Finding the needle in the haystack: physical and digital
To render asset searches and recovery support, the global team of skilled investigators that Falcone International has assembled is capable of creating a rigorous, well-thought-out plan for locating hidden or undiscovered assets. Subsequently, Falcone International works with clients from the beginning of the forensic asset search case until its resolution.
We carry out asset searches and recovery support through our global network of investigative, legal, and financial experts adept at deciphering complicated corporate structures, layers of offshore holdings, and money laundering operations.
Questions you might have
What forms of Asset Searches and Recovery Support can be applied?
Asset Searches and Recovery Support is a specialized service to locate and recover assets that may be hidden, misplaced, or unlawfully taken. This service is particularly useful in various legal and financial contexts. Here's a breakdown of what it entails:
- Asset Searches: This involves the identification and location of assets. These assets could be tangible, like real estate and vehicles, or intangible, like bank accounts and investments. The search can span across domestic and international jurisdictions, especially in cases involving complex corporate structures or offshore holdings.
- Forensic Investigation: This is a key component, particularly when the assets are suspected to be involved in illegal activities such as fraud, embezzlement, or money laundering. Forensic investigators use various techniques to trace the movement of money and uncover hidden assets.
- Legal Expertise: The process often involves navigating a myriad of legal frameworks, especially when dealing with assets spread across different countries. Legal experts ensure that the search and recovery process adheres to all relevant laws and regulations.
- Financial Analysis: Experts analyze financial records and transactions to track down assets. This can involve deciphering complex financial schemes designed to conceal asset ownership or movement.
- Recovery Support: Once assets are located, the service includes support for their recovery. This might involve legal proceedings, negotiations, or working with authorities to reclaim assets.
- Advisory Services: Clients are often advised on the feasibility of recovering assets, including a cost-benefit analysis and strategy formulation. This is critical in making informed decisions on whether to pursue asset recovery.
- Post-Judgment Enforcement: In cases where a court judgment has been made in favor of a client, asset searches and recovery support can help in enforcing the judgment by locating and retrieving the awarded assets.
Asset Searches and Recovery Support is a comprehensive service that combines investigative skills, legal knowledge, and financial expertise to locate and recover assets for individuals, corporations, or legal entities. This service is essential in cases of litigation, divorce, debt recovery, fraud investigations, and corporate due diligence.
Perpetrators often use different assets, like artworks, jewelry, or even cryptocurrency, to more illicit or stolen funds more easily. Tracking and tracing those assets is challenging and requires a specialized skill set of the investigator as well as a coordinated, often global, response by a firm familiar with common schemes.
How does an investigation of this nature usually work? How does the roadmap look like?
Asset Searches and Recovery Support is a multi-faceted process that involves several stages and utilizes various methodologies to locate, identify, and recover assets. This service is commonly used in legal disputes, financial investigations, and compliance checks. Here's a general outline of how it works:
Client Consultation and Objective Setting: The process begins with a consultation where the client's needs and objectives are discussed. This step is crucial to understand the scope of the search, the nature of the assets in question, and the specific circumstances of the case (such as legal disputes, divorce proceedings, fraud investigations, etc.).
Planning and Strategy Development: Based on the initial consultation, a tailored plan and strategy are developed. This includes determining the necessary resources, deciding on the jurisdictions to be covered, and identifying the potential challenges.
Gathering Information: The firm conducting the search gathers all available information about the subject, including personal details, business affiliations, and known assets. This information can come from public records, private databases, and other sources.
Analysis and Investigation: With the gathered information, experts conduct an in-depth analysis and investigation. This might involve:
- Forensic accounting to trace financial transactions.
- Reviewing bank records, property records, corporate filings, and court records.
- Utilizing technology to analyze digital footprints and transactions.
- Conducting interviews or surveillance, if necessary.
International Collaboration: If the assets are suspected to be in different countries, the process may involve collaboration with international partners. This is crucial to navigate different legal systems and access foreign records.
Legal Proceedings: In many cases, legal action may be required to recover assets. This could involve filing lawsuits, obtaining court orders for the release of information, or working with law enforcement agencies.
Asset Recovery: Once the assets are located, the next step is recovery. This can be straightforward, such as claiming funds from a bank account, or complex, involving legal battles, negotiations, or even international repatriation of assets.
Reporting and Advising: Throughout the process, the client is kept informed with regular reports. After locating the assets, the firm advises the client on the best course of action for recovery, considering legal, financial, and risk factors.
Post-Recovery Support: After the assets are recovered, there might be additional support needed, such as managing the assets, dealing with tax implications, or further legal assistance.
Each asset search and recovery case is unique, requiring a customized approach based on the client's situation, the nature of the assets, and the jurisdictions involved. Professional firms specializing in this service employ a combination of legal expertise, financial analysis, investigative skills, and technology to achieve the best possible outcome for their clients.
While financial systems are connected globally, authorities and prosecuting offices are bound by their jurisdictions and resources. These constraints might hinder a global investigation and response. Organizations can assist these efforts by mounting their own search and recovery efforts. If done correctly, the findings will also hold up in a court of law.
Working with Falcone International on Asset Searches and Recovery Support
Using Falcone International, you can use forensic asset searches to:
- Gather intelligence about assets that may be used in court or to assess the likelihood of successfully bringing a claim
- Pursue post-judgment enforcement actions
- Determine and track down money linked to employee theft or other wrongdoing
- Locate U.S. and overseas financial assets by navigating corporate holdings and structure layers.
- Investigate assets that moved from one nation or jurisdiction to another, employing local investigators who are knowledgeable with each country's laws and business practices.
- Conduct a cost-benefit analysis to identify acceptable and successful investigation measures and weed out ineffective ones.
We are professionals at locating concealed assets and the methods used to do so. Allow the professionals at Falcone International to assist you if you require a discrete and exhaustive asset search.
Get in touch about Asset Searches and Recovery Support
Let us talk about your Asset Searches and Recovery Support needs. We are here to help and are happy to give a non-binding and confidential assessment of your case and course of action. Contact Falcone International today for expert assistance.