Business criminal law

In addition to the usual offencesThe firm's areas of expertise include more specific areas of business criminal law.

Business criminal law is a recent branch of general criminal law that has its own distinctive features, but is still subject to the fundamental principles of criminal law.

Business criminal law covers both the offences set out in the Criminal Code that are likely to apply in business life, and the multitude of provisions of economic law that are punishable under criminal law.

Commercial law, accounting law, company law, consumer law, competition law, environmental law and stock exchange law are 'penalised'.

Criminal law is an extension of these rights, and criminal sanctions ensure that private interests are respected.

Offences are defined on the basis of economic considerations.

Criminal penalties are cumulative with administrative penalties.

As a result, individuals may be held criminally liable for all offences without exception from 31 December 2005 (Law no. 2004-204 of 9 March 2004).

This area covers offences that may be committed in the course of running a business:

• Criminal liability of legal persons in general
• The scam
• Breach of trust
• Misuse of corporate assets
• Distribution of fictitious dividends
• Bankruptcy and related offences, and insider trading.

The firm advises managers and companies.

It assists them in their activities by creating the appropriate legal structures and representing their interests in their relations with their various partners and when they are accused of criminal offences.