Dual-qualified counsel for international clients facing criminal proceedings under Spanish law.
Cross-border Criminal Litigation in Spain
Facing criminal proceedings in another country is stressful, and the Spanish system is unfamiliar to most foreign individuals and businesses.
We act for international clients across Spain — in English and in Spanish — from first contact through investigation, trial and any appeal.
Our team is dual-qualified in England and Wales and in Spain, and we work with discretion, speed and a clear international perspective.
Criminal Litigation
Criminal proceedings in Spain can arise without warning and often demand immediate action. Differences in language, court procedure and the role of the parties — including the unfamiliar figures of the acusación particular (private prosecutor) and acusación popular (popular prosecutor) — create real uncertainty for international clients.
Spanish criminal law reaches a wide range of situations, from regulatory offences and economic crime to allegations against companies and their directors under the corporate criminal liability regime. Each stage — police interview, investigation by the juzgado de instrucción, oral trial and appeal — carries its own rules, deadlines and risks.
We guide international individuals, families and businesses through each of those stages in clear English, with a steady hand on the procedural detail and an eye on the wider personal, commercial and reputational picture.
Our services
English-Speaking Criminal Lawyers in Spain
Effective communication is the first line of defence in a criminal case abroad. International clients need lawyers who can explain the law, the procedure and the practical risks in plain English — not simply translate the file.
We act for English-speaking clients across Spain. Our office network is in Madrid, Jerez and London, and we accept instructions on matters connected to any Spanish jurisdiction. Where specialist local counsel is needed in a particular court — Marbella, Málaga, Mallorca, Ibiza, Valencia, the Costa del Sol or elsewhere — we instruct trusted partners and lead the strategy ourselves.
A Discreet and International Approach
Criminal matters often carry sensitive personal, financial and reputational consequences that travel well beyond the case itself. Confidentiality and careful case management matter as much as the underlying defence.
We handle every instruction with discretion. Where it helps, we coordinate with our clients’ tax, family or corporate advisers so that the criminal strategy never runs in isolation from the wider picture.
Areas of expertise
White-Collar and Corporate Crime
White-collar and corporate crime in Spain covers fraud, tax offences, money laundering, market abuse, bribery and corruption, misappropriation and breach of trust. Since the reform of Article 31 bis of the Spanish Penal Code, companies themselves can be prosecuted, and directors face personal exposure alongside corporate liability.
We act for companies, directors and shareholders during investigations and at trial, and we advise on the compliance programmes that — when properly designed and operated — serve as a defence. Where the matter has UK dimensions, we coordinate with English counsel on parallel investigations, asset preservation and reputational risk.
In Spanish criminal proceedings the victim of an offence can join the case as a formal party — the acusación particular — alongside the public prosecutor. That status allows the victim to direct lines of investigation, frame the charges, seek compensation, and oppose any premature closure of the file.
We represent international clients who have suffered fraud, misappropriation, breach of trust, theft or other offences connected to Spain. We take a clear strategic view from the first denuncia or querella, keep our clients informed in English at every stage, and pursue both the criminal outcome and the recovery of damages.
Spain is unusual in allowing a person who is not the direct victim of a crime to bring criminal charges through the acción popular. It is a powerful tool for shareholders, associations and other interested parties to pursue offences that affect their interests — particularly in corporate fraud, public corruption and environmental crime.
The route demands careful preparation. The querella must be properly framed, fianza (security for costs) is normally required, and the case must withstand early procedural challenge. We advise on whether the action is the right strategic choice for a given matter, and we run it from start to finish once the decision is made.
International clients can find themselves the subject of a Spanish request for surrender, or — conversely — facing a foreign request that reaches Spain. Two regimes operate side by side: the European Arrest Warrant (Framework Decision 2002/584/JHA, implemented in Spain by Law 23/2014) governs surrender between EU Member States; standard extradition under Ley 4/1985 de Extradición Pasiva governs surrender to and from third countries.
We act for individuals resisting an EAW or extradition request in Spain on grounds such as nationality, ne bis in idem, fair-trial concerns, statute of limitations, political character or specialty. We also advise clients flagged in Interpol notices, supporting applications before the Commission for the Control of Interpol’s Files (CCF) to obtain deletion or limitation of notices that breach Interpol’s own rules. Where cooperation flows the other way and our client is the Spanish requesting party, we coordinate with foreign counsel on the international elements of the Spanish-led prosecution.
Why choose DCC TAX & LEGAL
If you need legal support in criminal proceedings in Spain, our team is available to discuss your situation in confidence.
We combine:
Dual-qualified lawyers with rights of audience in England and Wales and in Spain.
A working understanding of both common law and civil law systems.
Cultural and linguistic fluency for international representation.
Strategic coordination with local counsel where the matter calls for it.
Get in touch
Our aim is to deliver practical, efficient and results-oriented support, so that international clients are represented with clarity and confidence — in English and in Spanish — at every stage of the Spanish criminal process.
