CMS Derks Star Busmann has a specialised team that focuses on all facets of criminal law which companies and employers may experience.

We provide advice about the prevention of liability under criminal law. Through that advice, we support the compliance function of our clients – which includes the anticorruption compliance required by the UK Bribery Act and the American Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA).

Furthermore, we litigate in criminal proceedings. We do that, for example, for the benefit of victims of crimes (persons and legal entities). In those cases, where necessary, we organise the internal investigations, we tend to the report and during the criminal proceedings we recover the damage from the offender.

But also if you or your business come into conflict with the hard edge of criminal law, we can be of great help to you. We prepare you and assist you with your examination as a witness or accused. We consult with the Public Prosecutions Department to look for an alternative solution to a court session. And if the criminal proceedings nevertheless take place, we will provide you with legal assistance. This is, of course, at the Law Courts and during the appeal at the Court of Appeal. But we also have the required special expertise in-house for the special proceedings at the Supreme Court. Dian Brouwer, Head of our Criminal Law practice group, is the Chairman of the Association of Supreme Court Lawyers in Criminal Cases.

The internationalisation of criminal law is increasing. We have the required knowledge and experience to proceed with your legal action at international courts, such as the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg and the Court of Justice of the European Community in Luxembourg.

The Criminal Law practice group also works closely with other specialised lawyers at our office in the field of Sanctions Law. This ensures that, for every problem, the necessary expert knowledge can immediately be brought in. We consider this to be an important added value for our clients, which clearly distinguishes us from offices that specialise solely in criminal law.

Would you like to know more? View the expert videos (in Dutch) in which criminal defence lawyer Dian Brouwer deals with the main terms and steps in criminal proceedings :

Part 1: Criminal Proceedings: Suspicion and the accused
Part 2: Criminal Proceedings: The criminal investigation
Part 3: Criminal Proceedings: What happens during a criminal investigation?
Part 4: Criminal Proceedings: The rights of the accused
Part 5: Criminal Proceedings: Judicial preliminary investigation and mini preliminary inquiry
Part 6: Criminal Proceedings: Dismissal, compromise and writ of summons
Part 7: Criminal Proceedings: The charge
Part 8: Criminal Proceedings: Pre-trial review and substantive session
Part 9: Criminal Proceedings: Appeal and appeal in cassation