Herbert Smith Freehills LLP‘s compliance team assists with investigations into national and cross-border allegations of corruption, fraud, embezzlement and money laundering; this expertise is regularly called upon by companies from the automotive, finance, manufacturing, aviation and infrastructure sectors. Practice head Dirk Seiler is well versed in criminal law, clients’ representation and asset tracing. Counsel Enno Appel (financial services regulation) left the firm in December 2022 for an in-house position.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- 'Dirk Seiler: Meticulous and careful.'
- 'Many years of experience in this field. High competence.'
- 'They have a very experienced team dedicated to internal investigations."
- 'The team from HSF/Dr. Seiler rightly enjoys an excellent reputation. The advice was excellent and helped us a lot in a difficult situation. We recommend Mr. Seiler and his team for white-collar criminal law matters and internal investigations at any time .'
- 'Dirk Seiler: Technically simply good; well-thought-out concept for internal investigation; strategically very clever; Surveys of particular quality .'
- 'Many years of experience in this field, high level of competence.'
- 'The team at Herbert Smith Freehills LLP stands out from other law firms thanks to its comprehensive know-how and professionalism in the compliance area. Their strengths lie not only in the legal expertise, but also in the ability to present complex issues in an understandable and practical way. This makes collaborations much easier and ensures trusting cooperation. They have impressive expertise and are always proactive when it comes to protecting us from potential legal risks or informing us of important legal developments.'
- 'Their pragmatic and solution-oriented approach makes collaboration efficient and goal-oriented. Particularly noteworthy is the practice's willingness to try a new approach. Advanced technologies have been used, making information sharing and coordination much easier. Additionally, I really appreciate their efforts on diversity and inclusion, which is crucial in the modern world of work. Overall, I would describe the practice of Herbert Smith Freehills LLP as groundbreaking in its industry. They set standards in terms of specialist knowledge, customer orientation and innovation. '
Key clients
- Microsoft Deutschland GmbH, Microsoft Corporation (USA)
- Ford-Werke GmbH
- Pfizer Inc. (USA), Pfizer Products Inc. (USA), Pfizer GmbH (Deutschland)
Work highlights
- Advising a leading battery manufacturer in connection with raw material purchase agreements with a South American raw material producer; Examination of relevant risks related to anti-corruption, money laundering and sanctions.
- Providing criminal law advice to an international manufacturer of security systems regarding allegations of betrayal of trade secrets against former employees; filing a criminal complaint; Supervision of criminal proceedings; internal investigation.
- Internal investigation and advice to a major German corporation in the field of medical technology and health in connection with a cyber attack.
Practice head
The lawyer(s) leading their teams.
Dirk Seiler