Complex Criminal Law

Strategic defense in complex criminal matters – from early assessment to courtroom resolution.

Criminal proceedings have a profound impact on those involved – professionally, privately and financially. Early, calm and strategic defense is therefore more important than any quick reaction “from the gut”.

Even before the state examination I supplemented my criminal law training with a two-year advanced course in “deviant behavior” at the University of Hanover – focusing, among other things, on criminal law, law of sentence enforcement, psychology of deviant behavior and the law of evidence. In addition, I completed investigative training at the private US police academy “Fortis”. I therefore do not work with statutes alone, but with a strong focus on facts, evidence and investigative tactics – in the spirit of the Roman legal maxim: da mihi facta, dabo tibi ius (“give me the facts, and I will give you the law”).

I take on the strategic defense in criminal investigations and, depending on the constellation, also lead or coordinate the defense at trial. In acute situations – searches, arrest, summons for questioning – I am available at short notice.

German Rechtsanwalt (Lawyer) Martin Heynert – Criminal defense

A compact overview of my approach in criminal cases is provided in the Short Dossier Complex Criminal Law.

Focus areas in criminal defense

Not every case is spectacular – but for those concerned, every case is existential. I provide defense across the whole field of criminal law, with particular experience in complex and business-related matters.

  • Strategic aviation criminal defense in complex matters
    Criminal-law advice and defense in aviation-related crises, safety-relevant incidents and investigations against companies, executives or flight crew – often embedded in international, regulatory and political constellations.
  • General & complex criminal law
    Offenses against the person, property and asset offenses, traffic offenses and others.
  • Business-related criminal proceedings
    Fraud, embezzlement, corruption, insolvency-related issues, criminal liability risks for directors.
  • Defense of professionals
    Proceedings against physicians, lawyers, pilots, corporate bodies and senior executives.
  • Own defense investigations with strong investigative capabilities
    Building an independent defense strategy with targeted investigations outside the law-enforcement authorities – supported by a “private MEK” (mobile task force) of former senior criminal police officers, enabling high-quality, discreet and legally sound investigative work.
  • Early defense in investigative proceedings
    Access to the case file, assessment of the allegations, defense strategy, communication with the authorities.
  • Trial / Main hearing
    Strategic preparation and orchestration of the defense, selection and coordination of litigation-focused colleagues, evidentiary motions, examination of witnesses, and management of media and public attention.
  • Appeals (Revision) before Higher Regional Courts and the Federal Court of Justice
    Drafting grounds of appeal in a highly formalized remedy procedure in which even minor formal errors can lead to inadmissibility.
  • Constitutional complaints in criminal matters
    Review and drafting of constitutional complaints to the Federal Constitutional Court, where, in addition to the substantive arguments, strict compliance with all formal requirements is of crucial importance.
  • Retrial (Wiederaufnahme)
    Preparation and substantiation of applications for retrial, in which the applicant will generally need to present new facts or evidence – often obtained through own investigations – capable of demonstrating that the original judgment may be wrong.
  • Enforcement of sentences
    Questions of suspension of sentence on probation, relaxed regimes of imprisonment, and early release on license.

Approach in criminal cases

For me, criminal defense does not mean conducting every case loudly. Very often a calm, structured and discreet approach is more successful – especially where, in addition to the criminal-law dimension, professional or economic consequences also have to be taken into account.

Even in general criminal law, proceedings are often more complex than they appear at first glance. Files consist of stories, assessments and moods – not just facts. I work with a strongly analytical perspective: matters are structured along their causal strands – what actually happened, what alternative hypotheses exist, and which pieces of evidence support which version.

From this, defense strategies emerge that do not rely on buzzwords or volume but on traceable causality: from the origin of the problem through to realistic options in investigations, main hearing and remedies.

In extensive case files I use modern AI tools – within a protected data environment – to analyze the material. Particularly with files running to many thousands of pages, this makes it possible to identify patterns, contradictions and exculpatory details much more quickly. It provides a level of overview that was previously hardly attainable and allows for superior, more precise reactions during the taking of evidence.

A detailed description of my analytical lens can be found in the Dossier Analytical Working Method.

  • Early involvement – ideally before any first interview or statement to the authorities.
  • Clear communication – with clients, but also with investigative authorities.
  • Strategy instead of activism – not every tough stance is useful, and not every cooperation is harmful.
  • Confidentiality – discreet handling of sensitive matters, in particular where professionals are concerned.

Contact in criminal cases

If you are subject to a criminal investigation or if a summons, search or arrest is imminent, obtaining advice at an early stage is crucial.

Contact:
E-mail: martin@heynert.com
Phone: Office Magdeburg +49.391.5982-243, Mobile +49.171.4135269
Appointments by arrangement in Magdeburg and Hildesheim.