Litigation support

How we support our clients

Key areas of engagement by legal counsel

We are regularly instructed by legal teams to support in a broad range of areas including:

Asset recovery

We identify the assets of companies and individuals globally and demonstrate their ownership. This helps clients determine whether to pursue a claim, secure third-party funding, obtain interim relief (including against ‘nuisance’ assets) and ultimately enforce a judgment or award.

Insurance disputes

We help insurers, re-insurers and their advisors understand complex, major losses. We gather evidence from conflict zones, provide granular analysis of the causes of a loss event, and analyse any sanctions risk posed by paying a claim. Particular expertise in maritime, aviation, and WTPV.

White collar criminal proceedings

We identify and analyse evidence, including digital evidence, for use in sensitive white collar criminal investigations. Our experts provide clear, factual findings for our clients and the court.

Find out more about how S-RM supports corporate investigations

Find out more about S-RM’s digital forensics services

Shareholder disputes

We gather evidence for use in high-stakes shareholder disputes, including securities class actions, post-M&A litigation, and activist investor tactics and behaviour. We provide context on decision-making, gather court admissible evidence, and prepare ‘playbooks’ of activist investor behaviour.

Sanctions investigations

We help clients navigate the ever-changing global sanctions environment by investigating specific instances of suspected exposure. Our work has been used to support insurance claims, litigation, arbitration, sell-side M&A and day-to-day business in high risk geographies or sectors, including significant experience in the shipping sector.

Civil fraud

We investigate suspected instances of fraud in support of civil proceedings. Through a combination of advanced open-source and human intelligence, we map hidden networks of individuals and entities through which a fraud has been perpetrated – often in tandem with our asset recovery services. Our forensic accounting experts investigate the financial trail and our digital forensic experts are adept at analysing all relevant digital evidence.

Sovereign enforcement

We support the monetisation of judgments and awards against sovereign debtors by identifying attachable assets, points of leverage and the most effective routes to settlement. We provide the evidence to underpin arguments demonstrating the alter ego status of state-owned enterprises, and document the commercial use of state-owned assets in order to challenge sovereign immunity.

Special situations

We use intelligence and investigative techniques to manage crises and high-stakes situations for corporates and private clients. We have unmasked anonymous harassment campaigns, unravelled complex frauds, conducted surveillance and located missing people and assets – solving a number of critical intelligence, risk and security challenges for clients.

Case Study

Evidence collection in Ukraine in support of an insurance dispute

Our client owned a major asset in Southern Ukraine which, following Russia’s full-scale invasion, was expropriated by the Russian armed forces. S-RM was engaged to gather granular intelligence on the timeline of expropriation, to demonstrate that it took place, or had become inevitable, before the expiry of the insurance policy in spring 2022. We thoroughly investigated the progress of the Russian invasion through the area, and the quasi-legal mechanisms through which the expropriation of industrial, infrastructure and commercial assets unfolded. Our investigation used wide-ranging open-source research in Russian and Ukrainian to piece together the timeline of events, drawing on social media data and leaked data. We gathered intelligence from knowledgeable sources in Moscow, the occupied territories of Ukraine, and Ukraine. We identified documentary evidence of the transfer of control of the asset several days before the insurance policy expired.

Case Study

Global asset trace securing worldwide discovery order in USD 300 million dispute

S-RM supported a large SOE in a long-running dispute against its former partner, a prominent businessman active in shipping and logistics in the FSU. The client was engaged in multiple sets of arbitral proceedings valued collectively at more than USD 300 million. From the start of dispute through to the granting of favourable awards and successful enforcement, S-RM carried out multiple phases of asset tracing. We documented the businessman’s ownership of high-value assets including property, aircraft and vessels in Dubai, Turkey, Ukraine, and Russia. Our team visited local property registries, courts and shipping registries, and spoke to a wide range of sources connected to the businessman, including former employees, competitors and other creditors. This culminated in a worldwide discovery order being granted, following an application to the High Court which relied heavily on an expert report submitted by S-RM setting out our findings and analysis around asset dissipation and the use of nominees.   

