Co-Chair
Sara Sheffield

Co-Chair
Tomislav Šunjka

Asset Recovery Committee

The Asset Recovery Committee, re-launched as an independent committee in 2023, provides an international platform for private and public-sector practitioners, civil society, international and regional organizations, policy makers, experts and funders to meet and discuss best practice and experience in the field of asset tracking and recovery, including asset recovery laws and orders, practical tools and techniques, know-how and case studies, from both criminal and civil law perspectives, across both civil and common law jurisdictions.

About the Asset Recovery Committee

The Asset Recovery Committee, re-launched as an independent committee in 2023, provides an international platform for private and public-sector practitioners, civil society, international and regional organizations, policy makers, experts and funders to meet and discuss best practice and experience in the field of asset tracking and recovery, including asset recovery laws and orders, practical tools and techniques, know-how and case studies, from both criminal and civil law perspectives, across both civil and common law jurisdictions. Asset Recovery is a multi-disciplinary practice area with asset recovery tools being relevant to asset recovery in cases concerning fraud, public and private corruption, insolvency, financial services, digital assets and cryptocurrency, sports, sanctions, shipping, private law matters, and war crimes. It is an important consideration both before and during the course of securing of judgments, orders and arbitral awards, at enforcement stages, and for the purposes of the financing of those processes.

The Asset Recovery Committee aims to create a model Asset Recovery Law in the near future to enhance the rights and tools available to plaintiffs and creditors, and is committed to providing a collaborative environment for key stakeholders to contribute to that process. In order to achieve that purpose, the Asset Recovery Committee will continue the significant efforts of its predecessor, the Asset Recovery Sub-Committee, in organizing regular conferences, seminars and workshops, distributing newsletters, and engaging to enable members to stay well informed of the latest developments in asset recovery practices globally.

IBA Annual Conference Paris 2023

We were involved in four sessions at the IBA Annual Conference Paris 2023.

Inaugural Asset Recovery Conference Vienna December 2023

  • Chris Phillips (Quantuma): “The conference was a combination of really high-class content via fully engaging panels (on a truly global scale) and really outstanding networking both in the hotel, at the dinner and two fun drinks receptions – all in a stunning Winter setting. I am sure we would be delighted to continue to support the Asset Recovery committee in the future”.
  • Jacques-Alexandre Genet (Archipel Law), Paris: “Honestly, this event stands among the very best I have attended in the asset recovery area over the last few years – format, sizing and content were all excellent. I was very happy, and honoured to participate as a speaker to this inaugural conference”: How to track and to recover cryptocurrency?
  • Piers Rake – Partner, Astraea Group: “One of the best conferences I’ve attended. As with everything in life, it’s all about the people you meet, and shared experiences. The conference was finishes off with an address by Lord Justice Briggs, and a great Q&A. I am looking forward to next years’ International Bar Association Asset Recovery Conference in Madrid”.
  • Barry Robinson - BDO: “What a great inaugural IBA Asset Recovery conference. Such great attendees and networking events in a memorable location”
  • Yves Klein: "Congratulatios and thank you to all for a great conference, the bar is set high for the next one”.
  • Marc Hassberger, Chabrier: “The amount of talent, experience and brain matter that was gathered together is mind blowing. It is only surpassed by the feeling of deep friendship and camaraderie running in this group”
  • Dr Angelika H – Rahman Ravelli: “It was a remarkable event and I am already looking forward to the next one”.

Forthcoming conferences and webinars View All Conferences

Committee Projects

 

An IBA Asset Recovery Committee initiative produced in conjunction with the IBA Anti-Corruption Committee.

Experts from around the world give their views on asset recovery.

 

An IBA Asset Recovery Committee initiative produced in conjunction with the IBA Anti-Corruption Committee.

Asset Recovery experts from around the world were invited to give their views on anti-corruption developments in their jurisdictions. The film was created in 2019 at the 17th Annual IBA Anti-Corruption Conference.

Reports

Going for Broke

Insolvency Tools to Support Cross-Border: Asset Recovery in Corruption Cases

Download Report

Publications

When is a scam a fraud under Swiss criminal law?

In financial matters, there are numerous cases of scammers promising investors a high return in a short period of time. To target potential victims, scammers show boundless imagination and use all kinds of manoeuvres. They present themselves as providers of cutting-edge financial services, relying in particular on attractive subjects such as cryptocurrency. For Swiss criminal courts, however, there is an important and sometimes difficult distinction between a scam where the investor is the victim of a fraud and a high-risk investment based on aggressive promotional strategies.

Released on Apr 15, 2024

A dream come true: Black Swan freestanding orders are expressly made available in Cyprus

The implementation of the new Civil Procedure Rules in Cyprus, coupled with amendments in the legislature, make Black Swan freestanding orders a dream come true, adding to the tools available for asset recovery legal practitioners.

Released on Apr 15, 2024

Dispute resolution: redress and remediation in complex crypto litigation

Disputes involving crypto assets can have their own unique and sometimes novel challenges. To seek redress, litigants have had to rely on existing dispute resolution mechanisms and traditional legal remedies, with varying levels of success.

Released on Apr 15, 2024

The UK’s new failure to prevent fraud offence – should crypto firms brace for impact?

The United Kingdom recently introduced legislation which expands the scope of corporate criminal liability. The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 (the Act) aims to strengthen the UK’s response to financial crime through an array of measures. For crypto firms, the primary touchpoints in the Act are the standalone provisions which concern crypto assets in Part 4. Those provisions are focused on the powers of UK law enforcement agencies to seize and recover crypto assets and enable the seizure and forfeiture of crypto assets believed to be the proceeds of crime, or which are connected to terrorism on reasonable grounds without first requiring a criminal conviction. This article, however, considers how the introduction in Part 5 of the Act of a new offence of failing to prevent fraud, that may have a wider impact on crypto firms and make it easier for criminal prosecutions to be brought against organisations.

Released on Apr 15, 2024