ICC FraudNet

Chairman: Aimee Prieto (Dominican Republic) and Danny Ong (Singapore)

Number of members: 87 members from 70 jurisdictions

Languages:Afrikaans, Arabic, Bulgarian, Czech, Chinese, Danish, Dutch, English, Efik, Filipino, Flemish, French, Gaelic, German, Greek, Hausa, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Italian, Ibo, Japanese, Latvian, Maltese, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Spanish, Swahili, Swedish, Thai, Ukrainian, Urdu, Yoruba

Network Overview:

With 87 members in 70 jurisdictions and growing, ICC FraudNet is an international network of independent lawyers who are the leading anti-fraud/asset recovery specialist(s) in each country. Founded in 2004 by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), FraudNet operates under the auspices of the ICC’s Commercial Crime Services. Its membership extends to every continent and the world’s major economies, as well as leading offshore wealth havens with complex bank secrecy laws and institutions, where the proceeds of fraud are often hidden.

ICC FraudNet members are specialists immersed in cutting-edge fraud and recovery jurisprudence and legislation. While the home-country member usually serves as the client entry point, each matter receives the attention of a multi-jurisdictional team of specialists who have a track record of working together in transnational recovery efforts. This prior work experience allows for the rapid creation of a matter-specific team that designs and implements a global recovery strategy. Typical cases incorporate state-of-the-art forensics to model the suspected fraud. Such forensics provide the basis for coordinated, specialised court-supervised disclosure and investigative orders that enable victims to trace and freeze the proceeds of fraud wherever they are held. Depending on the circumstances of any particular case and the jurisdictions involved, the ICC FraudNet team often pursues a combination of civil and criminal proceedings.

Working as a rapid deployment force to quickly identify misappropriated assets and prevent their transfer or dissipation, ICC FraudNet has recovered billions of dollars for victims of some of the world’s largest and most sophisticated frauds. ICC FraudNet members regularly act for government agencies and regulators in effecting domestic and international recovery for victims. Leaving no stone unturned in maximising victims’ recovery, ICC FraudNet members also pursue recoveries against financial institutions, professional advisors and other intermediaries who facilitated or enabled the fraud or corruption.

Main Areas of Practice:

Grand Corruption:

ICC FraudNet members frequently represent sovereign governments in recovering assets misappropriated through corruption, embezzlement and fraud. For example, ICC FraudNet members represented Trinidad & Tobago in the Piarco Airport corruption case in multiple jurisdictions and continue to represent the country’s government in an ongoing corruption case involving a state-owned enterprise. Additionally, ICC FraudNet members represented the Republic of Nigeria in the Abacha cases, with more than US$1.3 billion recovered in Switzerland, Luxembourg, Jersey and Liechtenstein.

Asset Tracing & Recovery:

This specialised core competency for all ICC FraudNet members includes the design and implementation of multi-jurisdictional recovery plans based on state-of-the-art forensics and intimate knowledge of the civil and criminal remedies available in diverse legal systems around the world. Proceeds are traced and recovered from accounts and trusts and other financial vehicles, as well as real property, on behalf of a wide range of clients, including companies defrauded by their own executives or subsidiaries. This also includes the collection of significant judgments where judgment debtors seek to secrete assets beyond the reach of judgment creditors.

Ponzi Schemes:

In pursuing recovery for Ponzi scheme victims, ICC FraudNet members have represented Chapter 11 trustees for a looted investment firm (and its 26 debtor affiliates) concurrent with representing the firm’s US Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC)-appointed Receiver. ICC FraudNet members work seamlessly across jurisdictions on some of the largest international cases. This includes advising the Antiguan liquidators of Stanford International Bank, the commercial bank operated by R. Allen Stanford, as the instrument of an $5.5 billion international Ponzi scheme — the second largest in history. Additionally, members currently represent a Chilean liquidator in cross-border insolvency proceedings stemming from Chile’s largest Ponzi scheme and involving the United States, United Kingdom, Switzerland, the Isle of Man and Australia, among other jurisdictions.

Bankruptcy, Insolvency & Receivership:

Many ICC FraudNet members are recognised bankruptcy and insolvency practitioners who routinely access insolvency regimes around the world. They represent creditors, creditors’ committees and estate fiduciaries, such as trustees in bankruptcy and court-appointed receivers, in the pursuit and recovery of the proceeds of fraud. ICC FraudNet members recently pursued assets shielded in shell companies incorporated in multiple offshore wealth havens on behalf of the Receiver for a German GmbH that had perpetrated major investment fraud.

Complex Commercial Fraud:

All ICC FraudNet members are recognised specialists and routinely engage in representing victims of complex commercial frauds. For example, ICC FraudNet members represented the Hong Kong office of a major international accountancy firm in litigation over the use of offshore trusts.

