Zurich · Cross-border mandates · Private & institutional clients EN DE

Services

Financial litigation & recovery

Below we summarise the areas where the firm most often assists, drawing on established principles of investor protection, civil liability, criminal-procedure coordination, and cross-border enforcement. Descriptions are necessarily general; your matter will require tailored analysis.

Three core practice areas

Where to start

Most mandates fit one of three dedicated practice pages below. Each has detailed information, partner network, and illustrative case examples.

Forex Fraud Recovery

International recovery for CFD, Forex, and crypto fraud schemes, coordinated with chargebacks, regulatory complaints, and partner counsel.

Forex recovery →

Crypto Asset Tracing

Blockchain intelligence and asset tracing across wallets, exchanges, and banking intermediaries, with court-ready forensic reporting.

Crypto tracing →

International Litigation

Global legal action against trading-fraud networks, targeting operators, beneficial owners, and shell corporations in parallel forums.

Litigation →

Service matrix

What we do, against whom, by what means

Three vectors, what went wrong, where the counterparty sits, and which instruments are most likely to recover value.

Scam & misconduct typology

  • Unregulated forex / CFD platformsAggressive retention tactics, bonus traps, withdrawal blocks, mis-classified retail clients.
  • Binary-options "brokers"White-label platforms, identical scripts across jurisdictions, off-platform deposits.
  • Pig-butchering / romance-investment fraudCrypto-coded romance schemes via WhatsApp, Telegram, Line, dating apps, typically South-East Asian fronts.
  • Fake AI-trading bots / signal servicesPolished UIs displaying fictional gains; "tax" or "verification" payments demanded before withdrawal.
  • Copy-trading "managers"Unlicensed individuals soliciting funds under master-account fictions; breach of fiduciary patterns.
  • Ponzi / yield-promise structuresCrypto staking schemes, "DeFi" wrappers around traditional pyramid mechanics.
  • Boiler-room securities & introducer chainsOnshore "advisers" pushing offshore product; commission-laden distribution.

Jurisdictions we engage

  • Switzerland · FINMACivil claims, SchKG attachments, criminal complaints under StGB §§ 138, 146.
  • Germany · BaFinStrafanzeige under § 263 StGB; civil litigation under BGB/HGB.
  • UK · FCA / PRAFCA complaints, Norwich Pharmacal orders, freezing injunctions via London counsel.
  • Cyprus · CySECCySEC complaints, civil claims against CySEC-licensed CFD brokers, ICCS coordination.
  • European UnionEAPO (Account Preservation Order), Brussels-Ibis recognition, ESMA-aware strategy.
  • Offshore centresVanuatu (VFSC), St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Belize (FSC), Marshall Islands, Seychelles, Mauritius.
  • IsraelISA (Israel Securities Authority) complaints; civil and criminal coordination with local counsel.

Recovery instruments

  • Visa / Mastercard chargebacksReason codes 4837, 4863, 13.5, 13.7, well within the 540-day window if filed promptly.
  • SEPA recall & bank recourseBeneficiary-bank disclosure; FNYK / instant-credit reversals where applicable.
  • Civil litigationTort, contract, restitution, breach of fiduciary; declaratory relief; damages.
  • Freezing & preservationMareva injunctions (UK); EAPO (EU); Arrestbefehl (CH SchKG Art. 271).
  • Blockchain tracingOn-chain heuristics, address clustering, exchange disclosure orders, KYC unmasking.
  • Criminal complaintsCoordinated with prosecutorial offices; Adhäsionsverfahren / civil-party constitution.
  • Regulatory complaintsFINMA, BaFin, FCA, CySEC, ESMA, ISA, used surgically where they advance preservation or leverage.
  • Insolvency & victim-remissionProof-of-debt filings; tracking US-style remission programmes where applicable.

Forex, CFDs & online-trading disputes

Retail forex and similar products have expanded through leveraged contracts-for-difference (CFDs), proprietary platforms, and introducer networks. Disputes may arise from misleading performance advertising, inadequate risk disclosure, conflicts of interest in execution or liquidity, unauthorised trading-style behaviours, or failures in client categorisation and appropriateness.

We examine contractual frameworks, regulatory classifications where relevant, communications logs, and funding flows. Depending on the jurisdiction and defendants, remedies may include damages claims, injunctions, settlement-led recoveries, or coordination with insolvency estates where the operating entity has failed.

Red flags we frequently see

Investment fraud & mis-selling

Investment misconduct takes many forms: Ponzi-like structures, exaggerated yield narratives, pyramid dynamics under economic stress, opaque crypto schemes, or incomplete disclosure in securities-style offerings. Legal frameworks differ by country; in European contexts, criminal norms concerning capital-market integrity may intersect with private-law claims.

Early assessment matters. Preserving communications, securing wallet or bank traces, and freezing discussions can alter outcomes before assets dissipate. We help clients prioritise steps proportionately.

Romance-investment (pig-butchering) fraud, a specific sub-practice

These crypto-romance schemes are now a major share of our caseload. Typical pattern: relationship builds via dating app or Telegram over weeks or months, a "guru" or "uncle" is introduced, deposits begin on a polished platform, withdrawals are blocked by escalating "tax" demands. Recovery requires speed, exchange-freeze requests within hours, KYC-unmasking orders within days, criminal complaints in two or three jurisdictions in parallel.

Parallel tracks abroad

In cross-border fraud, foreign authorities may seize assets or administrators may distribute pools to eligible victims. Civil counsel cannot duplicate official remission programmes, but can help clients understand eligibility concepts, preserve civil claims, and avoid prejudicing participation where both routes exist.

Asset tracing & recovery strategy

Tracing is seldom linear. Funds may pass through payment processors, exchanges, shell entities, or nested accounts. We work with forensic accountants, blockchain-analytics partners, and licensed investigators where sensible, always mindful of privilege and proportionality.

Enforcement planning begins with identifying courts or tribunals with a plausible anchor, contract, tort, or statute, and mapping assets against realistic attachment points. We sequence freezing relief in a way that does not tip off counterparties prematurely.

Crypto tracing, practical scope

Most retail crypto fraud terminates at one of a small number of exchanges. We work with established blockchain-analytics partners to chart on-chain flows, cluster wallet activity, and identify the choke-point exchange. Once located, we pursue disclosure orders (Norwich Pharmacal in the UK; Edizione equivalent in Switzerland) to unmask KYC data, then convert tracing into civil or criminal leverage.

Banking & regulatory interfaces

Where complaints to supervisory bodies or self-regulatory organisations can advance preservation or leverage settlement, we integrate them into strategy. We also advise when regulatory engagement is unlikely to substitute for civil action, particularly in regulators with limited enforcement capacity.

Cross-border dispute resolution

Many mandates involve arbitration clauses, jurisdictional contests, or parallel proceedings. We coordinate with local counsel and manage procedural risk so that clients see one coherent roadmap rather than disconnected filings.

Fees & engagement

Fee models depend on complexity, opponent profile, and geography. We discuss retainers, staged budgets, and, in suitable cases, alternative fee arrangements after preliminary review. "No win, no fee" structures may be unavailable or heavily regulated depending on jurisdiction; we explain constraints candidly.

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