Updated
BG-DD
Due Diligence / checks and risk assessment
We check people, companies, assetsand deals before a decision is taken
BRIDGES runs due diligence before investments, property purchases, business partnerships, the opening of bank accounts, applications for citizenship and residency, corporate transactions and other decisions where the risks have to be understood in advance.
Person · Company · Asset · Transaction · Banking · Immigration · Risk
What we check
Due diligence is a check before a decision, not after a problem has arisen
Where a large investment, a new partner, a property purchase, banking or an immigration status is concerned, relying only on the documents and information the other side provides is not enough.
It has to be checked who stands behind the company, who owns the asset, what obligations exist, what disputes have already arisen, whether there are sanctions or reputational risks and whether the information stated matches the actual picture.
BRIDGES runs the check to the extent the client’s task calls for.
The higher the price of a mistake, the deeper the check has to be before the decision is taken.
The directions
Six main directions of due diligence
We check the identity, the biography, the business history, participation in companies, litigation, sanctions and PEP factors, the public reputation and the other circumstances that matter for the particular task.
We check the registration, the owners, the beneficial owners, the directors, the corporate structure, the financial and litigation risks, the connected companies, the licences and the material changes in the history of the business.
We check the owner, the title, the encumbrances, the litigation, the developer, the permits and the other circumstances that could affect ownership or the deal.
We check the asset, the seller, the partners, the structure of the deal, the documents, the financial figures stated and the possible legal, corporate or reputational risks.
We analyse the profile of a client or counterparty from the point of view of AML/KYC, sanctions, PEP, source of funds and source of wealth and the factors that may draw heightened attention from a financial institution.
We run a preliminary check on an applicant before filing for citizenship or residency, so as to identify in advance the circumstances that may call for further explanation or documents.
Individual due diligence
What can be checked about a person before a deal or a working relationship
A check on an individual may be needed before an investment, a partnership, an appointment to a key position, a transaction in assets, the provision of finance or an immigration procedure.
We check
- 01Identity
The full name, the date of birth, the citizenship, the known spellings of the name and the other identifying details.
- 02Corporate Connections
Companies, shareholdings, directorships and significant business connections.
- 03Litigation
The available information about litigation, insolvencies and other legally significant procedures.
- 04Sanctions / PEP
The sanctions lists, the status of a politically exposed person and the related risks.
- 05Adverse Media
Public material that may matter for a reputational or compliance assessment.
- 06Business Reputation
The business history, previous ventures, partners and material events.
- 07Assets & Interests
Information about known assets and property interests — within the limits of lawfully available sources.
BRIDGES does not engage in unlawful surveillance or in obtaining closed information. The check is run on lawful sources, the client’s documents and available analysis.
Corporate due diligence
Who really stands behind the company
A legal person can look sound from its presentation and its website, but the real picture is settled by the ownership structure, the history of the business, the obligations, the litigation and the connected persons.
BRIDGES analyses
- 01The registration details
The country, the date of registration, the standing, the activities and the material changes.
- 02The owners and the UBO
The shareholders, the ultimate beneficial owners and the chain of ownership.
- 03The directors and managers
Who actually controls the company’s activity.
- 04Connected companies
Parent and subsidiary companies and other significant legal persons.
- 05Litigation and corporate risks
Disputes, insolvencies, liquidations and material claims — where information is available.
- 06Licences and permissions
Whether the company is entitled to carry on the activity stated where that is required.
- 07Reputational factors
Negative publications, conflicts, public claims and other relevant information.
The client receives not a bundle of extracts but a clear picture of the company’s structure and of the risks identified.
Beneficial ownership
We check not only the company but the chain up to the ultimate owner
In international structures the formal shareholder may be only one element of a long chain.
To assess the risk it matters to understand:
- who the ultimate beneficial owner is
- through which companies the ownership runs
- where the intermediate structures are registered
- who controls the taking of decisions
- Target company
- Holding company
- Intermediate owner
- Ultimate beneficial owner
Directors · Related entities · Jurisdictions · Sanctions / PEP
A complex ownership structure is not a breach in itself. The risk arises when it is impossible to understand who controls the asset and why the structure is built as it is.
Real estate due diligence
Property is checked before any substantial money is paid
For property abroad it is not enough to see the property and the seller’s contract. The legal history of the property and the parties to the deal have to be checked.
