Tracing and Recovering Assets in Offshore Trusts, Shell Companies and Secrecy Jurisdictions

Course overview

Large-scale corruption and fraud proceeds from Africa often end up in structures designed to be impenetrable: trusts in one jurisdiction, holding companies in another and bank accounts in a third. Recovering them requires knowledge of how these structures work and of the legal tools available abroad. This offshore asset tracing course gives experienced practitioners that knowledge.

Participants study how offshore trusts, foundations, shell and shelf companies and nominee services are set up and used, and the role of lawyers, accountants and corporate service providers in creating them. They learn which information exists in secrecy jurisdictions and how to obtain it, including beneficial ownership registers, exchange of information agreements, leaked data, mutual legal assistance and civil disclosure orders in foreign courts. The course examines recovery options such as foreign civil proceedings, trust challenges, and the enforcement of domestic orders abroad. A case involving funds diverted from an infrastructure project into a multi-jurisdiction structure runs throughout.

Participants leave able to unpick offshore structures and choose effective routes to recover assets held in them.

What you will be able to do

• Explain how offshore trusts, foundations and shell companies conceal ownership
• Identify the role of professional enablers in offshore structures
• Locate information held in secrecy jurisdictions through lawful channels
• Map complex multi-jurisdiction structures
• Compare criminal, civil and private law routes to recover offshore assets
• Plan an offshore recovery strategy with foreign counsel and authorities

Who should attend

For senior investigators, prosecutors and lawyers working on complex cases with offshore elements. Experience of financial investigation is assumed.

• Senior financial investigators
• Asset recovery lawyers
• Prosecutors in economic crime units
• FIU analysts
• Revenue authority international tax investigators
• Anti-corruption investigators

Course outline

Fees are per participant in US dollars and cover tuition, course materials and your certificate. Travel and accommodation are not included.