Barrister Andrew Tragardh, who helped Dual Australia recover $17.4 million that was stolen by a former employee, has opened a firm specialising in financial crime investigation.

Duxton Hill has a team of legal professionals, fraud experts and investigators to provide clients with the advice and aid they will need to counter corporate fraud and misconduct.

A company statement released today says the firm “fills a gaping hole in a niche market of huge demand amidst a volatile environment of increasingly complex incidences of fraud”.

Mr Tragardh says disruption caused by the virus pandemic has created new risks for companies in the form of financial crime and fraud.

“Unscrupulous criminals are upping the ante on scams to take advantage of the pandemic to make short-term gains,” he said.

“Companies must be vigilant in safeguarding valuable data assets throughout COVID-19, remembering they have an obligation to ensure that reasonable steps are taken to protect personal information it holds from misuse, interference, loss, unauthorised access, modification or disclosure.”