DLA Piper‘s internal investigations team acts integrated into the Compliance & Investigations practice and regularly assists with forensic matters pertaining to whistleblower protection, money laundering, sanctions, tax matters, employment and antitrust law offenses as well as data protection violations. The team primarily advises DAX companies, which are also supported in compliance due diligence and cyber attacks. The practice is jointly led by Jens Kirchner (HR compliance, whistleblower guidelines) and criminal lawyer Christian Schoop, and also includes Emanuel Ballo, who is well versed in German and international criminal law. Sebastian Mai, who is well versed in the life sciences and pharmaceutical sectors, joined as counsel in October 2024; he previously held an in-house position.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
'A very experienced team with great lawyers.'
'Christian Schoop: Absolutely reliable, very well-founded and up-to-date knowledge, targeted advice, quick processing of our inquiries, uncomplicated cooperation.'
'The DLA Piper legal team that I have had the pleasure of working with have consistently delivered an excellent performance in their work. They have a long track record of delivering timely results and their professionalism and expertise have been invaluable in supporting my needs.'
'We recommend Emanuel Ballo!'
'Emanuel Ballo is great!'
'Absolutely reliable, very well-founded and up-to-date knowledge, targeted advice, quick processing of our inquiries, uncomplicated cooperation.'
'Emanuel Ballo: Very clever mind who finds practical solutions even in complex situations.'
Key clients
- BASF
- James Hardie
Work highlights
Conducting a cross-border internal investigation at a Chinese subsidiary into possible criminal offenses (particularly corruption) and compliance violations by employees and (former) managers.
Supporting a world-leading developer of optical and digital imaging technology for biomedical applications in conducting an internal investigation with international relevance in the medical device sector based on several whistleblower reports.
Supporting a global medical technology company in an international investigation into possible violations of sanctions regulations, including voluntary disclosure to the relevant customs authorities and in the USA.
Lawyers
Next generation partners
Junior partners with significant recognition from clients and peers in the market and key roles on multiple matters.
Practice head
Christian Schoop; Jens Kirchner
Other key lawyers
Emanuel Ballo; Sebastian Mai