2009 Highlights
Despite the global recession, there was a record turn-out at the 7th Annual OffshoreAlert Financial Due Diligence Conference, which attracted 275 registrants from 29 countries – a 32% more increase in registrants compared with the previous year.
This was a true testament to the quality of the conference and the high value still placed by professionals on the unique forum afforded by OffshoreAlert's Conference.
Through five general sessions, twenty-three breakouts and ten hours of networking, the conference provided the perfect medium for attendees to exchange timely and highly relevant information about all aspects of conducting business in Offshore Financial Centers.
As noted attorney Jack Blum described our event in The Wall Street Journal:
"It's like that famous bar in 'Star Wars' where they all come together – the good guys, the bad guys, the seriously guilty – and they all exchange information on neutral territory."
Highlights
in response to the relentless attack on OFCs by the world's major countries, OffshoreAlert thought it timely to open the conference with a special series devoted to "Power Politics".
We took a look at pending anti-offshore initiatives, how they might affect the willingness of financial institutions and High Net Worth individuals in major countries to continue doing business with OFCs, and what OFCs must do to adapt to the new political realities.
This series included Keynotes given by Jeffrey Owens, Head of Tax at the OECD, and Wendy C. Warren, the Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of the Bahamas Financial Services Board.
Garnering particular attention was a panel on IRS Offshore Enforcement Programs in which a disclosure was made by senior members of the Internal Revenue Service that the agency intended to expand its investigation into offshore tax evasion beyond UBS and was developing cases against other offshore banks.
To hear sample clips of some of these sessions, please click on the links below.
- Adapting to the New Political Realities Keynote (4 min)
Jeffrey Owens, Head of Tax at the OECD - The Offshore Perspective Keynote (4 min)
Wendy Warren, Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of the Bahamas Financial Services Board -
Power Politics Panel Discussion (4 min)
A question from the audience directed to Bob Roach, Counsel & Chief Investigator, US Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. - IRS Offshore Enforcement Programs & Activities (10 min)
Opening by Stewart Kasner, Partner, Baker + McKenzie and followed by Daniel Reeves, Internal Revenue Agent (Offshore Compliance), IRS.
The premier educational & networking event about Offshore Financial Centers & Serious Financial Crime
Covering Fraud, Tax Evasion, Corruption, Money Laundering, Compliance, Intelligence-Gathering, Investigations, Asset Recovery, Trusts, Foundations, Hedge Funds, Special Purpose Vehicles, Tax Planning Strategies & Business-Friendly Legislation.
New for 2010:
- Current Trends in The World's Major OFCs
- Understanding Why Corporations Use OFCs
- Fraud-Victim Class Actions
- Emerging Areas for Whistleblowers (with the attorney for LGT Bank whistleblower Heinrich Kieber)
- America's Home-Bred OFCs – Delaware, Nevada & Wyoming: Their role in eastern European tax evasion
And there's so much more. You will learn everything you need to know about …
- How to prevent and detect Serious Financial Crime.
- How to Locate, Freeze and Seize the proceeds of fraud and other crimes.
- How to Investigate and Gather Intelligence in offshore centers.
- How to better understand Complex Financial Structures, Investments & Tax Issues.
- How to Comply with existing – and sometimes conflicting – laws in multiple countries.
Who Should Attend
Senior management and owner/partners in:
- Law
- Government
- Law Enforcement
- Banking & Financial Services
- Fraud & Asset Recovery
- Compliance
- Private Investigations
- Accounting
