ICC Commercial Crime Service

More Than a Conference -- Fraud Fighters Take Center Stage

When the world’s leading asset recovery network holds its annual conference, attendees and global fraud watchers know it’s more than just a conference. On October 1-2, members of ICC FraudNet, will converge in Vienna, to pool knowledge and resources from its worldwide brain trust. The focus? Helping victims of financial crimes, through the ever-evolving field of civil asset tracing and asset recovery.

Not only do we focus on the latest trends in financial crime and effective tracing and recovery strategies, we learn from each other, the boots on the ground across the world. We also hear from leaders in international business and government and fromsome of our strategic partners - Andrews International, BDO, Grant Thornton, The Mintz Group, and PwC - who are leading experts in global risk management and asset recovery.

The event, being held in my lovely hometown of Vienna, presents a unique opportunity for everyone in the fight against fraud – lawyers, forensic accountants, private investigators, banking and finance specialists and others to strengthen their networks and knowledge. More than 6,000 international lawyers will be in Vienna for the International Bar Association’s annual conference, where many of our ICC FraudNet members & friends will also be participating.

We will take on the topics that keep us all up at night, subjects only asset recovery experts would gladly take on, using examples ripped from the headlines, including the FIFA scandal. Keeping up with fraud trends, developing effective strategies and following stolen money across the world is a challenge that takes skill and expertise. The process is even more difficult for those we present, the victims who are individuals, companies and increasingly governments who are often left with serious financial and emotional damage.

As skilled as our members are individually, we recognized that it takes a strong network and teamwork to recover assets for victims in cross-border fraud cases. Today our resources are arguably second to none.

Recognized by Chambers Global as the world’s leading asset recovery network, ICC FraudNet is an international network of independent lawyers who are leading civil asset recovery specialists in each country. Our membership extends to every continent and the world’s major economies, as well as leading offshore wealth havens that have complex bank secrecy laws and institutions where the proceeds of fraud often are hidden. Founded in 2004 by the Paris-based International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the world’s business organization, FraudNet operates under the auspices of the ICC’s London-based Commercial Crime Services unit.

ICC FraudNet attorneys accounted for 29 of the 35 top lawyers recognized by Who’s Who Legal as the “most highly regarded” in the field of asset recovery worldwide. The publication is respected in the industry of law for its exhaustive research process and unbiased rankings. Who’s Who Legal ranked the most highly regarded individuals in the field of asset recovery in North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia-Pacific region, Africa and the Middle East, offshore jurisdictions and the UK Bar.

Just last week, Global Investigations Review’s GIR 100 annual guide to the world’s leading cross-border investigations practices recognized ICC FraudNet members. Arthur Cox, Bennett Jones, Estudio Durrieu, Feldens Madruga, Jun He, Nortons and Squire Patton Boggs were recognized as the firms to turn to during a crisis. Our members Greg Glynn, Roberto Durrieu, Antenor Madruga and John Oxenham were featured.

However, in a field that seems to change by the minute, ICC FraudNet events are an opportunity to continue to hone our skills, identify world hotspots and nurture the global relationships that make us effective.

Speakers, recognized experts in the field, include:

. Elena Panfilova – Vice Chair of Transparency International, and Chair TI Russia
. Max Burger-Scheidlin – Executive Director International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), Austria
. Martin Kreutner – Dean and Executive Secretary of the International Anti-Corruption Academy (IACA), Austria

Described by Who’s Who Legal respondents as “one of the best lawyers in the world”, Edward H. Davis, Jr., aleading asset tracing expert from Astigarraga Davis,our ICC FraudNetmember from Miami, will explore “Asset Tracing in the Balkans: A New Frontier?” in a panel discussion featuring Ian Casewell, of The Mintz Group and Tomislav Sunjka, our member from Serbia.

Colette Wilkins from Walkers, ICC FraudNet representative from Cayman Islands, and Siegbert Lampert, our representative from Liechtenstein, will focus on worldwide freeze orders and how they work.

Yves Klein, our member from Geneva and Stephen Baker, our Jersey ICC FraudNet representative, will present acase study on risks to banks and financial institutions including fines, damagesand disgorgement of profits in cases of money laundering.

Finally, we will look atUsing Insolvency Proceedings in Europe as an Asset Recovery Tool. Andrew Maclay – BDO, UK, and Pernille Bigaard, ICC FraudNet member, will discuss their effectiveness. Can they work?

I will lead a panel discussion, How to Maximize Legal Arguments to Obtain Redress for Victims ofCorruption,usingthe FIFA scandal as a practical example. Joining me on the panel are ICC FraudNet members:

. Steven Philippsohn – PCB Litigation LLP, Englan
. Cathalijne van der Plas – Höcker, Netherlands
. Bernd H. Klose – Insolvency Law Specialist, Germany
. AntenorMadruga – FeldensMadruga, Brasília

Congratulations to the fraud fighters of ICC FraudNet on the extraordinary and well-deserved recognition you have received this year, and most of all for your efforts on behalf of victims.

See you in Vienna.

Bettina Knoetzl is a partner at Wolf Theiss, a top tier firm in Austria and CEE/SEE. Who’s Who Legal recently named her one of the top ten lawyers world wide for Asset Recovery. Bettina specializes in international litigation and commercial litigation, focusing on business crime, including asset tracing, FCPA, UK Bribery Act, and fraud investigations, invest or protection, liability claims, corporate disputes, and compliance issues. The ICC FraudNet representative for Austria, she is also president of the Austrian chapter of Transparency International and Senior Vice-Chair of the Litigation Committee of the International Bar Association.





ICC FraudNet is an international network of independent lawyers who are leading civil asset recovery specialists in each country.Our membership extends to every continent and the world’s major economies, as well as leading offshore wealth havens that have complex bank secrecy laws and institutions where the proceeds of fraud often are hidden. Founded in 2004 by the Paris-based International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the world’s business organization, FraudNet operates under the auspices of the ICC’s London-based Commercial Crime Services unit. ICC FraudNet has been recognized by Chambers Global as the world’s leading asset recovery legal network.