Criminal defense in Spain and Europe

If you or a family member has been detained, the most important thing is not what happens tomorrow in court, but what is said—or not said—in the next few hours. Detention is the most vulnerable moment in the entire criminal process, and something decisive depends on it: whether you will be released or remanded in pre-trial detention.

Criminal defense for individuals and businesses, in Spain and internationally. Each case is handled personally, in Spanish, English, and German.

The crime against public health — commonly known as drug trafficking — is one of the most frequent causes of arrests in Spain, especially at airports, ports, and tourist areas. The difference between a severe conviction and a successful defense is often decided during the initial proceedings.

Injuries arising from a fight, a brawl in the nightlife scene, or an altercation in a tourist area are among the most common offences affecting both foreigners and Spanish nationals in Spain. What seems like a one-off incident can turn into criminal proceedings with requests for a prison sentence, especially where a dangerous instrument was used or several people were involved.

Offences against sexual freedom are among the most sensitive in the legal system, both because of the severity of the penalties and the reputational impact, which begins long before judgment. A rigorous, technical and discreet defence is essential from the first statement.

Driving after drinking, testing positive in a control, refusing a breathalyzer test, or driving at excessive speed can be an offense, not just a simple fine. For foreign drivers in Spain, the consequences also extend to their license and their country of origin.

A criminal case is not won solely at trial: it is decided in every action from the investigation phase onward. That is why we accompany you through all phases, with a dedicated attorney who does not pass the case to others and knows the file in detail.

In white-collar matters, accounting detail carries as much weight as legal argument. We defend companies and executives—with an international focus and in coordination with their trusted counsel—when an investigation affects their assets, their reputation, and their freedom.

Money laundering is one of the most prosecuted and procedurally complex economic crimes. It affects those who launder third-party funds as well as those who launder their own (self-laundering), and it is typically investigated alongside other offenses.

A tax offense or crime against the Public Treasury occurs when the fraud exceeds a certain threshold and there is an intention to defraud. The boundary between an administrative infraction and a criminal offense is technical and decisive, and it can often be influenced.

Corporate crimes almost always arise from a business conflict that escalates into criminal proceedings: one partner reporting another, a director accused of managing for personal gain, accounts being challenged. Separating legitimate commercial conflict from criminal liability is at the heart of the defense.

If you are asking yourself “how does extradition work?” or “can I be surrendered to another country?”, this page answers step by step. Extradition and the European arrest warrant—European Arrest Warrant, EAW—activate cooperation between States with very strict deadlines, and leave real room for defense for those who act in time. We explain the complete procedure, the grounds for opposition, the mistakes to avoid, and how we build the defense.

An Interpol Red Notice can turn every border, every airport, and every account opening into a risk. It is not a judicial order and does not require arrest, but its effects on freedom of movement, professional activity, and reputation are very real. We have specific expertise in Interpol abuse and are members of Lawyers Against Transnational Repression.

Sometimes the best defense is not to contest a surrender, but to ensure that the proceedings are conducted in the appropriate jurisdiction. The transfer of proceedings between States can completely change the client’s position: where they are tried, with what guarantees, and under which law.

A sentence, a seizure order, or a criminal judgment issued in another country can be enforced in Spain—and a Spanish judgment, abroad. This is a technical area of international judicial cooperation where what is at stake is very specific: the execution of the sentence, the fate of assets, or the transfer of the sentenced person to their country.

The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) investigates and prosecutes crimes affecting the financial interests of the European Union: fraud involving subsidies and European funds, serious cross-border VAT fraud, corruption, and money laundering linked to those funds. It is a supranational prosecutor’s office with delegated prosecutors in Spain, and facing it requires a defense that understands both Spanish procedure and European logic.

Inclusion on a European Union sanctions list freezes assets and blocks activity almost immediately, even before any legal process. Challenging it requires speed and knowledge of the procedure before the Union courts.

When an indication of wrongdoing arises—an internal channel report, an audit alert, an inspection—what the company does in the first few weeks determines its criminal exposure. A well-run internal investigation protects the organisation and its governing bodies; a poorly conducted one can make the problem worse.

Since the reform that introduced the criminal liability of legal entities, a company can be convicted for crimes committed within its organization. The best defense does not begin with a summons: it starts years earlier, with a criminal compliance program that prevents crime and demonstrates the organization’s diligence.

A criminal record continues to weigh heavily years after the sentence has been served: it appears on a certificate, blocks employment, complicates a visa application or a border crossing. The good news is that, once certain time limits have been met, the record can and must be expunged, often sooner than one might think.

When all domestic remedies in Spain have been exhausted and a violation of rights persists, the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg may be the last opportunity to remedy it. Access is demanding and deadlines are unforgiving.

When a criminal proceeding has violated a fundamental right, the Amparo appeal before the Constitutional Court is the last internal instance — and the gateway that must be crossed before appealing to Strasbourg.