Offshore goes on alert

(CNS): With one week to go before the Offshore Alert Financial Due Diligence conference opens the man behind the offshore watchdog news letter and the conference David Marchant said people had signed up from literally all over the world for what was likely to be the most important conference to date.   “I’m thrilled that residents from more than 28 countries have signed up to attend,” he said, adding that many were from Cayman and other offshore jurisdictions. Given the current global climate, the key note speaker Jeffrey Owens, Director of the OECD’s Centre for Tax Policy and Administration is bound to create considerable attention.

Over the years the annual the conference has attracted considerable attention from financial professionals both onshore and off and Cayman’s own Eduardo D’Angelo Silva, Chairman, of the Cayman Islands Financial Services Association said it was an important conference when it comes to understanding the arena.  “Thanks to the high calibre and knowledge of its speakers and organizers, this conference has consistently provided its attendees with a comprehensive overview of the offshore financial world and a superb setting for learning and exchanging ideas. It is a fundamental tool for those who aim at understanding and progressing in this area," he said.

The event takes place this year between  26 – 28 April in Miami and will see finance professional from all sides of the spectrum – vendors and clients, money managers and investors, asset protection experts and asset recovery specialists, regulators and regulated, those who specialize in privacy and those who specialize in transparency attending. “They are bankers, attorneys, accountants, officers, directors, financial services providers, tax consultants, company managers, compliance personnel, insurance managers, fund managers, trust practitioners, venture capitalists, asset tracers, liquidators, regulators, law enforcement, private investigators, intelligence-gatherers, and journalists,” said Marchant. “This will surely give you the ammunition you need to make your case to the corner office. After all, this is the one conference that will give you the solutions to your biggest challenges in times like these.”

As well as keeping delegate up to date with the latest offshore products and services the conference aims to educate about the risks involved, how to stay on the right side of the law and how to locate, freeze and seize concealed assets.

The three general session include a key not address by Owens from the OECD whowill b talking frankly about  “the list”. Then there’s the offshore view from Wendy Warren, CEO of the Bahamas Financial Services Board. And a session from senior officers at the IRS who head its offshore enforcement programmes.

Hot Topics also include tax investigations involving UBS and LGT Bank, Ponzi schemes such as Bernard Madoff in the USA, Allen Stanford in Antigua, and DMG in Colombia, the crackdown on bank secrecy. Marchant noted there will also be a speed networking event, two cocktail receptions and several food breaks offering the opportunity to mingle with some of the most significant and influential experts in the complex world of offshore finance.

For more details visit the 7th Annual OffshoreAlert Financial Due Diligence Conference.