We check
- 01The owner
Who is registered as the owner and whether they are entitled to deal with the property.
- 02Encumbrances
Mortgages, charges, attachments, third-party rights and other registered restrictions.
- 03The developer
The corporate structure, the reputation, the litigation available and the history of completed projects.
- 04The permits
The construction and planning documents to the extent that applies to the particular country and property.
- 05The contract
The price, the deadlines, the liability, the termination terms, the return of funds and the guarantees.
- 06Fitness for an immigration purpose
If the property is bought for residency or citizenship, we check separately that it meets the programme’s requirements.
A property can be a good property and at the same time not suit a particular immigration or investment purpose.
Investment due diligence
The return is assessed once it is clear what exactly is being offered for investment
A handsome investment memorandum or presentation does not replace a check on the asset and on the party raising the capital.
We analyse
- 01The asset
What exactly the investor receives and what rights arise.
- 02The promoter
The company, the owners, the managers and their earlier history.
- 03The structure of the deal
Where the funds go, who the recipient is and on what basis.
- 04The documents
The contracts, the corporate documents and the other material that settles the investor’s rights.
- 05The figures stated
How far the key numbers and assertions are borne out by the data available.
- 06The exit
How the investor can realise or transfer the asset.
- 07Jurisdictional risks
The law, the regulation and the material restrictions of the country concerned.
We do not stand in for an investment manager and do not guarantee a return. Due diligence helps you understand the structure of an investment and the material risks before the capital goes in.
Immigration due diligence
We check the applicant before the state starts checking them
Citizenship and residency programmes may involve background checks, a sanctions check and an analysis of the source of funds and source of wealth, of corporate connections and of the public reputation.
BRIDGES runs a preliminary assessment before filing, so as to settle in advance which circumstances call for further documents or explanations.
We check
- 01Citizenships and residencies
The previous and current statuses, the history of residence and the material immigration circumstances.
- 02Corporate connections
Companies, partnerships, directorships and business ownership.
- 03Source of Wealth
How the overall capital was built up.
- 04Source of Funds
Where the funds for the particular investment or state programme come from.
- 05Sanctions / PEP
Direct and significant connected factors.
- 06Adverse Media
Public information that may call for explanation.
- 07Legal Background
The available litigation and other legally significant circumstances.
It is better to identify a potential question before filing than to explain it after a state authority asks.
Banking / compliance review
We check how the client’s situation will look to a bank
When a bank account is opened or kept, the financial institution assesses more than the company’s documents.
The bank looks at the client, the business, the geography of the operations, the source of wealth, the source of funds, the counterparties and the economic sense of the operations. BRIDGES helps prepare that picture in advance.
We analyse
- the client
- the companies
- the beneficial owners
- the turnover
- the countries
- the counterparties
- SOF / SOW
- sanctions factors
- PEP
- the operations expected
Banking due diligence is preparation for compliance’s questions before they stop an account being opened or a payment going through.
Capital transparency
The origin of capital has to be explicable and capable of being evidenced
Having funds in an account does not explain how they were earned.
For a bank, an investment deal, a property purchase or an immigration procedure a consistent history of the capital has to be shown.
Source of Wealth
How the client’s overall capital was built up. For example:
- entrepreneurial activity
- dividends
- salary
- the sale of a business
- the sale of property
- investment activity
- inheritance
- other lawful sources
Source of Funds
Where the funds for the particular operation come from. For example:
- a bank account
- dividends
- the sale of a particular asset
- a distribution of profit
- the redemption of an investment
- a transfer from your own company
- Wealth creation
- Accumulation
- Banking
- Source of funds
- Transaction
A good financial file has to explain the history of the capital, not only show its present balance.
Enhanced due diligence
When a standard check is not enough
Some situations call for an extended check. For example:
PEP status · A sanctions context · A complex corporate structure · High-Risk Geography · Adverse Media · Earlier refusals by banks
A heightened risk does not always mean the work is impossible. It means a standard check is not enough.
Scope of review
The depth of the check follows the price of a mistake
- Basic review
For a preliminary assessment before negotiations begin or for a small decision. It covers a basic check on the person or company, the corporate data, sanctions, PEP and the key public factors.
