Barba & Partner Rechtsanwälte
Barba & Partner Rechtsanwälte defends individuals under investigation or accused in criminal proceedings in Germany. The focus is on Munich and on cases involving commercial, tax-related, or international issues. For clients based outside Germany or unfamiliar with the German criminal justice system, early guidance can help clarify the procedural position, the relevant documents, and the next steps to consider.
The contact person for criminal defense is Salvatore Barba, a German Rechtsanwalt and Fachanwalt für Strafrecht, based in Munich. The German title Fachanwalt für Strafrecht refers to a certified specialist lawyer in criminal law under the German system. As a criminal defense lawyer in Munich, he assists especially in proceedings where early structure, discreet communication, and a clear defense strategy are important. The firm handles criminal tax law proceedings, commercial criminal law proceedings, EPPO proceedings, and other international criminal proceedings. It also advises after searches, seizures, or criminal asset-freeze orders.
The Munich office is the local point of contact for matters in the city and the Munich metropolitan region. In complex cases, representation by a criminal defense lawyer may also be possible in other parts of Germany.
The preferred first contact is in writing, by e-mail or through the contact form. You can upload relevant documents for the initial review through the contact form. If needed, a further telephone clarification can then be coordinated.
Criminal proceedings in Germany can take very different forms. A police summons, an initial suspicion in a criminal tax matter, a search of business premises, or cross-border proceedings conducted by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office each require different first steps. Therefore, the first response should be assessed in light of the specific procedural situation.
For international clients, a German criminal proceeding can be difficult to assess at the beginning. The authorities, deadlines, procedural terms, and practical consequences may be unfamiliar, especially if you live outside Germany or do not usually deal with the German legal system.
Barba & Partner Rechtsanwälte combines criminal law specialization with many years of experience in international commercial law. This is particularly relevant when criminal proceedings involve tax, commercial, or cross-border issues and cannot be assessed only from a criminal procedure perspective.
The firm defends clients in Munich and, in suitable cases, throughout Germany, especially in criminal matters with commercial, tax-related, professional, or international aspects. These include in particular criminal tax proceedings, commercial criminal law proceedings, and EPPO proceedings. They also include situations in which searches, seizures, or criminal asset freezes have already taken place.
At the beginning of a legal engagement, the focus is on an initial assessment. The initial review looks at the authority conducting the investigation, the available documents, any deadlines or appointments, and investigative measures already carried out. On that basis, the next reasonable steps can be assessed. For the initial assessment, the status of the proceeding, the available documents, ongoing deadlines, and investigative measures already taken are reviewed systematically.
Criminal tax law proceedings in Germany often do not begin with a formal indictment. They may begin with a tax audit, an inquiry from the tax authorities, a search, or a communication from the Steuerfahndung, the German tax investigation authority. For individuals under investigation, it is important at this stage not to make premature statements and not to submit documents in an unstructured way.
In criminal tax law proceedings, the first step is usually to clarify:
Especially for entrepreneurs, managing directors, self-employed professionals, freelancers, and private individuals with more complex tax situations, criminal tax law proceedings are often document-intensive. Tax records, ongoing audits, advisor communications, corporate structures, payment flows, and assets may all become relevant. For the defense, it is therefore important to collect and organize this information at an early stage and to consider possible professional, commercial, or reputational consequences in the further strategy.
Commercial criminal law proceedings are also often broad in scope, document-intensive, and sensitive from a reputational perspective. They are frequently not limited to a single allegation. It is often necessary to examine the personal responsibility of individual parties, business decision-making processes, internal communication, accounting and contract documents, and possible effects on assets or business relationships.
Typical allegations include:
The defense usually begins with an organized intake of the initial information. Key questions include: Which individuals are affected? Which documents have been seized? Is there internal communication that needs to be preserved? Are deadlines running? Is coordination needed with tax advisors, auditors, internal decision-makers, or foreign advisors?
The purpose of the first phase is to gain clarity on the status of the proceeding, the risks, the responsibilities, and the next reasonable steps.
The European Public Prosecutor’s Office is often referred to internationally as EPPO, and as EUStA in German, which is the abbreviation of Europäische Staatsanwaltschaft. This European authority, based in Luxembourg, is responsible for certain criminal offenses affecting the financial interests of the European Union. These may include proceedings involving EU funds, VAT, subsidy-related allegations, corruption, money laundering, or cross-border fraud structures.
EPPO proceedings are often complex because national criminal procedure rules and European competencies come together. For individuals under investigation, companies, and advisors, it is particularly important to clarify:
In EPPO proceedings and other cross-border criminal matters, a purely local view is not sufficient. Investigative measures, documents, involved individuals, accounts, companies, or communication channels may concern several countries.