Case Study

Delivering key evidence in Russian aviation ‘mega-trial’ [2025] EWHC 1430 (Comm)

S-RM played a critical role in the $4.5bn aviation ‘mega-trial’ relating to insurance cover for foreign-owned aircraft detained by Russia in the wake of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which was heard before the High Court of England and Wales. S-RM was instructed to investigate the timeline and circumstances of decision-making within the Russian government, state agencies and key SOEs in the aviation sector. Using a combination of human intelligence, granular public record research and analysis of multiple leaked datasets, S-RM developed a chronology of the key events in the aviation sector before, during, and after the commencement of the full-scale invasion, including decisions and instructions issued by the Russian government, state agencies and SOEs. During the course of the investigation, we interviewed over 100 human sources in Russia and the former Soviet Union. Our investigation identified specific pieces of evidence which were mentioned in Mr Justice Butcher’s judgment.

Case Study

Port and security investigation supporting legal submissions in USD 30 million shipping dispute

In support of a USD 30 million insurance dispute, S-RM investigated the circumstances surrounding a commercial vessel stranded in Ukraine, analysing whether the vessel should have been able to depart in the 2-3 days following Russia’s full-scale invasion. Our work involved an extensive review of local press releases, official statements from relevant authorities, marine traffic databases, news media, and – critically – social media. The work was conducted by native speakers with deep regional expertise and first-hand knowledge of the situation in Ukraine. To supplement our research, we identified and debriefed approximately 15 well-placed sources in Ukraine, including staff from local seaports and multiple state officials, obtaining critical insights into the rapidly evolving security situation at the time. We ultimately provided our client with a detailed factual account of the operational and security situation at the port and the specific implications for the vessel in question. The narrative we built strengthened the client’s position considerably and constituted a large part of their formal submissions in the legal proceedings.

Case study

Global asset trace uncovering recoverable assets in GBP 200 million fraud case

Instructed by a top-tier law firm, and on behalf of a cornerstone investor, S-RM investigated a major fraud at a tech company. The investigation consisted of a detailed investigation which unpicked the fraud, its mechanics and the parties involved; and a worldwide asset trace which identified the jurisdictions to which the proceeds of the fraud were funnelled and the assets which were acquired with the stolen funds. Through open-source research and human intelligence, S-RM identified high value assets in the UK, Denmark, the UAE, Russia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Cyprus and Malta including real estate, gold bullion, vehicles and shares in companies. The value of these assets exceeded the investor’s losses of £200m. We also identified multiple co-conspirators, enabling the legal team to bring proceedings against these individuals.

Case study

Corruption investigation undermining inflated damages in investor-state dispute

S-RM was instructed by a sovereign state – which had cancelled a transportation contract through its territory – to assist it in defending an investor-state claim brought by the counterparty. The counterparty claimed billions of dollars in damages as a result of the cancellation, citing the high cost of its alternative transport arrangements. Drawing on a wide range of public record data, including corporate records, legal disclosures, social media content, and leaked operational information, we demonstrated that the cost of the counterparty’s alternative arrangements were inflated by corruption. On the basis of our findings, the counterparty was ordered to disclose additional information which further undermined the damages it had claimed.

S-RM demonstrate a consistent attention to quality. Their leadership is detail-oriented. They seek to understand the reason for clients hiring them and calibrate their work to fit the assignment."

Lexology (previously Who’s Who Legal) Asset Recovery Index 2023

S-RM demonstrate a consistent attention to quality. Their leadership is detail-oriented. They seek to understand the reason for clients hiring them and calibrate their work to fit the assignment."

Chambers & Partners, Litigation Support Guide 2025 - Business Intelligence & Investigations

S-RM's long track record of handling complex and sophisticated investigations stands it in great stead. Its experience and know-how is invaluable to clients."

Chambers & Partners, Litigation Support Guide 2025 - Asset Tracing & Recovery (Investigations Agencies)

S-RM has deep historic relationships with all sorts of people in various countries. For non-public sources that really steer and inform the matter, I go to them."

Chambers & Partners, Litigation Support Guide 2025 - Business Intelligence & Investigation

S-RM is fantastic. It has brilliant people who are at the top of their game and are really great to work with. They really add real value."

Chambers & Partners, Litigation Support Guide 2025 - Business Intelligence & Investigations

S-RM proposes unique solutions to sensitive, multifaceted problems, and delivers at every stage. "

Chambers & Partners, Litigation Support Guide 2025 - Business Intelligence & Investigations

S-RM is extremely responsive, perceptive of what is needed, proportionate to the task at hand and has good, genuine international reach."

Chambers & Partners, Litigation Support Guide 2025 - Asset Tracing & Recovery (Investigations Agencies)

Litigation support

Why S-RM for litigation support