Vey & Associés

Criminal defense

Recognized as one of the best in its field, the firm acts on behalf of defendants and civil parties, both adults and minors, throughout France and abroad. Today, the firm is an undisputed benchmark in criminal defense in France.

Our responsive team is always on hand to meet our clients’ needs at every stage of criminal proceedings (custody, investigation, judicial information, hearing).

 

We appear before all criminal courts, including magistrates’ courts and assize courts, in mainland France and French overseas departments and territories, for all types of offence.

 

The firm also assists all its clients who are civil parties in the process of obtaining compensation for their losses (Fonds de garantie des victimes and Commission d’indemnisation des victimes d’infractions).

 

We also represent detainees before sentence enforcement courts, to help them adjust the terms and conditions of their sentences (placement under electronic surveillance; conditional release; semi-liberty; extension of the security period, etc.).

 

We assist them in their relations with the prison administration (blocking of visitation permits, laundry) or with their probation officer and, where applicable, before disciplinary commissions.

 

We also intervene before the administrative courts, for example in appeals on grounds of ultra vires against decisions to place people in solitary confinement.

Interventions récentes :

  • Defense of a politician accused of rape and acquitted by the Assize Court.
  • Counsel to victims of police violence who are the subject of an ongoing judicial investigation.
  • Defense of a person accused of complicity in murder in connection with a terrorist enterprise and acquitted of this charge by a specially composed assize court.
  • Defense of two private aviation pilots referred to the specially composed assize court for importing narcotics from the Dominican Republic.
  • Counsel for two Italian nationals accused in France of importing drugs as part of an organized network between Europe and Venezuela.
  • Defense of defendants in criminal proceedings that have been open for several decades and remain unsolved (so-called cold cases).

Managers, employees and companies

The firm advises, assists and represents companies and their executives, public institutions, elected representatives and other individuals, in all areas of criminal business litigation: misappropriation of corporate assets, breach of trust, fraud, influence peddling, corruption, favoritism, embezzlement, bankruptcy, tax fraud, etc...

We assist our clients before the criminal courts and regulatory authorities (AMF, tax authorities, etc.), at every stage of the proceedings (investigation, inquiry, judgment).

 

The firm also intervenes in cases involving breaches of the French Labor Code (obstruction, illegal lending of manpower, bargaining, harassment or damage to employees’ health).

 

We also intervene upstream, on issues of compliance, ethics and governance, to help companies and individuals prevent the criminal risk they may face.

 

Thanks to our experience in sensitive, high-profile cases, we can also provide our clients with a communications and crisis management service.

Interventions récentes :

  • Counsel to the CEO of a multinational company (sales: + €2.3 billion) in connection with a preliminary investigation by the French National Financial Prosecutor's Office into corruption, illegal interest-taking and favoritism.
  • Representation of an elected representative and Chairman and CEO of a major French group (sales: + €4.8 billion) in a judicial investigation into corruption in public life.
  • Defense of a former head of a multinational company (sales: + €24 billion) implicated in an investigation into, among other things, terrorist financing.
  • Counsel to a politician facing trial before the Paris Criminal Court for corruption, illegal interest-taking, misrepresentation of assets, tax fraud and money laundering.
  • Counsel to a former elected representative holding an undeclared bank account and referred to the criminal court for tax fraud and money laundering.
  • Defense of a Swiss national under investigation for tax fraud and money laundering in connection with large-scale real estate transactions (over €130 million).
  • Defense of several elected representatives prosecuted before the criminal court for inaccurate asset declarations, following a denunciation by the Haute Autorité pour la transparence de la vie publique.
  • Counsel to an international group (sales: + €22 billion) in the context of a preliminary investigation by the Parquet national financier into corruption and illegal interest-taking.
  • Defense of the manager of a gaming club under investigation for breach of trust and concealed work.
  • Defense of the directors of a construction and real estate development group under investigation for corruption.
  • Counsel to a group of shareholders in a portfolio management company alleging breach of trust, misrepresentation and misuse of corporate assets by the buyer in connection with the sale of their shares.
  • Defense of a group of investors who were victims of fraud and accused a bank of breaching its due diligence obligations.

