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Fraud Investigation & Dispute Services

Integrity delivers benefits

Companies that act with integrity in efficiently addressing ethics and integrity issues, such as fraud, bribery and corruption, have a distinct advantage with real business benefits. To this end, we help our clients manage their risk, investigate alleged misconduct and measure the implications of disputes — all with the sensitivity, discretion and reactivity required.

These high standards of professionalism bring about why professionals - amongst them some of the world’s largest companies and many of its best-known law firms but a large range of medium-sized local enterprises as well - turn to Ernst & Young FIDS for assistance.

Our areas of focus include:

  • Ethics and Integrity:
    • Fraud prevention assistance, which encompasses amongst other:
      • Assessment of fraud risks and controls monitoring.
      • Implementation and/or review of whistle-blowing systems.
      • Performing fraud data analytics.
      • Implementation of fraud response plan, including investigation, remediation and disciplinary activities.
      • Fraud prevention trainings.

    • Fraud, misconduct and conflict of interest investigations, which encompasses amongst other:
      • Analyze the allegations of fraud or other illegal acts (embezzlement, collusion, harassment, gray market activity,…).
      • Examine relationships or suspicious activity between your company and some of your business partners.
      • Conduct insolvency and bankruptcy fraud investigations.
      • Probe suspect financial performance by a unit, subsidiary or joint venture.
      • Investigate financial and securities fraud - including false reporting, manipulated records, forgery or electronic tampering.
      • Explore compromises of intellectual property and trade secrets.
      • Provide internal and external legal counsel teams with litigation support assistance.

    • Complex anti-money laundering, which encompasses amongst other:
      • AML and KYC (Know Your Customer) investigations into suspected money-laundering or suspicious transactions.
      • Assistance, in cooperation with our tax specialists, in providing thorough analysis of all elements involved in the set-up and operations of complex tax optimization structures, in order to assess the potential liabilities and issues associated with the structure.
      • Incident management in order to manage the exposure to regulatory and reputation risks.
      • Assistance in used the divulgation set-up to national and foreign regulators, public prosecutors / FIU / judiciary and / or courts.

     
  • ABCA - Anti-bribery and corruption (FCPA, UK Bribery Act, national and international laws and regulations):
    • Anti-bribery and corruption investigations:
      • We investigate allegations of bribery and corruption and attempts to conceal such activity. Our work ranges from isolated incidents involving few employees to more pervasive conduct involving management in multiple countries.
         
    • Assessment of anti-bribery and corruption controls and processes:
      • We provide compliance assessments for companies taking proactive measures to understand their risks and for those contemplating voluntary disclosure or settlement with authorities. We review company operations, consultant and agency relationships, cash transactions, marketing and sales practices and accounting records to identify potential violations and investigate where necessary.
         
    • Assistance in the strengthening of anti-bribery and corruption systems:
      • We help companies develop and/or improve their anti-bribery and corruption compliance programs and procedures.
         
    • Performing anti-bribery and corruption data analytics.

       
  • OFAC assistance:
    • Assessment of the efficiency of OFAC controls and processes.

    • Assistance in establishing / improving controls and procedures in order to comply with OFAC regulations.

    • Analysis of international trade activities and exposure to OFAC restricted trade, including economic sanctions against countries, companies and individuals.

    • Look-back reviews in cases of OFAC violation.
       
  • Transaction forensic services:
    • FIDS assistance to clients on entering certain markets by identifying and evaluating specifically identified companies that might become business partners, according to FIDS pre-defined standards.

    • Forensic due diligence of client portfolios, distribution, sales or intermediaries network.

    • Either as stand-alone or as part of a CF team, forensic assessment of the findings produced by the other teams linked to the transaction (legal, tax, CF, valuation,...).

    • Assisting with fact-finding engagements to identify risks and other key factors during consideration/execution of a contemplated acquisition or partnerships, including:
      • Fraud and money laundering risks
      • Corruption and bribery issues:
        Inappropriate or illegal business practices by a target company can, in a share purchase, expose the buyer to reduced revenues, increased costs, reputational damage and regulatory sanctions, even criminal prosecution. Through an assessment of the risk of the target being engaged in bribery and corruption, we can help mitigate the risk of potential future loss of value and adverse public comment.
      • Cartel and competition issues
      • Specific transaction-related forensic issues.
    • Serving as an advisor in post-acquisition disputes and investigations:
      • The change of control resulting from an acquisition can trigger a business dispute or lead to the discovery of fraud and other irregularities. Should this happen, you need to address such problems quickly, efficiently and with minimal impact on your business. We can assist you to investigate alleged misconduct, fraud and non-compliance with regulation. We can also quantify the potential damages in a dispute or support you in settlement negotiations.
         

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Contact us

Gerard Zolt
Country Practice Leader Fraud Investigation & Dispute Services
+352 42 124 8508

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