Dawn raid? City firm has an app for that

An international firm is offering clients an interactive app offering round-the-clock advice and assistance from experts in the event of a dawn raid by a regulator or law enforcement agency. RPC describes its Raid Response app as 'a one-stop, free toolkit providing advice and guidance, supported by 24/7 access to experienced lawyers via the push of a button'. 

The app also creates an evidential log of events and enables decision makers to communicate effectively with their wider team.

'A dawn raid is one of the most stressful events a person can experience,' said Adam Craggs, head of RPC's tax, financial crime and regulatory team. 'This is because getting it wrong can have such serious repercussions, including significant financial and reputational damage or even prison time.'

Rebutting a suggestion that the app's presence on a device might be compromising, Craggs said: 'No, it is not incriminating. This is because honest, law abiding businesses can become the subject of an unannounced visit by a regulatory or criminal investigatory authority which is not due to any suspected wrongdoing on the part of the organisation itself, but because one of their own clients or customers is under investigation and simultaneously being raided.'

Craggs likened installing the app to someone taking out insurance on their home. 'It is not because they are intending to commit arson, or even because they believe their home will burn down, but rather, because they are prudent persons, they accept that there is a risk of the unexpected and take steps to mitigate that risk.'

The free app is available to download from the Apple Store and Google Play.