Spotlight | United Kingdom
Sanctions race generates new market for investigation and assistance work for oligarchs

The Corporate Intelligence Village Voice
Royal Navy vet Bennett at Capita, Governances, Gateley Omega, Xirius helps EU

Appointments, financial results, new contracts: each week, we report on events both big and small that matter in the global corporate intelligence community. This week, we go to London, Paris and Brussels.

London Royal Navy vet Bennett's success as defence sector consultant

Paris Governances cuts ties with Lagardère auditor

London Gateley Omega, the investigative arm of Ukrainian recovery fund lawyers

Brussels Maingain helps defend European sanctions

Turkey, United States
Boston's Airde Group trips up on Turkish rugs

The private investigation firm has been working for Turkish carpet maker Orient Turistik Magazacilik San Ve Tic, (OTMSVT) which alleges that distributor Aytek passed off poor quality rugs as imitations of OTMSVT products. The investigation's results have been mixed.

Spotlight | Russia, United Kingdom
Londongrad divided over use of SLAPPs and GDPR in lawsuits

Private investigators and lawyers representing foreign executives, particularly Russian, East European and Central Asian oligarchs, are bracing themselves for bitter fights over libel and privacy cases.

Russia
S-RM tackles Russian crypto crime

S-RM pulled out of the Russian market in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, due to concerns about compliance, but its cyber branch is expecting an uptick in Russian ransomware cases.

Europe, Russia
Legal trio leads Russian oligarchs' anti-sanction campaigns in Brussels

In Brussels, three advocates from the Daldewolf law firm have specialised in representing Russian businessmen in their battle against European economic and individual sanctions.

Azerbaijan, United Kingdom
Nobel Upstream, an Azerbaijani refuge for former Rosneft and BP Russia specialists

With the planned stoppage of Russian oil and gas to Western markets turning the sector upside down, British operator Nobel Upstream is trying to maintain a connection between Europe and Caspian Sea resources, under the leadership of former executives of Russian oil giants.

Russia, United Kingdom
Russian Alfa Group's investment arm A1 still going strong as litigation funder in London

The entity that helps Russia's Deposit Insurance Agency fight its legal battles, A1, is still helping it hunt for assets. The UK sanctions on its leaders, including founder Mikhail Fridman, do not seem to have hindered its work in London.

Russia, United Kingdom
Schillings, the last safe haven for Russia-focused investigators

Investigations firm Schillings, which specialises in reputation repair for oligarchs, appears to be going against the grain. While most of Londongrad's private investigators are fretting over losing business, the firm, which employs both lawyers and investigators, is betting on the future by expanding and recruiting more staff.

Spotlight | United Kingdom
Oligarch crackdown shakes up private investigation sector

The wave of sanctions against Russian oligarchs in the wake of the invasion of Ukraine is having a big impact on the corporate intelligence world.

China, European Union
European Commission hires US's Rhodium to monitor Chinese investments

The New York firm will keep a database on Chinese direct investments in Europe, following a less than stellar report on the European mechanism to control foreign investment that came into force in October 2020.

Russia, United Kingdom
Distanced from gold miner Petropavlovsk, Hambros stay connected to Londongrad mining world

Although Peter and Jay Hambro have stepped back from Petropavlovsk, the British-registered Russian gold mining company, they are still very active in London's mining community.

Russia, United Kingdom
Vladimir Yakunin's heirs prosper in 'Londongrad'

While he has not had an opportunity to secure his sons a seat within the circles of power in Moscow, like many of Putin's cronies have, the former head of Russian railways can take pride in their place among London's business elite.

Spotlight | United Kingdom
UK's counter state threats bill worries investigators and lobbyists alike

London, the influence and corporate intelligence capital of the world, wants to adopt a form of foreign agent registration, a measure that could jeopardise a number of contracts being negotiated behind doors.