- Standard due diligence
For a business partnership, property, banks, immigration procedures and substantial deals. It covers an extended check on corporate connections, litigation history, adverse media, the UBO and the key risks.
- Enhanced due diligence
For large investments, a complex international structure, PEP status, a sanctions context or heightened reputational risk. It covers a deeper analysis of connected persons, companies, jurisdictions and supporting documents.
- Custom / investigation
For a non-standard task where the depth of work needed cannot be settled in advance. The scope is formed after the first assessment.
Process
From the client’s request to the conclusion
- 01We settle the task
What has to be decided and what decision will be taken on the strength of the check.
- 02We settle the subject of the check
A person, a company, an asset, a counterparty, an investment or several connected parties.
- 03We agree the scope
We fix the depth of the check, the key questions, the sources available and the format of the result.
- 04We gather the data
We work with the documents, the corporate registers, litigation information, sanctions databases, open sources and other lawfully available data.
- 05We check the connections and the contradictions
We compare the information from different sources and note the discrepancies.
- 06We assess the risks
We settle the factors that could affect the client’s decision.
- 07We prepare the report
We give a structured report with the conclusions and the key factors.
- 08We discuss the next steps
If a risk is identified, we explain what it means and what further steps are worth considering.
The result of a check has to help a decision be taken, not merely add to the volume of documents.
Due diligence report
The client receives conclusions, not a folder of raw data
A short picture of the subject of the check and the main conclusions.
The owners, the beneficial owners, the connected persons and companies.
The corporate and legally significant information.
Whether such factors were identified or not.
The relevant public information.
The factors that have to be allowed for before a decision is taken.
What cannot be confirmed or calls for a further check.
An overall assessment of the level of the risks identified.
Which steps are worth taking before the deal or another decision.
Risk rating
How we show the level of risk
- Low
No material negative factors were identified within the scope agreed.
- Moderate
There are circumstances calling for attention, further confirmation or conditions in the deal.
- High
Material legal, sanctions, corporate, financial or reputational factors were identified.
- Critical
There are circumstances in which going on with the deal or the relationship without a further check or a change of terms may create an unacceptable risk.
The risk rating is BRIDGES’ analytical assessment within the scope agreed and the information available. It is not a decision of a state authority, a bank or a court.
When a check matters most
A check costs less than a mistake after the deal
Especially in another country or from an unfamiliar developer.
When the decision rests on information from the seller or the promoter.
If the counterparty gains access to capital, clients or the business.
To understand the ownership structure, the obligations and the risks.
If the profile of the client or the business calls for difficult compliance.
To identify in advance the potential questions in a background check.
If they gain access to assets, finances or confidential information.
If several companies, countries and beneficial owners are involved.
The checking has to come before the decision, not after the problem
Person · company · asset · transaction · risk
Why BRIDGES
A check in the context of the client’s real task
BRIDGES does not work with due diligence only as a service in itself. We understand how the results of a check may affect:
- citizenship and residency
- banks
- property
- investments
- corporate structures
- source of funds / source of wealth
- international deals
Where needed we bring in specialists in the jurisdiction concerned.
We understand personal and corporate risks alike.
We assess information not in isolation but with regard to how banks, state authorities and counterparties may read it.
A report has to help a decision be taken.
The information is used only within the task agreed and to the extent the work requires.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
It is a preliminary check on a person, a company, an asset or a deal before an important decision is taken.
Due diligence goes deeper and is built around the client’s particular decision rather than around one register or extract.
Yes, to the extent of lawfully available information and of documents that may be used for the particular check.
In many cases the ownership structure can be reconstructed from corporate data and other available sources, but the depth of the information depends on the jurisdiction.
Yes, where that question is within the scope of the check.
Yes. The check may cover the title, the encumbrances, the seller, the developer, the contracts and other relevant circumstances.
With a complex biography, business structure, origin of capital or reputational factors, a preliminary check can substantially reduce the risk of unexpected questions after filing.
The time depends on the subject, the number of jurisdictions, the depth of the check and the availability of information. The preliminary scope and timing are settled before the work starts.
No. A check reduces uncertainty of information but cannot remove every possible future risk.
A structured report with the main facts, the risks identified, the open questions and recommendations on the next steps.
INITIAL ASSESSMENT
Tell us what outcome your family needs
We will design a solution for your case, choose the country and the right status, and take the whole process through to the result.
