Insights

• Free ports enable ultra-high-net-worth individuals to store, trade and transport assets, including artwork, with benefits of security, favorable tax and customs regulations and, often, privacy.
• However, free ports cannot mitigate threats to assets when authorities make allegations of misconduct and issue freezing or seizure orders.
• With a free port in Dubai under construction, UHNWIs and their advisors should contemplate proactive steps to protect their global portfolios.

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• International creditors are seeing more opportunities in the United Arab Emirates and wider Middle East as courts continue to signal openness to recognizing and enforcing overseas judgments.
• This includes overcoming a fraudulent conveyance, as a UAE court recently decided in what may be an unprecedented judgment in favor of a judgment holder represented by Kobre & Kim.
• The judgment demonstrates that there are a rapidly growing number of creditor tools available in the region to combat recalcitrant debtors.

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• A new law criminalizing the demanding or receipt of payments from U.S. individuals or entities gives the U.S. Department of Justice new tools to extend its targeting of non-U.S. individuals in corruption investigations.
• This puts politically connected individuals at risk of becoming subject to aggressive U.S. investigations, initiated by politically motivated domestic rivals.
• At-risk individuals should take proactive steps to protect their reputations, assets and liberty.

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• The United Kingdom is pushing its overseas territories, including offshore centers such as the British Virgin Islands and Cayman Islands, to publicly identify ultimate beneficial owners of corporate structures.
• This loss of privacy for ultra-high-net-worth individuals with legitimate needs could see their reputations and interests threatened by unwarranted scrutiny.
• Proper preparation can help individuals and their advisors to not only limit potential damage, but also allow them to react expediently if a crisis arises.

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• The new administration of Javier Milei in Argentina marks a shift away from the political establishment, with his promises to purge the “political caste.”
• Politically exposed persons may be at risk – new authorities around the world often engage in politically motivated investigations.
• At-risk individuals and businesses should take proactive steps to protect their assets, liberty and reputation.

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• Russian individuals and companies with legitimate global interests still need to litigate their disputes in overseas jurisdictions.
• Despite the current state of relations between the United States and Russia, U.S. courts are still giving Russian litigants a fair hearing.
• We outline recent examples of successes that demonstrate how Russian litigants can still access powerful U.S. legal tools.

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• Brazil is seeking more investment from China, with almost half of China’s investments in South America being in Brazil.
• However, the recent wave of insolvencies in Brazil could threaten these investments, particularly if fraud is uncovered, leaving investors to navigate the complex Brazilian insolvency landscape.
• By undertaking a more assertive, multijurisdictional approach, combined with new insolvency tools in Brazil, investors can seek to gain the upper hand.

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• The U.S. Department of Justice announced a new policy promising companies leniency if they report uncovered misconduct within six months of a merger or acquisition.
• Though this may at first appear to be “good news,” it demonstrates the DOJ’s increasing aggressiveness to companies – including non-U.S. companies – that did not commit any wrongdoing.
• We look at why companies should be wary of cooperation, and how they can approach the DOJ more prudently.

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• Speed is critical for targets of large-scale cryptocurrency fraud or cyber-attacks.
• The borderless and pseudonymous nature of cryptocurrencies means stolen assets can be quickly dispersed around the world.
• Targets should deploy a speedy, global response, combined with non-traditional approaches, to increase the chances of a substantial recovery.

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• Investments from the Middle East into Mainland China are growing recently as many see increasing opportunities for returns.
• However, there are risks that may materialize if investors become embroiled in a global dispute with Chinese companies.
• Investors should consider ways to increase their leverage and expand their options, including by bringing disputes directly into China through Hong Kong.

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• The U.S. Department of Justice is continuing to extend its long arm jurisdiction into aggressively scrutinizing individuals in Latin America.
• Many targets may become embroiled in what can be overstated allegations, threatening their assets, liberty and reputation.
• Targets need to work with cross-border counsel knowledgeable in the DOJ’s tactics to push back as early as possible.

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