Fulcrum Insights

This will very much depend on the jurisdictions where you believe assets may be hidden. Information accessibility differs significantly from country to country, so what might be publicly available in one jurisdiction, won’t necessarily be accessible in another. Jurisdictional research will also impact project cost and timescales. In order to properly manage client expectations you need to know from the outset what can be achieved.

‘’It is important to understand what information might be available’’

Some jurisdictions do not store records electronically which means remote access to information such as land and property registers is not always a possibility. Having a physical presence to provide local intelligence is a major benefit, particularly when tracing assets in emerging countries where hard data  

might be vague and misleading. Field intelligence can also be used as a means to provide visible evidence of current lifestyle and movable assets such as vehicles.

Asset concealment is often attempted by forming corporate entities in tax-friendly locations in an effort to mask ultimate beneficial ownership (UBO). Commonly used offshore tax havens include the Cayman Islands and British Virgin Islands (BVI), and nearshore Channel Islands. The U.S State of Delaware is also frequently utilised for this purpose. 

Such structures are generally incorporated by a nominee agent acting on behalf of the UBO, often only recording the nominee’s details on official documents. Offshore doesn’t necessarily mean that corporate data is completely beyond reach, it just means that limited or minimal information is usually recorded on company documentation. 

In securing all records available there is no guarantee that they will reveal links to UBO. However in some instances corporate shareholdings might be listed which can enable research to be expanded. It is often a ‘look see’ exercise to determine what is available, but nevertheless an important part of the investigation process which should not be overlooked.

Many information records can be accessed globally without leaving a search footprint. This is a common request when clients such as financial institutions are in ongoing debt workout negotiations and would prefer a covert assessment of an individual’s asset portfolio. However, it is not always possible to secure records in certain countries without providing written proof of debt or evidence of ongoing legal proceedings. 

Using land registers as an example; property ownership details are publicly available in the UK once an address has been identified. However, in countries such as Germany and Cyprus for instance, an official request for release of title/deeds records must be made to the local registry outlining a legitimate legal reason why the data is required. This clearly creates a search footprint.

A key component to achieving positive results in a global asset profiling exercise is knowing in advance what types of primary information is legally accessible in the jurisdictions of interest.

In matters of pre-litigation and financial recovery assessment it is vital to have a clear understanding of a proposed defendant’s asset profile. This enables professional advisors to determine the cost-benefit and likelihood of a successful recovery strategy.

Working on behalf of major UK banks, financial institutions, and leading bank panelled law firms, FGA provides structured reports designed to refresh out of date information and bring clarity to inconsistent financial statements of affairs.

Data research is performed using soft touch techniques which can be executed without leaving a digital search footprint. 

“In matters involving financial dispute, clients often prefer a covert assessment of an individual’s asset position”

Reports include verification of individual’s current place of residence, lifestyle, solvency, and identifies fixed and moveable assets where a proprietary financial interest can be evidenced.

Recoverable assets such as property and beneficial corporate holdings are the main focus of research.

Reports can include the provision of photographic evidence of assets together with current estimated market valuations. 

Recommendations are made for any additional relevant investigations, for example where potential overseas assets are highlighted during research.

Our objective is to help our clients gain full visibility of an individual or company’s current financial position so that informed enforcement strategies can be modelled.