Defense of public freedoms

The firm is particularly committed to the protection of civil liberties, a field that is inseparable from criminal defense and a lawyer's primary mission.

We appear before international and regional human rights courts, including the European Court of Human Rights, the African Court of Human and Peoples’ Rights, ad hoc tribunals, the Human Rights Committee, the United Nations Committee against Torture, and the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention.

 

In France, we appear before the criminal and administrative courts to assist people whose freedoms have been violated by the authorities and all those involved in the criminal justice system, including in prisons.

Interventions récentes :

  • Defense of a cyber-militant detained in the UK under conditions denounced by the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, and pursued by the USA, which is seeking his extradition and claiming to deny him the protection of the 1st Amendment guaranteeing freedom of expression.
  • Referral of more than 100 Cameroonian political opponents to the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention.
  • Counsel to victims of police violence who are the subject of an ongoing judicial investigation.
  • Appealed to the United Nations Human Rights Committee to have the violation of the fundamental rights of the main political opponent and presidential candidate of an African country recognized.
  • Intervention in the release of an African political opponent arbitrarily detained in his country for 17 years. Monitoring of the compensation process and the procedure before the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention.

Stock market

With its in-depth expertise in criminal stock market law, the firm acts effectively before both the relevant regulatory authorities (AMF...) and the criminal courts.

Our dedicated team combines solid experience in criminal law with in-depth knowledge of financial market mechanisms, developing tailor-made strategies for each case.

 

We support our clients, both individuals and corporate entities, in cases of alleged breaches of market regulations (insider trading, price manipulation, etc.).

 

Our multi-disciplinary team also assists our clients with their compliance and communication needs.

 

Having successfully intervened in complex and high-profile cases of market abuse, we draw on this experience to defend our clients’ interests to the full.

Interventions récentes :

  • Disqualification of a former CFO of a listed group (sales: + €350,000) and an investor for insider trading before the AMF Enforcement Committee.
  • Defense of a former communications director of a listed group (sales: over 9 billion euros) in an investigation by the Parquet national financier for insider trading, price manipulation and private corruption.
  • Defense of a former chairman of a listed group (sales: over 300 million euros) in proceedings for price manipulation.

Art market

The firm supports art market professionals in dealing with all the legal issues they may face.

We regularly advise artists, galleries, dealers and experts in the conduct of their activities (practice structures, contractual relations, protection of trademark rights, counterfeiting, etc.).

 

We also defend them in complex legal disputes that frequently have a dual civil and criminal component.

Interventions récentes :

  • Defending the interests of an art dealer prosecuted for deception and counterfeiting of furniture.
  • Counsel to a furniture expert under investigation for fraud and money laundering.
  • Defense of an art dealer indicted on charges of organized gang fraud for losses estimated at several hundred million euros.
  • Counsel to the heirs of a renowned painter in connection with the creation of a foundation to promote and protect his work.
  • Counsel to a group of purchasers of fake old photographs, civil parties in a judicial investigation and civil proceedings in Paris.
  • Defense of defendants brought before the criminal court for handling stolen works of art.
  • Counsel to artists in their contractual relations with galleries.

Extradition

Backed by solid expertise in international criminal law, the firm is involved in the execution of requests for international mutual assistance, extradition procedures and European arrest warrants, as well as in transnational and multi-jurisdictional proceedings.

The firm also assists persons subject to Interpol notices and diffusions.

Interventions récentes :

  • Counsel to a French national arrested in the UK, who is the subject of an extradition request from the French judicial authorities in connection with a judicial investigation into the illegal financing of an election campaign.
  • Defense of an Australian national detained in the United Kingdom and subject to an extradition request from the United States.

