The firm’s comprehensive management of cases necessarily involves a thorough mastery of the various tools and legal remedies available against criminal seizures and forfeitures, whether ordered as protective measures during the preliminary investigation or as a penalty in the event of a conviction
The attorneys at SLA are well-versed in this area and develop a strategic approach to address measures that are increasingly used by prosecuting authorities to validate theories of guilt against suspects whose presumption of innocence is being undermined.
Examples:
- Challenging before the investigating chamber an order for seizure with a view to possible asset forfeiture (a sanction provided for under Article 706-153 of the Code of Criminal Procedure), given the exceptional nature that such precautionary seizure measures of assets unrelated to the offense must have, in light of their extremely intrusive nature with respect to civil liberties.
- Challenge to a seizure of a company’s bank accounts where the former manager may have embezzled funds.
- Representation of an individual whose assets had been subject to criminal seizure in France as part of a preliminary investigation initiated abroad, in the enforcement proceedings before the criminal court regarding the final confiscation order issued abroad.
- Defense of an individual in a case involving organized fraud, misuse of corporate assets, and bankruptcy, in which several criminal seizures were carried out.
- Representation of an individual charged in a case involving organized VAT fraud, money laundering related to organized fraud, and tax fraud, in which protective seizures were ordered. Challenge of the order to surrender assets to AGRASC due to disposition.