Responding to Search Warrants in White Collar Criminal Investigations

Responding to a corporate search in real-time presents uniquely difficult challenges for defense counsel. A search is a disruptive, unnerving show of force with the potential to shut down a business or cripple its reputation within the community. Armed agents have immediate access to significant documents and essential employees, which the government does not otherwise enjoy when it issues a grand jury subpoena. Counsel for the corporation must react quickly, cautiously, and calmly to minimize the potentially devastating consequences of the search. If a corporation has advance notice that it may be subject to a search, then employees should be appropriately trained to manage and respond to search warrants.