Harry Cassin
Publisher and Editor
Andy Spalding
Senior Editor
Jessica Tillipman
Senior Editor
Bill Steinman
Senior Editor
Richard L. Cassin
Editor at Large
Elizabeth K. Spahn
Editor Emeritus
Cody Worthington
Contributing Editor
Julie DiMauro
Contributing Editor
Thomas Fox
Contributing Editor
Marc Alain Bohn
Contributing Editor
Bill Waite
Contributing Editor
Shruti J. Shah
Contributing Editor
Russell A. Stamets
Contributing Editor
Richard Bistrong
Contributing Editor
Eric Carlson
Contributing Editor
The Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network issued an order Thursday expanding the requirement for title insurance companies to report the beneficial owners of shell companies buying residential real estate for cash or cryptocurrencies.… Continue Reading
I was bemused when I read that the head of the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA), Donald Toon, had bitterly complained about the tardiness of the Cayman Islands authorities in responding to information requests about the identities of ultimate beneficial owners (UBO) of Cayman companies.… Continue Reading
I have had several dealings with the Panama Papers law firm, Mossack Fonseca, over the years, while trying to identify its clients who had wronged my own.
Despite acquiring the appropriate court disclosure order forcing Mossack Fonseca to reveal the identity of a client patron (accused of some form of wrongdoing by my clients), the firm was difficult to deal with: the level of cooperation appeared to randomly fluctuate between non-existent and half-baked.… Continue Reading
In less than two weeks the new General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) will be in full force. Most companies subject to the GDPR have prioritized efforts to implement necessary internal safeguard measures, procedures and required contractual provisions.… Continue Reading
With implementation of FinCEN’s Customer Due Diligence Rule on May 11, beneficial ownership and customer due diligence are top of mind for many covered financial institutions. What is your organization doing to comply?… Continue Reading
Performing due diligence on third parties can be hard. When you discover that your third party is still in diapers, however — that’s pretty much a surefire sign something is amiss.… Continue Reading
The pressure on companies to identify and verify ultimate beneficial ownership or UBO information is growing, with more legal requirements being imposed, first by FinCEN, and most recently by the UK, which particularly targeted the British Overseas Territories.… Continue Reading
Predictably, the NGO “transparency” brigade has once again raised its guns and placed its cross-hairs over its preferred target: the offshore service providers in the British Overseas Territories, particularly those in the Caribbean.… Continue Reading
Kroll’s John ArvanitisOn May 11, FinCEN’s Final Rule regarding customer due diligence will be in force. That means covered financial institutions will have to make sure their due diligence programs are in line with FinCEN’s guidance on core elements of a customer due diligence program.… Continue Reading
Like all EU states, Portugal is seeking to manage the thorny question of managing and recording Ultimate Beneficial Owner (UBO) information, as part of its obligations under Chapter III of EU Directive 2015/849.… Continue Reading
My adopted home of the British Virgin Islands (BVI) has implemented what is known as the BOSS Act (or to give it its full title, the Beneficial Ownership Secure Search System Act), that received its assent in June last year.… Continue Reading
I have decided to don my tin hat and stick my head above the parapets again. Why? Because for once common sense has prevailed and the anti-1% brigade have lost their argument for an open Public Register of Ultimate Beneficial Owners (UBOs) in the British Virgin Islands (BVI) and her sister islands in the Caribbean.… Continue Reading
