International Intelligence Limited - Providing intelligence and counterintelligence services since 2002.
Due Diligence Investigations
“A company or institution does not want to fall foul of legislation such as the UK Proceeds of Crime Act, Terrorism Act or the USA Patriot Act”
What is Due Diligence?
Due Diligence is carried out with a view of understanding the level of risk that an individual or firm might be exposed to. Risks may include: political, financial (Financial Due Diligence), legal or reputational damage. In-depth Due Diligence should be carried out on all potential commercial suppliers or prior to a merger or acquisition.
A Due Diligence investigation should conclude in a report that can be used to make an informed decision. Businesses may be exposed to legal liabilities if they cannot demonstrate that they have acted in a proper manner in their business dealings and that they have been diligent.
Our Due Diligence Services
Due Diligence is as important today as it's ever been. The World-Wide-Web has created an arena where anyone can have a business presence and create a much larger footprint than reality. Whilst of course it is fair to market your services or wares, there is obviously a limit where marketing can become misleading, deliberately or otherwise.
International Intelligence Limited offers a covert Due Diligence service, whereby we conduct through checks without the target organisation or individual knowing. We go well beyond examination of wealth and cashflow, we look at legal complience, reputations and connections, areas where you may be exposed legally, financially or reputationally, regardless of single transaction or long-term business relationship.
As we often act for clients who have complex Due Diligence cases that may involve different jurisdictions, our due diligence service is quoted for on a case-by-case basis after an initial review.
The Due Diligence process is likely to include:
- Potential Political Exposure
- Potential Reputational Damage
- On & Off-shore Financial Profile & Analysis
- Investigating Links, Associations & Activities
International Intelligence's Due Diligence Services thoroughly investigates any given target using various techniques. These include of course open source intelligence, forensic accounting and where required covert surveillance, enabling a accurate picture of the "on the ground" situation.
Business deals and relationships in today's global economy are increasingly complex; it is therefore necessary to obtain timely and accurate intelligence. For due diligence purposes, public information on a company and its principals is often insufficient, outdated or difficult to obtain.
“Our aim is to uncover any hidden share structures, undisclosed liabilities or questionable financial dealings”
All due diligence intelligence is analysed to provide a full picture of the target company. A Due Diligence report based on the intelligence is submitted to our client, enabling them to make sound policy judgement before engaging in any major contracts or alliances.
The legal implications of Due Diligence
Corporate Governance dictates a Company Director must be able to demonstrate to a court that all effort was made in carrying out Due Diligence and that this was in compliance with the legislation of that particular jurisdiction.
Since the introduction of the US Sarbanes-Oxley or "Public Company Accounting Reform and Investor Protection Act" of 2002, there has been a stringent legal requirement for all companies and financial institutions doing business in or with the US to combat money laundering and other financial crimes.
The UK has a similar law, The Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing and Transfer of Funds (Information on the Payer) Regulations 2017 (MLR 2017) that came into force on the 26th June 2017 and applies to any company with a turnover of more than £100,000. Under this act, in the UK, any persons who consciously and intentionally makes a statement in the context of money laundering which is false or misleading commits an offence punishable by a fine and/or up to 2 years’ imprisonment.
If you are concerned how these laws may affect you and your Due Diligence processes, please contact our financial Due Diligence team and they will be happy to assist.
Know Your Customer
Know Your Customer also knows by the acronym KYC is a vital part of running any successful business today. The financial crisis of 2006 has also shown that companies who regularly use due diligence as standard business practice are better protected against risks and ultimately losses.
Aside from the legal obligations, on-boarding clients corectly has great benefits, it demonstrates to the client that you are a serious business and that you take your business and its reputation seriously. Ongoing Due Diligence and regular checks of clients can and does protect your company and mitigate risks.
