Why Every Business Needs a Criminal Defense Lawyer in New York

From white-collar crimes to regulatory violations, businesses in New York often have to deal with various legal entanglements. To deal with that ever-increasing risk of criminal liability, businesses, regardless of size and industry, you need to work with a criminal defense lawyer.  Let’s find out more about the reasons and need to have a legal expert by your side when doing business in New York.

Dealing with the Complicated Legal Framework in New York

Consulting a criminal defense lawyer in New York is vital considering the complex legal system holding businesses accountable for various criminal activities. In fact, under the doctrine of respondeat superior, a business is often held responsible for an employee’s criminal acts. 

In other words, your business may be held criminally liable for something you may have not done or authorized, and sometimes, you’re not even aware of the act. Some key areas of concern include:

• Environmental violations related to the NY Environmental Conservation Law.
• Cybercrime, such as intellectual property theft and data breaches
• Antitrust violations involving market manipulation and price-fixing
• Labor law violations related to workplace safety infractions and wage theft
• Financial crimes, including securities fraud, money laundering, and tax evasion
  

To ensure your organization doesn’t have to deal with any legal issues, it is important to have a criminal defense lawyer on retainer, as they help implement proactive legal strategies. Being proactive can help resolve issues before they turn into criminal charges.

Additional Benefits of Proactive Legal Counsel

In New York, many legal acts (Martin Act, Cybersecurity Regulations, NY False Claims Act) allow authorities to investigate any criminal activity they suspect is happening in your company. And when those regulatory agencies come knocking, a criminal defense lawyer can save you from running into serious trouble. A competent lawyer can help you well before you notice something that needs attention in your company. For instance, they: 

• Work with you and develop robust compliance protocols 
• Lend a hand when you want to conduct thorough internal investigations when you notice any red flags
• Guide you with risk assessment through regular audits
• Offer assistance when it comes to educating staff on ethical practices and legal obligations

In case things go sideways and you have law enforcement agencies asking questions, a good lawyer can help. For instance, they help manage search warrants, making sure the agencies do not exceed the scope of the warrant. Since they understand the whole procedure, they also tell you about the documents you should share as well as the documents that may be protected. Other than that, they also provide counsel when investigators arrange meetings/interviews with employees. And if it escalates, they can explain how to navigate issues related to grand jury proceedings. 

You realize the true importance of being with a legal expert from day one when criminal charges are filed. This is when a seasoned criminal defense lawyer helps by negotiating with prosecutors and mitigating damage. Skilled negotiation is valuable in criminal cases in New York. A lawyer can negotiate:

• Deferred prosecution agreements: They let you, as a business owner, avoid prosecution by following certain guidelines. 
• Plea bargains, which let lawyers use their skills to get reduced penalties.
• Corporate monitorship, which allows a company to avoid prosecution and instead leave with certain oversight restrictions. 

Businesses in New York need to understand that criminal allegations, related to white collar crimes, and antitrust violations can leave a dent in their reputation. Even if unfounded, these allegations can still result in serious problems for your company, which is why working with a criminal defense lawyer is essential. 

Lawyers can also assist you in managing the public relations side of legal challenges. This is when they come up with skillfully crafted public statements to manage media relations. They also ensure smooth stakeholder communication, making sure partners, investors, and employees are all on the same page. 

Endnote

When running a business in New York, you really don’t want to land on the wrong side of the law. Criminal penalties can be in millions and criminal convictions can sometimes lead to civil lawsuits. Therefore, you should take things seriously and invest in skilled legal counsel, so that you can focus on your core business activities with total peace of mind.

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