Investigations and On-Site Verification in Asia for Law Firms

Contents

Investigations and on-site verification in Asia

Make facts in Asia verifiable.

When a matter reaches into Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Thailand or elsewhere in Asia, it often stalls. The whereabouts of the other party. A deceased's assets abroad. Something to enforce against after judgment. The obstacle is rarely a point of law. It is that a necessary fact cannot be established. TGI brings those matters back to a state in which they can move.

You decide what needs to be established, and why. TGI designs how to establish it and sends people to verify it on site. We act for law firms, and for investigation and due diligence firms that need work done in Asia. Pre-engagement enquiries are free of charge; feasibility in the country concerned is answered, as a rule, within three business days.

Free pre-engagement enquiry View services

Trust Global Intelligence Co., Ltd. | Field unit: Trust Japan | Notification No. 43210012, Saitama Prefectural Public Safety Commission, Japan

Our work

We verify on site, not only on paper

On-site verification

Retrieving a registry extract is not difficult. What changes the outcome is whether someone can go to the place and confirm what is actually there. The gap between what is registered and what exists is something a database cannot show. TGI verifies it in person.

What TGI takes on

  • On-site verification. Residence, business operations, the present state of assets and the identity of the person are confirmed directly, on location.
  • Our own field unit in Japan, and long-standing local teams across Asia. Work in Japan is carried out by Trust Japan, TGI's field investigation unit with 25 years of fieldwork. In Korea, Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia, established local teams work under Trust Japan's direction. Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia are covered through UIC Associates.
  • Reports that separate fact, analysis and assessment. Each fact carries its source and how it was obtained, with source documents attached wherever possible. What could not be established is recorded too, with the reason.
  • One point of contact for multi-country matters. From assembling the team to delivery of the report, TGI manages the work as a single engagement.
  • Free pre-engagement enquiries. Feasibility is answered, as a rule, within three business days, so that you have a basis for your decision before the client incurs cost.

Roles

Control of the matter stays with your firm

Division of roles

Your firm determines what must be established as a matter of law. TGI designs and carries out how to establish it abroad. How the facts and documents obtained are used in proceedings is for your firm to decide.

Your firm

What / Why

What needs to be established, and why. The client relationship, the legal issues, the direction of the matter.

TGI

How

How to establish it abroad. Feasibility, what the local systems allow, the design of the enquiry and the work on site.

TGI does not give legal advice to your client.

TGI keeps to one role: supplying the facts from abroad that counsel needs in order to form a legal view. Whether a given piece of information can be obtained in a given country, whether public records will suffice or fieldwork is required: that judgement itself calls for knowledge of each country's systems and practice. For that reason TGI is available to discuss feasibility, method and priorities from before formal engagement.

Matters

Matters that stalled because part of them is abroad

Cross-border matters

Matters that had to be declined, or closed part-way, because the underlying facts could not be assembled once Asia was involved. These are the core of our work.

Estates and cross-border family matters

Verification of a deceased's assets abroad; locating heirs and beneficiaries and confirming proof of life, with supporting documents; a child's whereabouts and living environment; the other spouse's residence, employment and family circumstances in the home country.

Recovery and enforcement

Groundwork before recognition and enforcement of a foreign judgment; the whereabouts and means of a debtor abroad; tracing transfers of assets.

Corporate and cross-border transactions

Pre-deal due diligence; the operating reality of a counterparty; commercial fraud and misconduct; KYC, sanctions and adverse information.

Private wealth

Estates and matrimonial property involving assets abroad; assets moved overseas; holding structures through companies and trusts; identifying beneficial owners.

Insurance claims

Death, accident and hospitalisation claims arising in Asia: whether the event took place, whether the certificates are genuine according to the office that issued them, and what the circumstances were on site.

General civil matters with a party abroad

Traffic accidents, child support, unpaid wages, rent arrears, trade debts and loans, where the other party has left the country and cannot be located.

Who instructs us

  • Law firms. Litigation, enforcement, family, estates, corporate and IP matters with a part in Asia.
  • Investigation and due diligence firms. Fieldwork and record retrieval in Asia as your local partner, under your instructions and your confidentiality terms. We do not approach your client.
  • Probate researchers and process servers. Locating heirs and beneficiaries; confirming a current address before service.
  • Insurers and claims teams. Verification of claims arising in Asia, on site and with the offices that issued the documents.
  • In-house legal and compliance teams, funds and M&A advisers. Verification of counterparties, targets and third parties in Asia.

Private individuals are asked to instruct us through their lawyer.

Services and matter types in detail

Network

Our own capacity to act, across Asia

Network across Asia

TGI operates its field investigation unit in Japan, long-standing local teams across the region and partner firms as a single structure, and assembles the right team for each matter rather than relying on one overseas agency. Work in Japan is carried out by Trust Japan. In Korea, Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia, established local teams work under its direction. UIC Associates, with a base in Taipei, is the core of the network for Taiwan, Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore and Malaysia. Outside Asia, work is arranged through long-standing partners. The centre of our practice is Asia.

East Asia

  • Japan
  • Korea
  • Taiwan
  • Mainland China
  • Hong Kong and Macau

Southeast Asia

  • Thailand
  • Vietnam
  • Indonesia
  • The Philippines
  • Malaysia
  • Singapore

Beyond Asia, through partners

  • Australia
  • North America
  • South America (Brazil)
  • Europe
  • Middle East

Where a matter spans more than one country, for example a subject who moves between Taiwan and Japan, or assets split between Singapore and Malaysia, the work on each side is taken through one point of contact and delivered as a single report.

Countries not listed are also welcome. Feasibility, cost and time are always answered before work begins. For the structure in detail, see About TGI.

Process

From enquiry to report

From enquiry to report

  1. Enquiry (free of charge)

    The person handling the matter contacts our dedicated address directly. An outline is enough; the client's name is not needed. Tell us the country, the subject, what is already known and what needs to be established.

  2. Reply

    Feasibility in the country concerned is answered, as a rule, within three business days. The expected method, the scope of information obtainable, cost and time are set out in a form your firm can put to the client as it stands. Where the work cannot be done, we say why and suggest alternatives.

  3. Engagement

    With the client's consent, an investigation services agreement and a non-disclosure agreement are signed. The contracting party can be your firm or the client, as suits the matter.

  4. Fieldwork

    The local team is assembled and the work carried out. For work running beyond two to three weeks, progress is reported during the period. No additional cost arises without prior consent.

  5. Report

    The report is delivered in English (Japanese on request). Fact, analysis and assessment are separated; what could not be established is recorded with the reason.

  6. Use and follow-up

    Legal evaluation is for your firm. Further enquiries and introductions to local counsel, accountants and other specialists are supported by TGI.

Verify first. Decide after.

Start with a free enquiry

“Can this be done in that country?” “Roughly what will it cost, and how long will it take?” You can have a basis for your decision before the client incurs cost. An outline is enough; the client's name is not needed. We are glad to meet by video before any engagement.

Free pre-engagement enquiry

Trust Global Intelligence Co., Ltd. | Company registration no. 0300-01-171836 (Japan)

E-mail: tk@tgi-intel.com | Video meetings by appointment

Head of Intelligence / Japan Representative　Kinoshita

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