Rumpf & Schmidt-Tüshaus mbB

Drawing on years of experience in defending executives and companies in regulatory and criminal proceedings, we know exactly what to do in the event of a crisis.

We support companies at every stage of the proceedings, particularly during searches, internal investigation of facts, assessing legal risks, and in developing the best possible defence strategy. We have experience in coordinating large-scale investigations involving numerous stakeholders and their legal representatives.

Whether the issues involve regulatory breaches, industrial accidents, customs or tax matters, corruption, fraud or allegations of money laundering – we will establish a robust defence strategy.

We are also happy to handle coordination with related areas of law on your behalf, in order to minimise potential damage and far-reaching legal risks, and to protect your business interests to the greatest extent possible.

Thanks to our many years of practice focused on white-collar crime, we have established strong professional relationships with investigative authorities across Germany and with European investigative authorities, e.g. European Public Prosecutor's Office ("EPPO").

Compliance Management and Internal Investigations

Our compliance team has extensive experience in forensic defence and in advising companies on matters relating to compliance breaches and criminal allegations – we understand the priorities triggering regulatory and investigative authorities. 

Through our collaboration with companies and big law firms, we understand your business and your industry, and can ensure that your policies comply with both global standards and current national requirements. We offer a global network and local expertise.

In the event of suspected breaches, we conduct internal investigations swiftly and discreetly, even under extremely tight deadlines. We analyse the increasing volume and complexity of data using AI, working closely with forensic services to optimally combine technical expertise and legal strategy. 

By focusing on what really matters, we help our clients update their compliance systems and better adapt them to the evolving risks posed by changing legislation and case law.

Our practice focuses on both corporate defence and the defence of individuals in regulatory and criminal law.

We have many years of successful experience, particularly in white-collar crime and criminal tax law cases, including customs. Here, we represent and advise individuals, executives and companies at all stages of criminal proceedings and in all courts. All our lawyers have extensive forensic experience and are in regular contact with supervisory authorities, investigating authorities and courts.

Where possible, we seek to avoid public proceedings; where necessary, we defend our clients skilfully and with dedication through all levels of the judicial system.

Our team has extensive experience in defending clients and providing proactive advice on allegations of tax evasion and tax fraud. This also includes allegations of customs evasion (e.g. circumvention of anti-dumping duties).

Whether you have discovered potential tax breaches yourself or even whilst investigations are already underway, we will assess and advise you as quickly as possible on both the options for a voluntary disclosure that exempts you from criminal liability and any necessary corrective declarations.

Upon request, we assist your tax advisers during official tax audit proceedings.

During ongoing official criminal investigations, we assist in identifying tax-favourable facts and defend individuals or companies with expertise and dedication – above all with the aim of keeping those affected out of public proceedings wherever possible. Where necessary, we involve tax law experts or tax advisers in consultation with you.

From a defence lawyer’s perspective, we also analyse the reporting channels for tax returns and recommend improvements to tax compliance.

General Scope of Service

Our team specialising in medical criminal law provides comprehensive advice and defence to doctors, clinics and medical care centres (MVZ), for example in cases involving medical negligence, billing fraud and allegations of (sexual) harassment.

German case law has adopted a very formalistic stance, particularly with regard to billing fraud, regarding what is (already) considered to be improper billing practice. This leads to increased risks, as these (ever-evolving) criteria are often not clear to medical staff in advance.

We analyse your needs, identify risks and provide effective advice.

In-depth expertise, discretion and strategic thinking are a natural part of our service.

Specific (compliance) challenges for hospitals and medical centres

Clinics and medical care centers operate in a highly regulated environment that entails a vast array of obligations and risks of non-compliance.

The increased involvement of investors gives rise to further risks – hitherto largely unknown in the medical sector

Often, when providing start-up and contractual advice to medical centres, insufficient attention is paid to the specific criminal law risks arising from the often complex interplay of health insurance law, professional law, contract law, employment law, tax law and criminal law.

We bring an interdisciplinary perspective to criminal law risks at every stage of a medical centre’s development, because we also provide criminal law support to medical centres at every stage.

We have particular expertise in prosecuting criminal patent infringements and in defending against allegations of criminal patent infringements.

Working in partnership with either your in-house legal team or your external civil litigation solicitor, we develop the best strategy that optimally combines the opportunities and challenges of civil and criminal law in a synergistic manner. Often, it is only through the combination of criminal and civil law that solutions can be found for our clients.