Barba & Partner Rechtsanwälte has experience in international criminal proceedings. Salvatore Barba, Rechtsanwalt and Fachanwalt für Strafrecht, has worked on criminal proceedings with foreign elements and has, for example, cooperated with local lawyers in Italy and Austria in the defense of individuals under investigation.
In Germany, Barba & Partner Rechtsanwälte also regularly represents international clients and individuals under investigation who live outside Germany or have personal, professional, or business connections abroad. This is particularly important when foreign elements need to be assessed early, documents from several countries must be considered, and communication with authorities, advisors, or other parties needs to be managed in an organized way.
In suitable cases, it may also be necessary to involve lawyers or criminal defense counsel in other countries.
After a search, the situation is often unclear. Documents may have been taken, data copied, employees questioned, or assets secured. At this stage, it is important to record and assess what happened in a structured way with the support of an experienced criminal defense lawyer.
The following steps are especially important:
A criminal asset freeze can create additional economic pressure, for example if bank accounts, claims, or other assets are affected. In that situation, it should be assessed early which measures have been ordered, which assets are affected, and which steps against the asset freeze may be considered. An initial assessment helps prepare the next steps and avoid typical mistakes in the early phase.
The preferred first contact with a criminal defense lawyer in Munich at Barba & Partner Rechtsanwälte is in writing, by email or through the contact form. This allows the most important information to be collected in an organized way, without having to describe sensitive details by telephone in an unstructured manner.
For the initial review, the following information is helpful:
A telephone clarification usually follows on the basis of the information provided. If the relevant documents and information for an initial assessment are available, it can be clarified which next steps make sense and whether accepting the mandate can be considered.
The Munich office is the local point of contact for matters in the city and the Munich metropolitan region. However, many criminal proceedings involving commercial or tax issues are not limited to one location. Companies, accounts, communications, contractual partners, documents, or authorities in several countries may be affected.
For international clients, a German criminal proceeding often raises questions beyond the criminal case itself. Professional, business, reputational, or cross-border concerns may also be affected. The first questions are usually practical: Which measures relate to the German proceeding? Are documents or parties located abroad? Does communication with advisors, authorities, or local lawyers need to be coordinated?
Criminal proceedings involving Germany and Italy can be handled through the firm’s offices in Munich and Milan. If other countries are involved, it may be appropriate to involve advisors or lawyers on the ground. For this purpose, Barba & Partner Rechtsanwälte can draw on an established international network.
Early contact is advisable if you are under investigation, have received a summons, or have been affected by a search or seizure. The same applies if the matter has a commercial, tax-related, or international dimension. Before making a statement, a lawyer should first review the procedural situation and assess whether a statement on the allegations is appropriate.
Representation by a Fachanwalt für Strafrecht in Munich can be particularly useful in more complex criminal proceedings. This may apply where several parties are involved, where commercial or tax consequences may arise, or where investigative measures have already been carried out. The German title Fachanwalt requires specific theoretical knowledge and practical experience in criminal law.
For the first contact, the most important information includes the status of the proceeding, the authority involved, the file reference, deadlines, available documents, and any measures already carried out. Relevant documents may include a summons, search warrant or search order, seizure list, asset-freeze order, or letters from the police, public prosecutor’s office, Steuerfahndung, or customs authorities.
Individuals under investigation are generally not required to attend a police summons and are not required to make statements about the allegations. The situation may be different if the summons comes from the public prosecutor’s office or a court. For this reason, the specific summons should be reviewed before you respond.
Keep the search warrant or search order, the seizure or custody list, and all information about the authorities involved. Do not make spontaneous statements about the allegations. For the initial review, the timeline, the premises affected, the documents seized, and any possible deadlines are important.
A criminal asset freeze is used to provisionally secure assets. It may affect bank accounts, claims, or other assets. For the defense, it is important to assess which order has been issued, which assets are affected, and whether legal remedies or other steps should be reviewed.
EPPO stands for European Public Prosecutor’s Office. EUStA is the German abbreviation for Europäische Staatsanwaltschaft. The authority is responsible for certain criminal offenses affecting the financial interests of the European Union. In practice, such proceedings are often cross-border and document-intensive; they may also have significant economic consequences for individuals under investigation and companies.
No. The German office of Barba & Partner Rechtsanwälte is located in Munich. Criminal proceedings, however, are not always tied to one place. In suitable, more complex cases, defense may therefore also be possible in other parts of Germany. This applies especially where a proceeding has commercial, tax-related, or international aspects, or where several locations, authorities, or parties are involved.
If you are under investigation and looking for a criminal defense lawyer in Munich, you can send us a structured inquiry. We can also review whether a mandate may be accepted in criminal proceedings elsewhere in Germany or in cross-border matters.
Your contact person: criminal defense lawyer, Rechtsanwalt, and Fachanwalt für Strafrecht Salvatore Barba, based in Munich.
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Rechtsanwalt and Fachanwalt für Strafrecht - Criminal defense lawyer in Germany
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