needed clarity on exposure under the UK Bribery Act and assurance that internal procedures were robust across jurisdictions.

Our solution

Our Singapore and London teams collaborated to investigate the allegations, reviewing documents and interviewing key personnel. We reported findings to the board and advised on strategic options. To assess compliance globally, we identified high-risk jurisdictions and conducted targeted investigations, deploying local-language lawyers from our global offices. Interviews were conducted in Brazil, China, Egypt, Mexico, Pakistan, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Vietnam, and further jurisdictions.

Our coordinated, risk-sensitive approach avoided duplication, reduced costs, and ensured consistency across jurisdictions. The client gained a clear understanding of its risk exposure and confidence in its compliance framework, enabling informed decision-making at board level.

Utilizing our collective expertise

The challenge

A global pharmaceutical company suspected fraud and internal policy breaches within its newly launched UK business. With regulatory scrutiny high and reputational risk significant, the company needed a discreet, thorough investigation that would protect its investment and ensure future compliance.

Our solution

Our UK investigations team collaborated with specialists in pharmaceutical regulation and employment law to deliver a comprehensive investigation. We used public records analysis, a review of company documents, and employee interviews to uncover a pattern of regulatory and internal compliance breaches, systematically concealed by key individuals.

We worked closely with the board to develop a tailored response strategy that safeguarded the company’s UK operations and reputation. Our team then supported the execution of that strategy, including employment-related actions and compliance enhancements.

The client benefited from a multi-disciplinary approach that addressed legal, regulatory, and operational risks, ensuring swift resolution and long-term protection against similar breaches.

Striking first-of-a-kind settlement agreements for Seatrium

The challenge

Global marine engineering company Seatrium faced a high-stakes bribery investigation following allegations from a former executive of a counterparty. The claims involved improper payments made to secure lucrative contracts, triggering scrutiny from enforcement agencies in Brazil and Singapore. Seatrium needed urgent, coordinated legal support to manage cross-border regulatory exposure and resolve long-standing liabilities linked to Brazil’s Operation Car Wash anti-corruption investigation.

Our solution

Our cross-border team led a comprehensive internal investigation and advised our client on strategic engagement with enforcement agencies in Brazil and Singapore. In Brazil, we helped negotiate a settlement of approximately US$130 million, resolving allegations of bribery involving public officials and state-owned enterprises. In Singapore, we supported the client in securing a deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) with the Attorney-General’s Chambers - the first of its kind since the DPA regime was introduced in 2018. The agreement included a total penalty of US$110 million, with a credit for part of the Brazilian settlement, resulting in a net payment of roughly US$57 million. These outcomes enabled Seatrium to close a complex chapter of regulatory risk and demonstrate its commitment to compliance and cooperation across jurisdictions.

Voluntary FCPA disclosure

The challenge

Following the acquisition of two subsidiaries, a leading aerospace and defense company discovered that a Chinese agent - paid over US$45 million in commissions - was the spouse of a senior official convicted of corruption. The company needed to voluntarily disclose this to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), manage reputational risk, and divest the non-core business without triggering further liability.

Our solution

Our FCPA team guided the client through a voluntary disclosure to the DOJ, coordinating the sale of the implicated assets to a third party free of DOJ obligations. We presented a detailed Filip Factors analysis and proposed a resolution structure tailored to the facts. The DOJ accepted our proposal and issued a declination under the FCPA Corporate Enforcement Policy - our second such outcome. The client disgorged approximately US$17 million, a significant reduction from the initial €130 million proposed. This result reflects the DOJ’s recognition of the company’s proactive disclosure and cooperation. Our work enabled the client to resolve a complex compliance issue, preserve its reputation, and exit a problematic business line with minimal regulatory fallout.

Navigating regulator-led proceedings

The challenge

A global institutional investor faced a criminal bribery investigation involving an agent of its Italian portfolio company. With potential reputational damage and regulatory consequences, the client needed expert guidance through a complex and sensitive process.

Our solution

Working with our Rome office, our UK team led internal investigations to assess employee involvement and awareness. When the Italian prosecutor became involved, we coordinated local law experts, including employment and criminal defense specialists, to advise on negotiations and defense strategy.

Our integrated approach ensured the client responded effectively to regulatory inquiries while maintaining control over the narrative.

Thanks to our strategic direction and deep understanding of cross-border enforcement, the client navigated the investigation without reputational fallout. The outcome preserved the client’s standing as a respected global investor and demonstrated its commitment to compliance and governance.

Turning to a trusted advisor

The challenge

Amid serious whistleblower allegations against a number of competitors, a global life sciences group proactively engaged us to investigate its own practices. With corruption concerns in Chinese hospital tender processes - a high-risk area for bribery but vital to the client’s business - the stakes were considerable.

Our solution

Our cross-border team - including native Mandarin speakers based in China - conducted interviews with key management and reviewed business practices in the region. We assessed the client’s exposure under both local and international anti-corruption laws and advised on how to mitigate risk while preserving critical commercial interests.

Our proactive, culturally informed approach gave the client confidence in its compliance position and helped it stay ahead of potential regulatory scrutiny. The investigation reinforced the company’s commitment to ethical business practices and strengthened its position in a strategically important market.