Karolos Seeger is a partner in the firm’s White Collar & Regulatory Defense Group and International Dispute Resolution Group, based in the London office. He is also a member of the firm’s Management Committee. His practice focuses on white collar crime and internal investigations, in particular regarding compliance with corrupt practices legislation, conducting compliance assessments and creating and implementing appropriate compliance programmes and procedures. Mr. Seeger also advises clients on a wide range of specific sanctions issues and has experience in complex litigation and international arbitration matters.

Mr. Seeger has deep experience in the field of internal investigations, compliance advice and white collar crime, as well as in a variety of English High Court and international arbitration matters in a wide range of sectors. He has previously served as an officer on the International Bar Association’s Business Crime Committee, and is ranked as a leading individual for Regulatory Investigations and Corporate Crime by The Legal 500 UK (2024) and listed in its Hall of Fame. He is described as “a wonderful lawyer with an incredible ability to articulate complex issues clearly and succinctly.” In previous editions of the guide, clients note that he is “genuinely international, multi-lingual, extremely clever and engaging – exceptional under pressure – very very good at managing complex matters.” He is also said to be “a superb lawyer in all respects, instilling confidence in everything he does” and he receives praise for his “excellent subject matter expertise” and his “deep experience dealing with a multitude of agencies across the world.” He is said to be “experienced, hands-on” with “tremendous judgement.” He has also been described as “outstanding” and noted for his “sound personal judgement along with high-calibre legal advice.” Clients note that he is “exceptional. He has a brain like a computer and can put complex issues across simply and clearly. He inspires confidence, always. He is calm and collected, extremely bright and very personable.” Chambers UK (2024) ranks him as a top-tier lawyer for Financial Crime: Corporates, where he is said to be “absolutely at the top of his game” and “a first-rate lawyer.” In previous editions of the guide, he has received further praise for his ability to combine “a wealth of experience and knowledge with a highly pragmatic approach” and for his “deep knowledge and expertise, impressive intelligence and very good judgement.” Sources have also said that he is “an extraordinarily good leader of investigations into companies,” “a consummate professional with truly global experience” and “professional, knowledgeable and proficient,” with one client noting that he “would be my first point of call if we were involved in any heavyweight litigation.” Others have said that he is “extremely knowledgeable on bribery and corruption investigations and has substantial experience engaging with regulators around the world on behalf of his clients.” He offers “experience that is tough to match, having led some of the largest and most complex bribery investigations in Europe and the UK.” He also wins praise for “a brain which has seemingly limitless capacity,” as well as his “intelligent, thoughtful and practical advice, and pleasant demeanour.” He is further described as “an incredibly reliable and informative expert, who has a very calm manner and presents extremely effectively in high-risk, high-stakes matters.”

Mr. Seeger has represented corporate and individual clients in international criminal and regulatory investigations in a variety of areas, from allegations of market abuse to allegations of global-wide corruption. This includes representing clients before several investigating and prosecuting agencies and regulators, including the Serious Fraud Office (“SFO”) and the UK Financial Conduct Authority (“FCA”), as well as equivalent foreign agencies (including in the United States, Germany, Greece and Brazil). Most recently, he represented Rolls-Royce in an internal investigation and coordinated resolutions with UK, U.S. and Brazil investigating authorities relating to bribery and corruption involving intermediaries in a number of overseas markets; a European national in connection with a mutual legal assistance request by the SFO to a European authority in connection with an investigation into allegations of corrupt payments via business consultants; a leading global energy group in connection with an SFO investigation into payments made in Africa, including as to quantification and potential exposure under UK accounting legislation; as well as a former CFO of a FTSE 100 company in connection with a fraud investigation by the SFO.

Mr. Seeger has also advised clients on Bribery Act, sanctions and UK money laundering issues arising in connection with M&A transactions, as well as reviewed and devised compliance manuals, programmes and policies to comply with related requirements.

Mr. Seeger’s wide-ranging dispute resolution experience also includes arbitrations under the LCIA, UNCITRAL and the City Disputes Panel Rules, a jurisdictional challenge in the High Court to a derivative shareholder action and proceedings relating to an alleged monopoly contravention. Additional cases on which he has advised include the co-ordination of a defence strategy for a major online gambling provider across various European jurisdictions for alleged breaches of local licensing legislation, including a complaint to the European Commission.