2024 Members:

Andorra: Miguel Cases, Cases & Lacambra

Argentina: Guillermo Jorge, Bruchou & Funes de Rioja

Australia: John Mitchell, Arnold Bloch Leibler

Austria: Bettina Knoetzl, KNOETZL

Bahamas: Peter Maynard, Peter D. Maynard, Counsel & Attorneys

Barbados: Bartlett D. Morgan, Chancery Advocates

Belgium: Emmanuel Roger France, LMBD Business Law Firm

Belize: Ashanti Arthurs Martin, Balderamos Arthurs LLP

Bolivia: Lindsay Sykes, PPO Legal

Brazil: Maria Costa Passarella, Costa Passarella & Accioly Advogados Associados

Brazil: Henrique Forssell, Duarte Forssell Advogados (DFA)

Bulgaria: Angel Ganev, DGKV

British Virgin Islands: Martin S Kenney, Martin Kenney & Co (MKS)

Canada: Chris Ramsay, Clark Wilson LLP

Canada: William Brock, Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP

Canada: Derek Ricci, Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP

Canada: Matt Lindsay, Rose LLP

Cayman Islands: Collette Wilkins, WALKERS

Chile: Pamela Goldbaum, Lathrop Blanco Goldbaum

Chile: Ciro Colombara, RCZ Abogados

China: Ronghua (Andy) Liao, Han Kun Law Offices

Colombia: Luis Alfredo Barragan-Arrango, Asteri Abogados Law Firm

Costa Rica: Alejandro Pignataro, Pignataro Abogados

Cyprus: Costas Stamatiou, Elias Neocleous & Co LLC

Denmark: Pernille Bigaar, Lundgrens

Dominican Republic; Aimee Prieto, Prieto Cabrera & Asociados

Ecuador: Bruce Horowitz, Dentons Paz Horowitz

Egypt: Hazim Rizkana, Rizkana & Partners

Estonia: Marek Keiman, Magnusson

France: Jacques-Alexandre Genet, Archipel

Germany: Axel Benjamin Herzberg, BODENHEIMER

Greece: George Bazinas, Bazinas

Guatemala: Rodrigo Callejos, CARRILLO & ASOCIADOS

Guernsey: John Greenfield, CAREY OLSEN

Hong Kong: Troy Greig, Tanner De Witt

Hungary: Gabor Damjanovic, FORGO DAMJANOVIC

India: Shreyas Jayasimha, AARNA LAW

Ireland: Joanelle O'Cleirigh, ARTHUR COX

Isle of Man: Jonathan Wild, CALLIN WILD

Italy: Roberta Guaineri, ADVANT NCTM

Japan: Hiroyuki Kanae, ANDERSON MORI & TOMOTSUNE

Jersey: Stephen Baker, BAKER AND PARTNERS

Lebanon: Nada Abdelsater-Abusamra, ASAS LAW

Liechtenstein: Siegbert Lampert, LAMPERT & PARTNER

Luxembourg: Max Mailliet, ETUDEMAX MAILLIET

Malaysia: LeeShih, LCW

Mauritius: Sanjeev Ghurburrun, Geroudis

Mexico: Alejandro Catala, BASHAM

Monaco: Laure Michelle, DONALD MANASSE LAW OFFICES

Morocco: Mehdi Diouri, DLF Avocats

Netherlands: Kees van de Meent, FLORENT

Nigeria: Babajide Ogundipe, Sofunde, Osakwe, Ogundipe & Belgore

Nigeria: Richard Ayodele Akintunde, Ayodele Akintunde & Co

Pakistan: Mahmood Awan, Mahmood Awan & Partners

Panama: David M Mizrachi, MDU LEGAL

Peru: Hector Gadea, Rebaza Alcazar& De Las Casas

Philippines: Patricia-Ann T. Prodigalidad, ACCRALAW

Poland: Jaroslaw Kruk K W KRUK AND PARTNERS

Portugal: Miguel de Avillez Pereira AvillezCastro

Romania: Daniel Stefanica GRIGORESCU, STEFANICA

Saudi Arabia: Fahad Alarfaj ALFAHAD

Serbia: Tomislav Sunjka, Šunjka Law

Singapore: Danny Ong, Setia Law

South Africa: John Oxenham, PRIMERIO INTERNATIONAL

Spain: Hector Sbert, ECIJA

Sweden: Patrik Kalman Trägårdh

Sweden: Daniel Daun, VINGE

Switzerland: Michele Caratsch, BALDI AND CARATSCH

Switzerland: Yves Klein, MONFRINI BITTON KLEIN

Thailand: Krida Phoonwathu, R&T Asia (Thailand) Limited

Turkey: Duygu Doğanm, Kılınç Law & Consulting

Uganda: Kabiito Karamagi, Ligomarc Advocates

Ukraine: Dmytro Marchukov, INTEGRITES

United Arab Emirates: Richard Briggs, Hadef & Partners

United Kingdom: Kate McMahon, Edmonds Marshall McMahon

United Kingdom: Andrew Witts, GOWLING WLG

United Kingdom: Anthony Riem, PCB Byrne

Uruguay: Bernardo Porras, HUGHES & HUGHES

United States: Douglas Kellner, Kellner Herlihy Getty Friedman

United States: Michael Lee, Law Offices of Michael Jason Lee

United States: Tara Plochocki, Lewis Baach Kaufmann Middlemiss

United States: Christopher Redmond Redmond Law Firm LLC

United States: Edward H. Davis, Jr., Sequor Law

United States: Matthias Kleinsasser, WINSTEAD

Venezuela: Mario Brando, BRANDO ABOGADOS