IDEA : avoiding pitfalls and securing your investment

Our collective team of professionals have first hand experience of investing, working, living and conducting business in Asia, North America, Europe and Latin America. We are also keen to share our knowledge and experience to help those new to emerging locations or those keen to avoid mistakes made by others.

IDEA : AVOID COURTS, TRY PROFESSIONAL MEDIATION 

Court action costs time and money; so why play that game if you do not have to? Professional mediation offers a fast method of reaching agreements between opposed parties.

Resolving dipsutes without the need for court action is preferable in most cases, more so when the parties are based in different countries and perhaps used to different legal systems.

Mediation is not a forced process, unlike arbitration, and therefore best suits opposed parties who wish to reach a swift a legal conclusion. Mediation avoids the need for opposing parties to meet in person, or communicate via phone or mail. The appointed mediator is employed jointly by both parties and acts as a reference for points of law and an impartial facilitator for points of negotiation.

Real estate disputes, conflict over the jurisdiction of contracts, clarification on regulations, winding up of affairs and practice - all can benefit from professional legal mediation without recourse to the courts or individual legal representation.

IDEA : Personal, business and credit accounts

Well, as simple as the can be. Opening accounts in some countries - Belize for example - is generally a straightforward affair, for personal or business use. You can choose from the three main banks in Belize, Atlantic Bank, Belize Bank or Scotia Bank. There are also other private banks specialising in off-shore banking, but we would caution against using them. In areas such as the Philippines, you have access to international banks such as HSBC alongside lesser-known but locally reputable banks.

Most banks will be happy to accept your money. Some will offer you the facilities you would expect back home, others will offer just a 1-6% interest rate and leave it at that.

People open off-shore accounts to facilitate travel, to receive rental income from property investments and to save for future investing - you are still responsible for tax declarations to your home country, but money held in-country will often be tax-free. Opening a personal account yourself can be straightforward too - you will require a bank reference, identification and signatory cards. You will also need to declare the source of funds (business, personal etc). We can facilitate much of this for you.

To benefit from a true offshore bank account and reputable privacy laws (for tax minimisation and asset protection) you will usually need to form an international business entity of some kind to open and run your bank accounts for you. This will keep your personal involvement virtually hidden and can be useful in certain circumstances. Checks will still be used to prevent illegal use of this system or deposit of illegal funds.

IDEA : understand jurisdictions, remove ambiguous clauses, be informed.

Written contracts in emerging economies can often take a back-seat to a verbal agreement, a handshake. Even when a written contract is prepared, the often apparent similarity between US or UK & local law can give a false sense of security and encourage terms to be accepted without scrutiny. We suggest that you read the fine print or let us do it with you.

As we are a small team of focused professionals, expect a personal service from a US attorney, tax specialists, investment specialists - all with first hand experience of business in the Caribbean, Latin America & Asia for US & UK companies, individuals and their advisors .

Working with us is as simple as dropping us a line or making a call. Our fees are transparent, competative and linked to success criteria.