Our White Collar Crime and Investigations practice advises companies, boards, directors, financial institutions, government entities, and senior executives on the most serious and sensitive regulatory, compliance, and business crime matters in PNG and across the region.
We are regularly engaged on high-stakes matters: cases involving very large companies and substantial business interests, significant sums, and conduct that attracts political, regulatory, and public scrutiny. Many of these matters are politically sensitive, involve senior public officials or politically exposed persons, or carry consequences that reach well beyond the courtroom to reputation, shareholder value, and business continuity.
Business today rarely stays within one border. A matter in PNG will often have a connected issue in Australia, and we act on both. Through our Australian capability we provide integrated cross-border support that few firms in the region can offer, so a client facing parallel investigations is managed as one coordinated matter rather than several disconnected ones.
We have helped clients manage intense regulatory scrutiny, conduct internal investigations, and contain legal, reputational, and operational risk. Our experience spans the high-risk and heavily regulated sectors that drive the regional economy: energy, resources, infrastructure, finance, and government contracting.
Core Capabilities
White Collar Crime & Regulatory Matters
We provide strategic, discreet, and commercially focused advice across the full spectrum of white collar crime and regulatory matters, acting for major corporations, their boards, and senior executives in cases of significant value and public profile. This includes allegations of bribery, corruption, fraud, dishonesty, insider trading, market misconduct, financial crime and money laundering,. We advise directors and senior executives on their duties, exposure to criminal liability, and enforcement risk, and support clients in asset freezing, recovery, and related proceedings, with a clear focus on protecting business continuity, reputation, and long-term value.
Internal Investigations
We conduct and support sensitive internal investigations, including board-level matters, with a disciplined focus on governance, evidence preservation, privilege, confidentiality, and strategic reporting. We help clients establish clear investigation protocols, manage document review and witness interviews, assess whistleblower concerns, and develop practical remediation strategies, including voluntary disclosures and governance reform where appropriate. We work closely with boards, management teams, and in-house counsel so investigations are handled efficiently and discreetly, in a way that protects legal position, stakeholder confidence, and organisational integrity.
Compliance & Governance Advisory
We help clients design, strengthen, and implement robust compliance and governance frameworks that meet regulatory expectations and support sustainable business conduct. Our advisory work includes anti-bribery and anti-money laundering programmes, board accountability policies, whistleblower frameworks, internal reporting systems, regulatory audits, employee training, and ongoing compliance monitoring. We bring a practical, commercially grounded approach to governance reform, helping organisations identify risk early, embed accountability, and demonstrate a credible commitment to ethical and compliant operations.
Cross-Border & Multi-Agency Coordination
We assist clients in navigating complex cross-border investigations, disclosure obligations, and multi-agency engagement involving PNG, Australian, and other foreign regulators. We advise on cooperation, enforcement exposure, international information-sharing, and alignment with regional and global anti-corruption standards, particularly where matters carry sensitive commercial, political, or government-facing considerations. We provide coordinated, strategic support that helps clients manage parallel processes, stay consistent across jurisdictions, and respond confidently to regulatory and political scrutiny.
Representative Matters
These examples illustrate the scale and sensitivity of the work we handle. They are described in general terms to protect client confidentiality.
Alleged bribery of foreign officials
Acted in a matter involving allegations that substantial payments had been made to secure a commercial advantage in dealings with government. We obtained witness evidence, including statements from senior political figures, and presented a factual case to the investigators which demonstrated that no prosecutable offence had been committed. No prosecution proceeded.
Conduct of a state-owned enterprise
Advised in relation to allegations concerning senior personnel of a Chinese state-owned enterprise. We developed a detailed factual matrix that established no offences had been committed, allowing the allegations to be answered fully and the matter to be resolved.
Parallel importation and alleged tax avoidance
Acted in parallel importation matters that the authorities characterised as schemes to avoid large amounts of tax, defending both the conduct and the commercial arrangements behind it.
Large-scale investigations
Engaged on very significant investigations and cases where the scale, complexity, and consequences meant that careful and strategic handling was essential to the outcome.
Why Clients Choose Us
Clients choose us for our deep understanding of PNG’s evolving regulatory, governance, and political environment, our track record in the largest and most sensitive investigation and enforcement matters, and our combined PNG and Australian capability across litigation, corporate, energy, resources, and government-facing work.
We pair technical legal strength with discreet, strategic, and commercially informed case management, so clients can address complex and high-profile issues decisively while protecting reputation, operational continuity, and long-term business value.
