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Corporate Crime, Compliance & Forensics

Top-tier corporate crime and white-collar defence practice in Hungary, with deep expertise in criminal investigations and anti-corruption matters.

The CMS team is the largest corporate crime practice of its kind in Hungary, handling complex criminal defence, investigations and corporate criminal matters with former anti-corruption investigators, advanced tools and a business-oriented approach.

CMS’s corporate crime and white-collar defence team operates within its top-tier Dispute Resolution practice and is the largest of its kind in Hungary. A dedicated team of specialists handles 10–15 complex, high-stakes criminal defence and corporate criminal matters each year and brings first-hand enforcement experience, with the team including a former criminal investigator from the Department of Anti-Corruption and White-Collar Crime Investigations of Budapest Police Headquarters.

We advise clients across a wide range of sectors, including real estate, energy, retail, transport, agriculture, automotive, banking and insurance, representing them at every stage of the criminal process. This includes proceedings before various law enforcement agencies, general and specialised prosecutors’ offices, trials and appeals, as well as advice on preventive and precautionary measures.

Our team represents clients before police, national tax and customs administrations, prosecutors’ offices and courts, delivering strategic advice and tailored defence in sensitive and high-risk matters. Our white-collar crime expertise covers wide range of offences, including abuse of office, fraud, embezzlement, theft, fraudulent asset management, criminal enrichment, bribery, influence peddling, tax fraud, money laundering, criminal insolvency and cybercrime, alongside regulatory breaches relating to workplace safety, commercial espionage, smuggling and other business-related misconduct.

We also support clients through internal investigations and legal due diligence, helping to identify and manage criminal risk, ensure compliance and strengthen organisational integrity. Supported by advanced legal tools and CMS’s international Dispute Resolution and corporate crime expertise across Europe, we provide comprehensive legal support to both national and international clients to the highest professional standards.

Further reading



Highlighted experience

  • A global technology conglomerate

    on investigations by police and aviation authorities following a fatal aircraft test flight accident in Hungary.

  • Criminal law support

    for a Korean travel agency, its insurer as well as for survivors and families of the victim in the Hableány tour boat accident in 2019.

  • A multinational paint incineration company

    immediate on-site legal support during a police intervention following an explosion at its Hungarian facility, including representation in subsequent criminal law and occupational health and safety cases.

  • A foreign-owned Hungarian insurance company

    on conducting an in-depth internal investigation regarding suspected fraud and bribery involving employees and external brokers.

  • A German multinational wholesale chain

    on the Hungarian law aspects of tax-based criminal proceedings investigated by the Criminal Department of the Hungarian Tax Authority.

  • A multinational media agency

    on charges related to budgetary fraud concerning the fraudulent use of various subcontractors.

  • A global agribusiness company

    in a high-profile bribery and fraud investigation case, advising on criminal proceedings and on restructuring the loyalty bonus programme, which led to changes in the global bonus policy.

  • A Chinese state-owned global commercial bank

    on a criminal law matter and related compliance audit, as well as training on AML and cyber fraud-related compensation cases.

  • A widely known Dutch company specialising in VAT refunds

    in a criminal investigation initiated concerning unjustly reclaimed VAT, by using presumably forged documents submitted in Hungary.

  • An international firm trading in metal goods

    on conducting a comprehensive internal investigation and providing legal representation related to embezzlement committed to the detriment of the firm’s own property.

  • An international health care and pharmacy sector company

    on conducting a comprehensive internal investigation and providing legal representation related to theft committed to the detriment of the firm’s own property.

  • A Japanese pharmaceutical company

    in a compliance investigation case that revolved around the tainted procurement of various marketing events with fake bids and massive overcharging.

  • A significant German-owned energy provider

    on criminal liability of CEOs regarding budget fraud and embezzlement.

  • A major OEM

    on a police investigation relating to a complaint by a customer regarding defective components sent for examination and later destruction. 

Corporate Crime, Compliance & Forensics Insights

Expert Guide to Mandatory Reporting of Criminal Offences

27 Nov 2025 3 min read

Hungary in process of amending its corporate criminal liability regime

28 Jul 2025 6 min read

Hungary to criminalise crypto-asset exchange violations with restrictive validation obligation for service providers and clients

30 Jun 2025 5 min read

Hungary adds criminal offences for sanctions violations and widens corporate criminal liability

17 Jun 2025 5 min read

Expert Guide to Financial Sanctions Enforcement

29 May 2025 3 min read

Hungarian ruling could make credit institutions increasingly liable for AML breaches

05 Feb 2025 7 min read

Hungary drafts bill to ramp up effectiveness of criminal actions against corporations

18 Oct 2024 3 min read

CMS Expert Guide to Anti-Bribery and Corruption Laws

24 Apr 2024 3 min read

Events

  • Hungary
    02 May 2026

    CMS at INTA 2026

  • International
    05 May 2026

    Joint seminar with CMS and Tannenbaum Helpern - A global perspective on securing, maintaining, and enforcing...

  • Hungary
    08 May 2026

    Experience with restructuring bond transactions and fiduciary asset management (trust structure)

  • Hungary
    22 May 2026

    Sale of a company or assets in insolvency proceedings

  • Hungary
    28 May 2026

    CMS International Crypto Forum 2026

  • Hungary
    29 May 2026

    The new Bankruptcy and Liquidation Act (Hungary)

  • Hungary
    03 Jun 2026

    IP Insights webinar series 2026

  • Hungary
    30 Jun 2026

    On the Pulse webinar series 2026 - Spring/Summer

Local market knowledge. Global outlook

We provide future-facing legal advice to help your organisation thrive. Combining local market knowledge and a global perspective, and with lawyers in locations worldwide, your organisation benefits from the expertise it needs, even across borders.

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