Duxton Hill is the first of its kind in the southern hemisphere, the firm says
With fraud, misconduct and financial crime on the rise as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, a new specialist firm has entered the Australian legal market.
Melbourne-based Duxton Hill is the brainchild of Andrew Tragardh, a former barrister and fraud expert. The firm is the first and “only specialised full-service firm in the southern hemisphere” focusing specifically on these matters, the firm said in a media release.
Duxton Hill aims to provide advice to both companies and individuals.
Tragardh, who has more than 20 years of experience acting for clients in fraud, misconduct and financial crime cases, said that the pandemic has created opportunities for criminals, who are “upping the ante on scams to take advantage of the pandemic to make short-term gains.”
Work-from-home setups have made data more vulnerable, he said.
“Remote working can open the door to cybersecurity vulnerabilities, and increased financial pressures can trigger dishonest behaviours among employees who might not normally engage in criminal activity,” Tragardh said.
He said that Duxton Hill meets a demand for specialist advice as fraud matters get more complicated.
In addition to Tragardh, who serves as the firm’s managing director, Duxton Hill’s executive team comprises Simon Heath, barrister and former deputy commissioner of the Independent Broad-based Anti-Corruption Commission in Victoria, and Shane Ringin, private investigator and former senior manager of the Victoria Police Fraud and Extortion Squad.
The firm’s key services include acting on civil claims in matter involving accounting fraud, asset- tracing and breaches of director duties and criminal prosecutions such as obtaining financial advantage by deception, theft, money laundering, corruption, bribery and insider trading. It also specialises in fraud investigations, whistleblower advice, cybersecurity incident response and the recovery of stolen assets.
Duxton Hill also said that it is “the only firm specialising in assisting companies and executives facing investigation or proceedings by regulators, or confronting corruption inquiries, Royal Commissions, or ombudsman investigations.”
