White Collar Crime Solicitors

White collar crime is financially motivated, non-violent crime committed in a business or professional setting, and prosecutors most often charge it under the Fraud Act 2006, the Bribery Act 2010, and the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002. Holborn Adams, a team of white collar crime solicitors, defends individuals and companies investigated by the Serious Fraud Office (SFO), HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), and the police, from first contact through to trial.

The firm is privately funded and charges fixed fees. Call the 24/7 line on 020 3870 2249 for confidential advice.

What is White Collar Crime?

White collar crime is a group of offences that involve dishonesty, deception, or abuse of trust for financial gain. The phrase dates from the 1930s and describes crimes committed by office workers and professionals, who traditionally wore white shirt collars. It covers fraud, bribery, money laundering, tax evasion, and market abuse.

People who ask what is collar crime are asking about the same idea. The accused may be described as white collar fraudsters, a collar criminal, or white collar crime criminals. These labels are loose, and an allegation is not proof of guilt. The people accused are often company directors, accountants, finance staff, and business owners, and many have no previous convictions.

A common myth states that white collar crime is victimless or punished lightly. The law does not support that view. Fraud carries a maximum of 10 years in prison under the Fraud Act 2006. Money laundering carries a maximum of 14 years under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002. Courts can also order confiscation of assets, and a conviction can end a professional career.

White Collar Offences We Defend

Each offence below links to a page with more detail.

• Fraud: Fraud Act 2006, maximum 10 years.
• Bribery and corruption: Bribery Act 2010, maximum 10 years for individuals, plus the section 7 corporate offence.
• Money laundering: Proceeds of Crime Act 2002, sections 327 to 329, maximum 14 years.
• Tax evasion and HMRC investigations: cheating the public revenue, a common law offence with a maximum of life imprisonment.
• VAT fraud: Value Added Tax Act 1994, section 72, maximum 7 years.
• Insider dealing and market abuse: Criminal Justice Act 1993, Part V, maximum 10 years.
• False accounting and embezzlement: Theft Act 1968, maximum 7 years.
• Mortgage fraud, insurance fraud, benefit fraud, and Bounce Back Loan fraud: most are charged under the Fraud Act 2006, maximum 10 years.
• Regulatory offences: penalties vary by statute and regulator.

For complex or high-value allegations, read our page on serious fraud solicitors.

Who Investigates White Collar Crime?

There are a number of agencies that investigate white collar crime. Each agency has its own powers.

• Serious Fraud Office: can compel answers and documents with section 2 notices under the Criminal Justice Act 1987.
• HMRC Fraud Investigation Service: investigates tax evasion, VAT fraud, and related offences.
• Financial Conduct Authority: investigates market abuse and insider dealing.
• National Crime Agency (NCA): leads on organised financial crime and money laundering.
• City of London Police: acts as the national lead force for fraud.
• Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) Specialist Fraud Division: decides whether to charge and prosecutes many fraud cases.

You may be asked to answer questions and provide documents under a Section 2 notice. Refusing without a reasonable excuse can be an offence, so take advice before you respond.

How Our White Collar Crime Solicitors Help at Every Stage

Early advice shapes the course of a white collar investigation. Our support follows the case in order.

1. Before any investigation. We provide crisis management when you suspect an inquiry is coming, including advice on preserving documents and running internal reviews.
2. Dawn raids and search warrants. We attend at the start to check the warrant and protect legal privilege, which keeps your communications with a lawyer confidential. See dawn raid representation.
3. Interviews under caution and section 2 interviews. We review the disclosure, prepare you, and attend with you. Honest and consistent answers are critical. See interview under caution representation.
4. Restraint orders and account freezing orders. We challenge or vary orders that freeze your assets and seek access to funds for living and legal costs. See confiscation and asset restraint.
5. Representations before charge. We write to the investigator or prosecutor to explain why the evidence may not meet the charging test. This aims to avoid a charge or narrow it.
6. Trial. We test the prosecution evidence, instruct experts where needed, and present your defence.
7. Confiscation. After a conviction, we contest the value of any benefit and the sum available to pay.

Companies and Directors

A company can face prosecution as well as the people who run it. Three corporate offences matter most.

• Failure to prevent bribery: section 7 of the Bribery Act 2010 applies where a person associated with the company bribes on its behalf. The penalty is an unlimited fine.
• Failure to prevent the facilitation of tax evasion: Criminal Finances Act 2017, sections 45 and 46. The penalty is an unlimited fine.
• Failure to prevent fraud: Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023, in force since 1 September 2025 for large organisations. The penalty is an unlimited fine. Read the GOV.UK guidance on failure to prevent fraud to check whether your organisation is covered.

A court can approve a deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) under Schedule 17 of the Crime and Courts Act 2013. A DPA suspends a prosecution while the company meets agreed terms.

Directors also carry personal risk, because prosecutors can pursue individuals even when the company settles. Read more about directors' personal liability.

Why Choose Holborn Adams

If you are comparing white collar crime lawyers in London, weigh these facts.

• Privately funded: the firm does not offer legal aid.
• Fixed fees: you know the cost before the work starts.
• 24/7 access: call 020 3870 2249 at any hour.
• A dedicated team: solicitors including Fay Ashton and Yasmin Osman act in fraud and false accounting cases, and the firm’s directors are ranked in the Legal 500.
• Case results: a multi-million pound VAT fraud investigation discontinued against the firm’s client (VAT fraud results); no further action for a client accused of fraud by abuse of position and money laundering, after pre-charge representations to the CPS (serious fraud results); and the defence of a Chartered Accountant accused of false accounting, prepared with expert forensic accountants (Fay Ashton’s profile).

Results depend on the facts of each case, and past outcomes do not guarantee a future one.

FAQs

1. What is white collar crime?

White collar crime is non-violent crime committed for financial gain, usually in a business or professional setting. It includes fraud, bribery, money laundering, tax evasion, and insider dealing. The term dates from the 1930s.

2. What are examples of white collar crimes?

Examples include fraud under the Fraud Act 2006, bribery under the Bribery Act 2010, and money laundering under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002. Other examples are VAT fraud, tax evasion, false accounting, insider dealing, and Bounce Back Loan fraud.

3. Is white collar crime punished less harshly than other crime?

No. Fraud carries up to 10 years in prison, bribery up to 10 years, insider dealing up to 10 years, and money laundering up to 14 years. Cheating the public revenue carries a maximum of life imprisonment. Courts can also order confiscation of assets.

4. Can a company be prosecuted for white collar crime?

Yes. A company can be prosecuted for failure to prevent bribery, failure to prevent the facilitation of tax evasion, and failure to prevent fraud. Directors can also face personal prosecution, and some companies may be offered a deferred prosecution agreement.

5. What should I do if the SFO or HMRC contacts me?

Do not answer questions or hand over documents before you take legal advice. Keep every record and delete nothing. Call a solicitor straight away, because early advice can shape how the investigation develops.

6. Do I need a solicitor for a voluntary interview?

Yes. A voluntary interview is still an interview under caution, and your answers can be used as evidence. A solicitor can review the disclosure, advise on your answers, and attend with you.

Speak to a Solicitor Today

Call 020 3870 2249, 24 hours a day, for confidential advice about a white collar crime investigation.

This article is for general legal information only and does not constitute legal advice. For confidential advice about white collar crime, contact Holborn Adams to speak with an experienced solicitor.

‍