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Regulatory and compliance advisory

Anti-money laundering

As rules have got stricter and enforcement more stringent, anti-money-laundering (AML) has emerged as one of the most significant risks for financial institutions, and a growing risk for non-financial services companies.

AML is becoming a priority for regulators across the world, just as whistleblowers gain greater protection, credibility and confidence. The range of AML risks is broadening to include prudential regulation, criminal enforcement and a potential tsunami of third-party follow-on litigation. Where AML difficulties were once mostly confined to a single jurisdiction, authorities’ extra-territorial reach means problems can now snowball across multiple borders.

Freshfields has deep experience across the full spectrum of AML risks, including third-party litigation and criminal defence. We provide our clients with a coherent worldwide defence and communication strategy, fast.

Our comprehensive understanding of AML risks comes from hands-on work such as putting in place and monitoring know your customer (KYC), customer due diligence (CDD) and combating the financing of terrorism (CFT) processes. We understand how the solutions and policies suggested by the UK Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), for example, are implemented by governments. And we negotiate with national and international regulators across the world.

With a single integrated global AML team, nobody is better placed to navigate the risks and achieve the best outcomes.