Criminal / Civil Litigation

The Civil and Criminal Law Practice Group at HBS LAW is dedicated to providing comprehensive and exceptional legal representation in all civil disputes and advocacy for clients facing criminal charges in the Kingdom of Cambodia. Our team of experienced attorneys is well-versed in both local and international criminal law with a deep understanding of Cambodian laws both procedural and substantive laws and relevant practical experience in handling cases ensuring that we offer informed and effective legal assistance.

In handling the cases, we fight to protect our client’s rights and benefits and achieve the best possible outcomes.

Civil Litigation Team

HBS LAW handles a broad range of civil litigation matters, including:

• Contract Disputes – Resolving conflicts arising from business agreements, employment contracts, service contracts, and commercial transactions.
• Real Estate Disputes – Representing clients in ownership claims in real rights disputes both the merit and non-merit cases before the competent courts.
• Tort & Liability Claims and other Non-Contractual Claims – Representing clients in all forms non-contractual claims, unjust enrichment, and other civil wrongs.
• Debt Recovery & Enforcement – Assisting businesses and individuals in recovering outstanding debts and enforcing judgments and arbitral awards.
• Family & Succession Matters – Handling divorce, child custody, inheritance disputes, and assets/property administration. [See more details in Family Law Practice Group for the services].
• Intellectual Properties (IP) and Coy Rights: Representing clients involves legal disputes over the rights to use, reproduce, or distribute creative works and inventions and these include Copyright infringement; Patent Infringement; Trademark Infringement, and Trade Secrete Misappropriation.

Our civil litigation team is committed to delivering efficient, cost-effective, and results-driven legal solutions. We work closely with our clients to assess risks, explore settlement opportunities, and, when necessary, provide strong courtroom advocacy to achieve the best possible outcomes.

With a reputation for excellence, professionalism, and integrity, HBS LAW’s Civil Litigation Team is a trusted partner in resolving legal disputes efficiently and effectively.

Criminal Litigation Team

Our team comprises experienced and vocal lawyers with a thorough knowledge of Cambodian criminal law and procedure, who are committed to protecting clients’ rights and ensuring fair treatment within the judicial administration of criminal justice.

Key Areas of Focus:

• Defense Against Criminal Charges: We represent clients accused of a wide range of offenses, from minor petty and misdemeanors to serious felonies, ensuring their rights are protected throughout the legal process.
• Representation as a Civil Party: We represent clients who are victims of the offense of a broad range of statutory crimes in petty, misdemeanors, and felonies, ensuring their claims are protected and effectively rewarded throughout the legal proceedings under the existing laws.
• Legal Advice and Consultation: Our designated skilled attorneys provide strategic legal advice to individuals and businesses to help them navigate complex legal landscapes and circumstances including compliance and risk management in decision-making.
• Appeals and Post-Conviction Relief: We assist clients in pursuing appeals and post-conviction relief, working diligently to rectify wrongful convictions or reduce sentences.
• Human Rights Advocacy: Committed to upholding human rights, our practice group actively engages in cases involving violations of civil liberties and due process.
• We also provide Pro bono legal services as per case bases.

Our team has extensive experience handling a wide range of criminal matters, including:

• Felony, Misdemeanor, and Petty Defense – From serious felony charges to lesser misdemeanor offenses and petty crimes, we provide strong representation at every stage.
• White-Collar Crimes – Defending clients against fraud, embezzlement, blackmail, breach of trust, insider trading, and other financial crimes.
• Traffic Offenses – Fighting to minimize penalties and protect driving privileges.
• Drug Crimes – Handling possession, trafficking, keeping, and distribution cases with a focus on defense strategies.
• Violent Crimes – Including murder, rape and other sexual violence, robbery, domestic violence and other crimes against human persons.
• Organized Crimes – defending all forms of human trafficking and sexual exploitation-related crimes across borders.
• Appeals & Post-Conviction Relief – Challenging the presumption of innocence of the accused and seeking for acquisition as well as wrongful convictions and seeking reduced sentences or mitigation. Our Approach

By tenaciously working toward client satisfaction, HBS LAW has established good relationships with the major governmental bodies and pertinent players in Cambodia.

Our team of attorneys is not afraid to take cases to court when necessary. We work tirelessly to:

✔️ Conduct thorough investigations – Examining evidence, critically analyzing the case files and evidence, interviewing witnesses, and uncovering legal defenses.

✔️ Build strong defense strategies – Tailored to each client’s unique circumstances and make consistencies of testimony

✔️ Negotiate favorable outcomes – Seeking dismissals, reduced charges, or alternative sentencing when appropriate.

✔️ Advocate fiercely in court – Presenting compelling arguments before trial judges.

• Defending a Malaysian Company in a criminal lawsuit raised by the Ministry of Commerce’s General Department of Consumer Protection, Competition, and Fraud Repression seeking damages for mothers of children with milk powder deficiency. [PS1] 
• Representing several foreign embassies to the Kingdom of Cambodia to defend their citizen’s rights in criminal matters before the Cambodian criminal courts.
• Representing a Major Korean Bank in a civil lawsuit against a big real estate developer in Cambodia seeking a share of shares with a value exceeding USD  500 million.
• Representing a leading advertising agency in connection with an action for breach of contract brought by a global insurance company.
• Representing Thai casino operating company in its shareholder disputes and enforcement of management agreements at Cambodian court and before the National Commercial Arbitration Center of Cambodia and various civil and criminal cases before Cambodian courts.
• Representing Korean banks in connection with their financing for the development the satellite city project in Cambodia before the Court of First Instance, the Court of Appeal, and the Supreme Court in both principal suit and preservative relief cases.
• Representing both foreign and local banks in connection with their debt recovery and enforcement of mortgages before Cambodian courts.
• Advising Korean construction companies and banks in connection with their arbitration proceedings at the Singapore International Arbitration Center.
• Representing a Cambodian telecommunication operator in its dispute with its Chinese supplier for the enforcement of telecommunication equipment supply agreements before a Cambodian court.
• Representing clients in debt recovery and bankruptcy proceedings before Cambodian courts.
• Representing clients in labor disputes (i.e. enforcement of labor contracts or other industrial actions) at the Labour Dispute Department of the Ministry of Labor and Vocational Training, Labour Arbitration Council, and the competent courts.  
• Representing Chinese, Korean, and Thai companies in enforcing foreign arbitral awards before the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court.
• Representing various banks in criminal proceedings concerning bank frauds, forgery, embezzlement, cybercrimes, and other white-collar crimes.
• Advising and representing clients in numerous civil disputes such as land disputes, divorce cases, separation, division of assets, and inheritances.

Advising and representing clients in the enforcement of their intellectual property rights such as filing objections, opposition, and claims, to the Ministry of Commerce’s Intellectual Property Department and Cambodian courts, enforcement of franchise agreements, raid actions, and all kinds of IP right infringement.