Asset tracing and recovery

When to engage us

• Funds or property have been unlawfully removed from a company.
• Assets have passed through successive owners and their actual controllers need to be identified.
• The location of property or the recipients of funds are unknown.
• Further disposals or loss of asset value are a concern.
• You need to identify assets available for recovery and assess how a decision could be enforced.

What we do

Trace assets and connections.

We analyse documents, payments, registration records and ownership structures. We reconstruct transactions, identify recipients of funds and establish who actually controls the property. We cross-check open sources and information obtained lawfully.

Identify preservation measures.

We assess the risk of further disposals. Where a legal basis exists, we seek asset freezes, interim relief and other measures to preserve the prospect of recovery or compensation.

Build the recovery strategy.

We assess criminal, civil, commercial and administrative remedies. We consider the evidence, deadlines, costs, third-party rights and practical enforceability of a future decision.

Support implementation and enforcement.

We prepare procedural documents, represent the client and work with enforcement officers. Specialist support and foreign counsel are engaged by agreement where required.

How we work

We begin with the asset, the client’s title and the circumstances of its loss. We establish what is known, what needs verification and whether urgent preservation measures are required.

We agree priorities and sequence, weighing the expected costs against the potential recovery. Asset tracing may form part of business and investor protection or a separate engagement.

Getting started

Outline the assets, the circumstances of their loss, known participants and any existing proceedings.

Following a conflict check, we agree document transfer, objectives and scope.