Fraud
Defence in fraud proceedings involving alleged deception, financial loss, contractual relationships and disputed commercial transactions.
LARIOS PENAL
CRIMINAL LAWYERS · MÁLAGA · SINCE 1980
ECONOMIC & FINANCIAL CRIME · SPAIN
Economic Crime Lawyers in Málaga
Criminal defence in complex financial and business investigations
Defence in Spanish criminal proceedings involving fraud, misappropriation, corporate misconduct, insolvency offences, money laundering and complex financial investigations in Málaga and the Costa del Sol.
46
YEARSOF CRIMINAL LAW PRACTICE
01
CRIMINAL LAW ONLYDEFENCE AND PRIVATE PROSECUTION
INT
INTERNATIONAL CLIENTSDIRECT ASSISTANCE IN SPAIN
ECONOMIC CRIME
Focused criminal defence where business, money and criminal liability meet.
Economic crime cases are rarely about a single document or transaction. They are usually built from contracts, bank records, corporate structures, messages, accounting material and financial movements accumulated over time.
Misappropriation
Criminal proceedings arising from the alleged unlawful retention, disposal or diversion of money, assets or property previously received lawfully.
Money laundering
Analysis of the alleged criminal origin of funds, financial tracing, asset movements and the specific knowledge attributed to the defendant.
Corporate & management offences
Defence in proceedings involving directors, company assets, management decisions and alleged breaches of duties with criminal relevance.
THE CENTRAL QUESTION
What is genuinely criminal — and what belongs to a commercial dispute?
A failed investment, unpaid debt, broken agreement or disputed business decision does not automatically amount to a criminal offence.
In economic crime proceedings, one of the first tasks is to identify precisely what conduct is alleged, which criminal elements are said to be present and whether the evidence actually supports them.
Contracts, banking records, accounting documents, corporate material, communications and the chronology of the underlying relationship must be examined together. That analysis often determines whether the case is truly criminal in nature or whether the dispute has been drawn into criminal proceedings without a sufficient evidential basis.
FIRST REVIEW
What we examine
- 01Alleged conduct and individual role
- 02Contracts and commercial background
- 03Banking and financial movements
- 04Corporate and accounting material
- 05Messages, emails and digital evidence
- 06Link between evidence and criminal allegation
1980
CRIMINAL DEFENCE IN SPAIN
Complexity is not evidence.
A large investigation, multiple companies or thousands of pages of financial material cannot replace the need to identify the specific conduct and evidence attributable to each person under investigation.
COMPLEX PROCEEDINGS
Individual responsibility must remain individual.
This becomes particularly important in multi-defendant cases, corporate investigations and large-scale proceedings.
The overall size of an investigation can create an appearance of seriousness that does not necessarily reflect the position of every person involved. Each transaction, document, communication and financial movement must be connected to the individual defendant and to the precise offence alleged.
Our work is directed at separating the general narrative of an investigation from the evidence that is actually capable of establishing individual criminal responsibility.
INTERNATIONAL CLIENTS
Facing criminal proceedings in Spain from abroad?
We regularly act for international clients and families who need direct criminal representation in Málaga, Marbella and the Costa del Sol.
A client may be outside Spain when an investigation begins, receive a court summons after returning home, discover that a family member has been arrested, or require Spanish counsel to work alongside lawyers in another jurisdiction.
We can review the Spanish proceedings, explain the procedural position in clear terms and take over the criminal defence locally where appropriate.
UK & IRELANDGERMANYNETHERLANDSEUROPE
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FOUNDER · 1980
Nuria de Madariaga
Founder of Larios Penal. She began practising in 1980 and devoted more than four decades to criminal, procedural and penitentiary law in Andalucía.
LARIOS PENAL
A criminal law practice built in Málaga since 1980.
Founded by Nuria de Madariaga and now directed by her son Eric Vanden Berghe, Larios Penal represents the second generation of a family practice devoted to criminal law.
The firm acts in serious and complex criminal proceedings before courts throughout Málaga and the Costa del Sol, as well as before national courts where the case requires it.
ABOUT LARIOS PENAL →
DIRECTOR
Eric Vanden Berghe
Criminal lawyer and current director of Larios Penal, acting in complex criminal proceedings involving international defendants and serious allegations.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Economic crime proceedings in Spain.
The practical questions international clients most often ask when criminal allegations arise from financial or business activity in Spain.
CALL THE FIRM→01What does “economic crime” cover in Spain?
It is a broad practical expression covering criminal allegations arising from financial, business or patrimonial activity. Depending on the facts, proceedings may involve fraud, misappropriation, management offences, punishable insolvency, money laundering or related corporate conduct.
02Can a commercial dispute become a criminal case?
Yes, but the existence of a debt, failed transaction or contractual dispute is not by itself sufficient to establish criminal liability. The prosecution must prove the specific elements of the offence alleged. Distinguishing criminal conduct from a civil or commercial dispute is often central to the defence.
03Can a company face criminal liability in Spain?
Spanish law provides for criminal liability of legal persons in relation to certain offences and under defined statutory conditions. Where a company is involved, the position of the entity and the position of the individuals investigated must be analysed separately.
04What evidence is usually important in these cases?
Banking records, contracts, accounting material, corporate documentation, emails, messaging, expert reports and the chronology of the relevant transactions are frequently important. Their significance depends on the precise offence and the individual conduct alleged.
05Can you act if I live outside Spain?
Yes. We regularly assist international clients who are abroad while criminal proceedings are taking place in Spain. We can review the procedural position, liaise directly with the client and coordinate with foreign counsel where needed.
06What if a family member has been arrested in Málaga or Marbella?
Contact the firm as early as possible with the person’s full name, location of arrest if known and any available police or court information. Early access to the procedural position can be important before statements or court decisions are made.
DIRECT CRIMINAL REPRESENTATION IN SPAIN
Speak directly with our Málaga office.
If you or a family member is involved in criminal proceedings in Málaga, Marbella or the Costa del Sol, contact the firm directly.