Tom Stanley WWW.LAWYER-MONTHLY.COM 25 key growth market for us, as we have seen corporations in the Middle East demonstrate a greater willingness to pursue debtors outside the jurisdiction and engage investigators to help recover their funds. At what stage should lawyers first call in the investigators and why? I think there is now a greater understanding of what investigators can offer in terms of asset recovery and a willingness from lawyers to engage with them early in the process. There are broadly three stages of a case where investigators can be introduced: prelitigation, mid-case and post-judgment. Before launching a legal case there is often merit in identifying your potential adversary’s assets, or indications of assets that may be confirmed through further investigative work or legal discovery. An investigator’s report at this stage can help you to assess how complex the other side’s asset holdings are and how well prepared their defences are. For example, it may be found that your opponent holds most of their assets in less enforcement friendly jurisdictions, or that they tend to use offshore entities to mask their interests. This can be crucial What type of firms and cases does K2 Integrity work with? Our core clients have always been law firms, and this has not changed. However, the rise in litigation funding has seen the asset recovery market change to an extent. Without funding a case often does not get off the ground, so relationships with these funders is critical for us. Recent years have also seen a rise in the number of hedge funds moving into the litigation market and commoditising arbitral awards. By viewing these awards as tradeable assets and recognising them as an asset class which can offer very high returns on investment, they have opened up new opportunities for investigators. A big part of this market is the enforcement of awards against sovereign states and these cases have always formed a large part of our practice and continue to do so. Outside the traditional legal centres of London and New York where we continue to do a lot of work, at K2 we have historically had a strong presence in Geneva and have also expanded our presence in the Middle East in the past two years and opened offices in Abu Dhabi and Riyadh. This is a In the complex domain of asset tracing, K2 Integrity distinguishes itself through its dedicated practice led by Tom Stanley. Based in London, this specialised team focuses on uncovering hidden assets, leveraging a wealth of experience to offer clients efficient recovery solutions. Jules Kroll, the company’s founder, has set a high bar with pioneering investigations into corruption and asset searches against globally recognised figures, establishing a robust legacy for the firm’s current operations. An Interview with... Asset Tracing and Recovery by K2 Integrity www.k2integrity.com
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