Anti-Money Laundering (AML)

Demanding prevention,
fostering your reputation.

Money laundering and the financing of terrorism are international phenomena. Not only have they become more prevalent in recent years; they have also increasingly entered public consciousness. They impact all areas of the finance industry, and also numerous areas of the real economy. As governments focus more strongly on preventing money laundering and the financing of terrorism, an increasingly dense network of extremely strict regulatory and supervisory requirements is being imposed upon market participants. The primary goals of such legislation are to combat the financial side of organised crime and terrorism, and make it possible – and easier – to prosecute criminals. In addition, the requirements are designed to safeguard the stability of the financial market and protect market players who are required to comply with anti-money laundering regulations from financial losses, or a loss of reputation.

As a result of the discussions and political decisions triggered by the Panama Papers and Paradise Papers, our clients are confronted with ever greater demands for transparency. Companies have to deal with demands for transparency regardless of other obligations in the field of anti-money laundering. And furthermore, the regulator has recently exacerbated such transparency requirements. Increasingly strict regulatory measures – including higher penalties and public exposure (“name and shame”) – are placing more and more pressure on companies and businesses. Here at GSK Stockmann, we will help you identify and comply with the regulatory demands which are relevant for your company, and at the same time avoid unnecessary costs by ignoring restrictions which are not relevant for your business. As such, we offer AML trainings for our clients.

Key areas of expertise

Legislation is changing constantly, and so are the accompanying supervisory and regulatory demands. Our clients have different company structures; many operate on an international scale. All these factors need to be taken into account in order to develop a tailored, long-term strategy – and the strong international focus of our team of experts is equally indispensable. Thanks to our long-standing and profound expertise, GSK Stockmann is ideally positioned to offer you comprehensive and interdisciplinary advice on compliance matters. 

In doing so, we exploit the practical experience we have gained in compliance roles in various companies and businesses, which have also given us insights into the internal structures of our clients. The support we offer in the field of anti-money laundering forms part of our wider portfolio of advisory services for the entire area of regulatory compliance. 

We offer our services to companies and banks in the private sector and in-house experts (for example Compliance Officers and Anti-Money Laundering Officers). 

We help our clients clarify their anti-money laundering reporting obligations to the Transparency Register. Companies outside of the finance and banking industries can also be affected by this reporting requirement, and often find it particularly challenging. Conversely, many companies are entitled to relief, which we are always happy to confirm to our clients!

We help you conduct due diligence checks on business partners (“Know your customer”, or KYC) and draw up the accompanying documentation. Among other things, these may include identifying the beneficial owner in complex ownership and control structures – sometimes across multiple holdings – and helping to identify politically exposed persons (PEPs). We provide support and advice in the event of enhanced due diligence requirements triggered by the presence of a PEP or other high risk implications. When we conduct KYC checks, we also ensure that neither the company, institution or natural person in question is included on a national or financial list of sanctions. We also offer a range of additional services.

Coordinating our work with your internal officers (CEOs, Risk Management Officers, Anti-Money Laundering Officers and Compliance Officers), we help you identify risks in the fields of money laundering and the financing of terrorism which are specific to your industry, company and business. Based on this risk analysis, we then help you to plan, create and adapt suitable precautions to protect yourself against money laundering and the financing of terrorism (measures and controls).

Based on your risk, we develop internal guidelines, procedures and control plans to help you prevent money laundering and the financing of terrorism. Based on your type of business and taking your specific risks into account, we will develop appropriate guidelines, templates and other structural requirements which will enable your company as a whole – and your employees in particular – to act in a manner which conforms with the latest regulatory requirements. We also focus on raising awareness amongst employees so that they can detect dangers at an early stage and take appropriate action – including reporting suspected offences where this is relevant. Our individual, made-to-measure concepts build on the so-called “risk-based approach” and enable our clients to take necessary and effective precautions in this increasingly regulated area. In this way, our clients can also avoid incurring unnecessary costs at a later date.

We offer practical and relevant legal support to help you assess, process and handle crisis situations – right up to reporting suspected money laundering offences or formally reporting a crime to the prosecution authorities. We also offer our clients comprehensive legal support and representation during special investigations by supervisory authorities.

© GSK Stockmann 2024