Corporate Finance
Regulators increasingly see the corporate finance sector as a key player in upholding market integrity and improving consumer outcomes.
As such, they expect firms to uphold rigorous and diligent compliance processes. The sector provides critical services in capital financing, advising corporate clients with regard to raising funds or executing strategic transactions, as well as corporate broking and investment research.
Beyond the risk of market abuse, firms in the sector need to protect themselves against money laundering threats. While the risk of illicit funds entering the financial system during the placement stage is low, corporate finance remains an attractive destination for the layering and integration stages of money laundering. The high volume and size of transactions provide an ideal cover for criminals to conceal or reinvest the proceeds of crime behind the veneer of legitimate businesses. When dealing with overseas entities, firms are particularly exposed to the obfuscation of the ultimate beneficial owner of their clients. Complex corporate structures, including offshore vehicles and trusts, can be legitimate tools for businesses. However, without proper due diligence, they can become conduits for money laundering and expose firms to potential sanction breaches. Overall, corporate finance providers should protect their business from exposure to a number of financial crime risks, including:
- Money laundering, e.g. concealing criminal property through asset transfer
- Bribery and corruption, through bribes, skimming or theft of loaned machinery
- Terrorism financing
- Market abuse
Our corporate finance experience
Plenitude has an established track record in assisting corporate finance clients to proactively assess the effectiveness of their existing Financial Crime Compliance framework, systems and controls, and implementing the required enhancements as part of S166 review or independent assessment, to mitigate the risks highlighted above. We also have supported multiple firms post regulatory review, to advise on the response plan and support the successful implementation of the required enhancements as part of a remediation or transformation programme, including large-scale KYC remediation as part of our Managed Service offering.
We have worked with a variety of institutions in the sector, from Tier 1 / Tier 2 global investment banks to more UK-focused banks that provide corporate financing solutions to their customers, as well as new firms seeking authorisation.
Our approach, benefits and outcomes we deliver
We understand that all firms’ business activity, customer base and risk appetite will differ. We therefore work closely with our clients to develop a deep understanding of their business and FCC framework in order to develop an effective, proportionate and risk-based approach to financial crime risk management.
Plenitude’s services and capabilities are grounded in our multi-jurisdictional expertise, our proprietary suite of tools and RegTech products, and our deep understanding of sector-specific regulatory obligations and needs. This enables us to deliver the following benefits and outcomes to our clients:
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Market-leading advisory, transformation and technical expertise with tech-enabled delivery:
our full-service offering enables us to meet all of our clients’ needs. Our tech enabled delivery approach leverages our extensive suite of proprietary tools and RegTech products which enables us to accelerate delivery and reduce overall engagement costs.
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Regulatory compliance and assurance:
we enable clients to fully understand and meet their regulatory obligations, along with the ability to present robust documentation to demonstrate their conformance with regulatory requirements.
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Enhanced efficiency, effectiveness and cost reduction:
our tech advisory, data analytics services and RegTech products enhance efficiency, optimise detection accuracy, streamline workflows and reduce false positives, leading to improved effectiveness and significant cost savings.
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Access to cutting-edge technology and future-proofed compliance:
we enable our clients to stay ahead of evolving regulations and criminal tactics by optimising current systems and controls, deploying the latest AI-powered technology and data analytics services.
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Compliance transformation:
we partner with clients to transform their entire compliance function, fostering a culture of data-driven decision-making and continuous improvement.
Our Services
Our capabilities address the entire spectrum of financial crime risks and, as a full-service provider, we can meet all of our clients’ needs in order to deliver a truly integrated consulting service. We can assist with a wide range of needs, including independent assessments, policy and standards enhancement, risk assessments, specialist tech and data support, and remediation and transformation program design and execution. No matter what the requirement, we are here to help.
Discover more about our services and see why our integrity, passion and delivery excellence have been praised by so many clients.
Data Analytics Services
Data quality, siloed systems, and the ever-evolving tactics of criminals make effective data analysis a constant battle. Firms need to break down these silos to get a holistic view of customer activity and identify hidden patterns that might indicate a financial crime threat.
Our specialists
Daniel Keay
Senior Executive
Alex Brennan
Senior Manager
Alex Statham
Senior Manager
Stuart Phillips
Senior Manager
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