Mr. Seeger has published numerous articles and frequently presents and lectures on corporate crime enforcement. He is also a current member of the Editorial Board of Global Investigations Review. Recent publications include “A Game-Changer for UK Corporate Crime Enforcement? Major Expansion of Corporate Criminal Liability Proposed,” NYU Compliance & Enforcement (June, 2023); “UK Introduces New ‘Failure to Prevent Fraud’ Corporate Offence,” NYU Compliance & Enforcement (May, 2023); “OFSI Publishes Updated Enforcement and Penalty Guidance,” NYU Compliance & Enforcement (June, 2022); “SEC Brings its First Corporate Anti-Corruption Action of 2022,” NYU Compliance & Enforcement (April, 2022); “Bank Melli opinion: The EU Blocking Regulation grows teeth,” Financial Institutions Sanctions Compliance (May, 2021); “UK Supreme Court Rules That SFO Cannot Require Foreign Companies To Produce Documents Held Overseas,” FCPA Professor (February, 2021); “Debevoise & Plimpton Discusses UK’s Autonomous Sanctions Regime,” CLS Blue Sky Blog (January, 2021); “The SFO Publishes Its Internal Guidance on Deferred Prosecution Agreements,” Compliance & Enforcement (October, 2020); “UK and EU Anti-Money Laundering Enforcement,” CLS Blue Sky Blog (September, 2020); “Brazil Announces New Anti-Corruption Cooperation Framework; MPF’s 5th Chamber Opposes It,” Compliance & Enforcement (August, 2020); “The EPPO and the EU’s covid-19 rescue package – Italian anti-mafia report outlines future challenges,” Global Investigations Review (August, 2020); “UK Introduces Magnitsky-Style Human Rights Sanctions Regime,” Compliance & Enforcement (July, 2020); “The EPPO and International Co-Operation –– New Kid on the Block,” Compliance & Enforcement (December, 2019); “U.K. and U.S. Sign Landmark Cross-Border Data Sharing Agreement,” Compliance & Enforcement (November, 2019); “UK Law Commission Recommends Reforms to Money Laundering Suspicious Activity Reports,” Compliance and Enforcement (July, 2019); “Overseas production orders: a new regime for gathering evidence,” Practical Law (May, 2019); “Debevoise & Plimpton Discusses UK Financial Conduct Authority’s Proposal for Heads of Legal,” CLS Blue Sky Blog (February, 2019); “UK Financial Conduct Authority Puts Heads of Legal Outside the Senior Managers Regime,” Compliance & Enforcement (February, 2019); “Beyond The Headline Fines: Preparing For Post-GDPR ICO Scrutiny and Enforcement,” Global Data Review (October, 2018); “UK vs US: an Analysis of Key DPA Terms and their Impact on Corporate Parties,” ICLG: Business Crime 2019, published by Global Legal Group (September, 2018); “UK Law Commission Proposes Reforms to Suspicious Activity Reports for Money Laundering,” Compliance & Enforcement (August, 2018); “English High Court Considers Status of Internal Investigation Interview Notes,” Compliance & Enforcement (April, 2018); “First French DPAs for Corruption Offences,” Compliance & Enforcement (March, 2018); and “The Use of Foreign Compelled Testimony in Cross-Border Investigations – The Impact of the Second Circuit’s Allen Decision,” The International Comparative Legal Guide to Business Crime, 2018 (8th edition).

Mr. Seeger’s recent speaking engagements include “Unexplained Wealth Orders and Account Freezing Orders” (June, 2020); “Compliance and In-house Counsel in the Firing Line,” 5th Annual GIR Live London 2019 (April, 2019); “Double Jeopardy,” IBA Anti-Corruption Conference (June, 2018); “Broken Windows and New Frontiers: the Increasingly Long Arm of Anti-Corruption Law,” 21st Annual IBA Transnational Crime Conference (May, 2018); and “Grow a Backbone: The Distinction Between the American and British Approaches to Cross Border Investigations,” GIR Live London (April, 2018).

Mr. Seeger is a Solicitor-Advocate (Higher Rights of Audience). He received his M.A. (First Class) in Jurisprudence (Law with Law Studies in Europe) from the University of Oxford in 1996 and his Diplome d’Etudes Complémentaires du 2eme cycle en Droit Européen (Grande Distinction) from the Institut d’Etudes Européennes, Université Libre de Bruxelles in 1997. He is admitted to practise in England & Wales (2000), and he is an accredited Mediator with ADR Chambers. He is fluent in German and Greek and speaks French.