In a democracy governed by the rule of law, decision-making processes and actions should be visible and understandable.

Business secrets are essential assets of companies, and are often the reason for a company having a competitive lead in a market.

The latest criminal statistics of the Austrian Interior Ministry show a strong growth of cybercrime: In the first half of 2019, the Austrian police recorded over 13,000 cybercrime offences, compared to around 8,700 in the same period last year.

The woodcock mating season has just ended and deer-hunting season has already begun. Are officials allowed to accept an invitation to a hunting trip, or should they be paying the shooting fees and other costs?

The UK Bribery Act (the "Act"), which has been in force since 1 July 2011, covers bribery in both the private and public sectors.

Es zeigt sich in der Praxis, dass die gesetzlichen Sorgfaltspflichten in Zusammenhang mit dem Wirtschaftliche Eigentümer-Registergesetz ("WiEReG") und die dementsprechenden Compliance-Maßnahmen...

Austria has introduced comprehensive reforms to its Criminal Code of Procedure to address the challenges of securing crypto assets in criminal investigations. The new provisions establish a legal framework for transferring digital currencies to government-controlled wallets and enable premature realization of volatile crypto holdings.

Until now, the highest possible contribution to defence costs in trial proceedings (Hauptverfahren), before a jury, was capped at EUR 10,000. If proceedings were terminated...

Die novellierte Geldwäsche-Bestimmung im österreichischen Strafgesetzbuch ("StGB") beruht auf der mittlerweile 6. EU-Richtlinie zur strafrechtlichen Bekämpfung von Geldwäsche...

Eine rezente Entscheidung des OGH (8 ObA 109/20t) befasst sich mit der Haftung eines Geschäftsführers für den finanziellen Schaden, der durch einen „Fake President Fraud" verursacht wurde.

On 3 Feb 2014, the European Commission released its Anti-Corruption Report (COM 2014/38 final), which provides comprehensive analyses of corruption within the EU member states, national preventive measures in force, and suggestions for legislative improvements.

Under Austrian (and EU) public procurement law, authorities can exclude economic operators that are considered unreliable and therefore unsuitable to be awarded a public contract.

In a recently published decision, the Austrian Supreme Court ("OGH") clarified and strengthened the rights of suspects in criminal proceedings.

According to new tendencies of prosecution authorities, the practical scope of the VbVG could expand in the future.

The fight against corruption has intensified over the past few years in Austria, highlighting the importance of corporate compliance.

The Council of the European Union has formally adopted a landmark directive that will fundamentally reshape anti-corruption enforcement across the bloc. This new EU-wide law harmonises the definition of corruption offences and establishes uniform penalty thresholds, marking the most significant update to the EU's anti-corruption framework in over two decades.

Social Media is omnipresent these days and individuals as well as companies increasingly use these instruments as communication and marketing tools.

In Austria, white collar crime enforcement has intensified significantly as a result of the present economic environment and certain, major, corporate failures.

Seit 1.1.2024 gelten für GmbH und AG neue Bestimmungen, die zu einer zwingenden Abberufung von Vertretungsorganen führen...

Director's liability is a recurring issue in both the Austrian and German courts. One reason is that, when a company goes into bankruptcy, its receivers and creditors tend to look for alternative sources of funds...