Press law and e-reputation

The firm regularly appears before civil and criminal courts or competent bodies in press law and e-reputation proceedings.

We defend our clients’ image and reputation in defamation or insult proceedings, and intervene urgently to put a stop to attacks on the presumption of innocence or privacy.

 

We also ensure the implementation of rights of reply and rectification and requests for the deletion or dereferencing of online content.

Interventions récentes :

  • Defense of a cybermilitant detained in the UK.
  • Defense of a communications agency victim of a phishing-type email scam orchestrated by a network dismantled in Spain (loss + 250 K euros) - follow-up of the BFMP investigation.
  • Defense of a private security company victim of fraudulent intrusion into its computerized data system by union activists from outside the company - followed by investigation by BEFTI.
  • Defense of a former Algerian minister defamed by a French weekly.
  • Defense of a Canadian-Congolese businessman defamed in the African press.
  • Defense of a former French minister accused of rape and defamed in the press.
  • Deletion of fake Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn accounts on behalf of numerous public figures from politics, culture and the media.

Sports & Media

The firm has developed solid expertise in sports law, a sector that covers a wide range of issues: disciplinary litigation, contracts, criminal risk, image rights, doping and crisis management.

We advise sports federations, top-level professional players and French and foreign professional clubs in their strategic development.

 

We assist all players in the world of sport and the media in the conduct of their activities (contracts, image, sponsors, assets).

 

We appear before specialized non-state authorities (disciplinary commissions, leagues and federations, the Lausanne Court of Arbitration for Sport) and ordinary courts.

Interventions récentes :

  • Counsel and defense of a Top 14 professional rugby club in connection with the application of the Salary Cap Regulation.
  • Counsel to a European soccer club in connection with a preliminary investigation opened by the Parquet national financier into suspected match-fixing in the Champions League.
  • Relaxation of a leading professional boxer, two-time French champion, accused of violence against a professional field hockey player.
  • Representation of a professional soccer player accused of blackmail and attempted extortion in an ongoing judicial investigation.
  • Defense of two professional handball players prosecuted before the criminal court for complicity in swindling in connection with rigged sports matches.
  • Defense of two stable administrators before the higher commission of the Société d'encouragement à l'élevage du cheval français (SECF) for administration of prohibited substances.

Public Health & Environment Compliance

Given the importance of environmental, public health and risk prevention issues, the firm is particularly involved in these matters.

We appear before the regulatory authorities and the ordinary courts in individual disputes between patients and practitioners, notably concerning medical errors, breaches of information obligations or therapeutic hazards.

 

We also intervene in group actions relating to defective health products, vaccines, environmental pollution or health scandals such as asbestos.

Interventions récentes :

  • Support and defense of numerous victims of the asbestos health scandal.
  • Defense of an anesthesiologist in an investigation for manslaughter.

Conformité

With its in-depth expertise in criminal stock market law, the firm acts effectively before both the relevant regulatory authorities (AMF...) and the criminal courts.

Our dedicated team combines solid experience in criminal law with in-depth knowledge of financial market mechanisms, developing tailor-made strategies for each case.

 

We support our clients, both individuals and corporate entities, in cases of alleged breaches of market regulations (insider trading, price manipulation, etc.).

 

Our multi-disciplinary team also assists our clients with their compliance and communication needs.

 

On the strength of our successful interventions in complex, high-profile market abuse cases, we draw on this experience to defend our clients’ interests to the full.

Interventions récentes :

  • Exoneration of a former CFO of a listed group (sales: + €350,000) and an investor for insider trading before the AMF's Enforcement Committee.
  • Defense of a former communications director of a listed group (sales: over 9 billion euros) in an investigation by the Parquet national financier for insider trading, price manipulation and private corruption.
  • Defense of a former chairman of a listed group (sales: over 300 million euros) in proceedings for price manipulation.