Sabine Stetter

Career

Karlsruhe/Munich Bar (admitted to all German Courts, except the Federal Court of Justice in civil legal matters) since 2000

Certified Specialist in Criminal Law

Certified Specialist in Tax Law

Sabine started her legal career as a white-collar defense counsel almost 25 years ago with one of the most famous professors in Germany at the time who specialized in criminal legal appeals before the highest criminal court (the “Bundesgerichstshof”), Prof. Dr. Gunter Widmaier, while simultaneously earning a doctorate in U.S. and German criminal tax law. She built a reputation for excellence in this niche area of practice before the Federal Court of justice, including handling a commercial smuggling trial where the court’s ruling is regarded as a landmark ruling in Germany (BGH, judgement dating from October 24th, 2002 – 5 StR 600/01, BGHSt 48, 52) and – after having worked for other German lawfirms – founded her own one stetter Rechtsanwälte in 2010.

An important factor in the success of stetter Rechtsanwälte is the bundling of specialist expertise in order to offer clients the best advice possible. For this reason, Sabine worked and continues to work with a range of global lawfirms such as

• Debevoise & Plimpton LLP,

• Baker & McKenzie International,

• Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP,

• Hogan Lovells International LLP,

• Allen & Overy LLP,

• Williams & Connolly LLP,

• Hengeler Mueller Partnerschaft von Rechtsanwälten mbH,

• Osborne Clarke LLP,

• CMS Hasche Sigle Partnerschaft von Rechtsanwälte mbH and

• Noerr PartGmbH.

Professional Memberships

Sabine is member of the following associations:

1. International Bar Association (IBA),

2. Officer of the Anti-Corruption Committee of the IBA – Vice Chair of the Non-Trial Resolutions Committee,

3. Women’s White Collar Defense Association (WWCDA),

4. Juristinnen im Wirtschafts- und Steuerstrafrecht (JuWiSt) – Association of Female White Collar and Tax Crime Lawyers,

5. Wirtschaftsstrafrechtliche Vereinigung (WisteV) – White Collar Defense Association,

6. Deutscher Juristinnen Bund (DJB) – German Association of Female Lawyers,

7. Deutscher Anwaltverein (DAV) – German Bar Association – Working Groups on Criminal Law, Tax Law, Medical Law and Female Lawyers,

8. Rechtsanwaltskammer (RAK) München – Munich Bar Association.

Publications

Sabine is one of the co-authors of the “Münchener Anwaltshandbuch Strafverteidigung” and “Münchener Anwaltshandbuch Verteidigung in Wirtschafts- und Steuerstrafsachen” (both standard references for German defence counsel), the “Handbuch Arbeitsstrafrecht” (a comprehensive practical guide to the responsibility of company personnel in respect of labour criminal liability risk) as well as the “Handbuch des Fachanwalts Medizinrecht” (a standard reference for medical law).

Experience

1. Wirecard Proceedings: Defence of the Former Head of Accounting

Lead defence counsel of the former Head of Accounting since 2020

- in the criminal investigation during which a release from custody was achieved in 2021,

- in the investigation by the Parliamentary Investigation Committee of the 19th German Bundestag and

- in the criminal trial before the 4th Criminal Chamber of the Munich I Regional Court regarding the allegations of accounting fraud, market manipulation, fraud and breach of trust since December 2022.

2. Dieselgate: Defence of the Former Chief Technology Officer of Audi

Lead defence counsel of the former Chief Technology Officer at Audi since 2017

- in the criminal investigation including strategic advice with regard to the investigation conducted by the United States Department of Justice and

- in the criminal proceedings before the 5th Criminal Chamber of the Munich II Regional Court regarding the allegations of fraud, indirect false certification and criminal advertising.

3. Dieselgate: Representation Concerning a German Subsidiary of a global U.S. Car Manufacturer

Lead defence counsel of a German subsidiary of a global U.S. car manufacturer for an almost 3-year period in the German white-collar proceedings relating to the allegation of lack of supervision including the reduction of a fine including disgorgement from about 300 million Euro to about 70 million Euro for this German subsidiary including the coordination of a team of defence counsel for the targets (individuals).

4. Cum-Ex Scandal: Strategic Advice to a Global U.S.-Based Law firm

Sole criminal legal advisor of a major global U.S.-based law firm which was advising one of the implicated banks during the relevant time period in connection with the overall strategy as it related to a specific German criminal trial.

5. Cum-Ex Scandal: Defence of a Former Board Member of an International Bank

Lead defence counsel of a former board member of an international bank since 2019 with relation to the allegation of aiding and abetting tax evasion amounting to millions of euros.

6. Protective Mask Scandal: Defence of an Entrepreneur

Lead defence counsel of the daughter of a former high-ranking politician in the German state of Bavaria

- in the investigation by the Bavarian Parliamentary Investigation Committee and

- in the criminal tax trial before the 6th Criminal Chamber of the Munich I Regional Court concerning the allegation that after having sold protective masks to various German federal states and having earned almost 50 million Euros in commissions, the required taxes were not handled appropriately and rather sought to be evaded.

7. International Bribery Scandal: Representation of a German Subsidiary of a Large U.S. Conglomerate

German lead defence counsel of a German subsidiary of a large U.S. conglomerate for an almost 4-year period coordinating efforts across multiple jurisdictions especially the U.S. and Germany and representing this German subsidiary in the German white-collar proceedings as well as coordinating a team of defence counsel for the targets (individuals).

8. International Bribery Scandal: Defence of a Former Senior CFO at Siemens

Lead defence counsel of a former senior CFO at Siemens for more than 17 years in

- an internal FCPA investigation and in the German criminal investigation which ended with a termination of the proceedings,

- together with U.S. counsel in the U.S. investigation conducted by the United States Department of Justice which ended with a non-prosecution agreement and

- together with an Argentinian counsel in Argentinian criminal court proceedings.

Languages Spoken

German

English

Personal

"I have assimilated the concept that there is no such things as a hopeless case. For me the keys to legally successful activity are expertise, creativity and tenacity. I worked as a lawyer in Prof. Gunter Widmaier’s law practice for four years and sought reasons why legal rulings should not be allowed to stand, even though such rulings had been made by legal experts in the district court. This left its mark on me. And it is hugely motivating. Each of our clients can rely on the fact that we tackle each and every case with this attitude, whether in Germany or abroad. Nothing is impossible ‒ we always find a solution."