Navigating how legal information is gathered, parsed, and disseminated is a challenge as regulatory complexities vary from one jurisdiction to the next, domestic and foreign. Regulatory environments across Latin America are no different, making the job of international due diligence investigators a challenge in complex judiciary systems such as those in Brazil, Peru, and Mexico.
Investigative due diligence is a dynamic field itself, yet in the international sphere, specifically Latin America, the types of information available on subjects can be confusing—especially when it comes to litigation. Latin American countries are known for being particularly litigious; if a subject or business entity is based in Latin America, the chances of having been involved in at least one civil litigation matter is relatively high.
In Brazil, businesses quite often sue government over the collection of taxes. As a result, some entities placed on government lists for tax violations are likely battling government in court. It is not always clear cut as to whether or not a company has violated tax laws. International due diligence investigation reports must be transparent about such caveats.
As a country, Brazil does not rank well on Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index, which grades countries on a scale from zero (representing the highest level of corruption) and 100 (representing the least corrupt). According to a 2018 report, Brazil and Peru both received a score of 35.
A recent Vcheck Global Investigator article discussed how deficiencies in Peruvian banks’ anti-money laundering systems, coupled with a failure among banks to report suspicious accounts and activities, led to billions of illicit funds flowing through the Peruvian finance system since 1998. Those funds have been tied to drug trafficking, tax evasion, illegal gold mining, and corruption—activity that can become fuel for litigation in Peru. Again, it is incumbent upon the international due diligence investigator to be fluent in government regulation to build a case that accurately represents a subject or entity’s involvement in litigation.
Similar regulatory complexities are found in Mexico, which fared worse than both Brazil and Peru on the Corruption Perception Index with a score of 28. More than half of Mexico’s population reported having to pay bribes to use public services, according to a recent article published by Vcheck Global.
Moreover, all civil litigation records in Mexico are publicly available and every step is catalogued. While this may seem beneficial to the public, superfluous information clutters court case dockets. International due diligence investigators working on cases in Mexico must have a thorough understanding of the judicial system to avoid costly misinterpretations.
Regulatory systems across Latin America can be just as complex as those found in Mexico, Brazil, and Peru. Unfortunately, there are citizens, business entities, and politicians working hard every day to make sure that corruption goes unnoticed. Expert investigators in Latin American regulatory systems, such as those working with Vcheck Global, are equipped to navigate these issues as they speak native languages and have access to sources on the ground if necessary. They know what tools to use and paths to follow to uncover corruption and help prevent costly and even dangerous relationships from forming.
JJ Davis is an International Due Diligence investigator whose primary area of expertise is Latin America. He is currently studying Intelligence Operations through American Military University and graduated from Boston University in 2016.
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LOS ANGELES, October 22, 2019 – Vcheck Global, a leading provider of business-to-business due diligence background checks, is delighted to announce the hiring of Adam Fromowitz.
Fromowitz brings nearly a decade of experience in financial, technology, and professional services to his new role as a Managing Director for Vcheck Global. Prior to joining Vcheck Global, Fromowitz served as Vice President of Sales for American Stock Transfer (AST), helping his clients streamline mission-critical operations, increase efficiencies, and remove operational obstacles so that they could focus on moving their companies forward. During his three-year tenure at AST, Fromowitz played an integral role in the growth of the company’s East Coast operation. He also served in a number of different roles at Ipreo, which was acquired by IHS Markit in 2018.
On Fromowitz’s hiring, Vcheck Global COO Lyndee Fletcher stated, “Adam’s passion for forming meaningful and lasting relationships with his clients at corporations, law firms, banks, and private equity firms aligns with the culture we are setting at Vcheck Global. We are thrilled to have him on the team.”
Fromowitz holds a bachelor’s degree in finance and marketing from the University of Maryland, College Park.
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About Vcheck Global
Vcheck Global is a business-to-business provider of due diligence, background checks, employment screening, document retrieval, and specialized research of both business entities and individuals. Vcheck Global protects its clients by providing essential information about the people and companies they do business with.
For more information regarding Vcheck Global please contact us at [email protected] or call us at (888) 740-0747.
Our mission at Vcheck Global is a significant one: to protect our clients by providing more information about the companies and people that they do business with. In the spirit of that mission, we have started an Employee Spotlight series, to feature more information about the ambitious, charming, and diligent team working to make Vcheck Global a success.
Today we’re featuring one of our more recent hires, Maria Munley. Maria serves the company by ensuring our company’s business operations are consistent with the law and that our departments and employees operate within company policy. In this interview, we uncover the interesting path that took her working at the United Nations after college to eventually joining Vcheck, as well as her affinity for a specific Scranton-based pizzeria.
- How long have you worked for Vcheck? I joined Vcheck in May 2019 as the first hire on the Legal & Compliance Team. It’s been really fun so far.
- What is your role at the company? I am heading up Vcheck’s Legal & Compliance team, and am the company’s Counsel and Compliance Officer. In my role, I work to ensure that we are compliant with applicable laws and regulations, internal policies and procedures, and keep an eye on developing standards for our industry. Since we are an investigations and due diligence company, we operate within federal laws, like FCRA, and state and country-specific laws, including privacy laws. I work closely with our great team of investigators, managers, sales, and client relations teams, that in turn work closely with our clients to ensure that we are delivering the best product possible.
- Where are you from? I grew up in Scranton, Pennsylvania, popularly known as the fictional location of the TV show The Office. I love the show because it features real businesses, memorabilia, and places from Scranton. Team Alfredo’s pizza.
- Before working at Vcheck, what was the most unusual or interesting job you’ve ever had? After I graduating from college, I worked at The United Nations Headquarters in New York. It was an enlightening experience–my coworkers were from all over the world, and I was able to attend meaningful and impactful events held at the UN. During law school, I had some equally beneficial learning experiences interning with Homeland Security and The Department of Justice. I’ve also had small jobs in high school as a pianist, and in a coffee shop.
- How has Vcheck changed since you joined? Vcheck has grown leaps and bounds in the short time since I joined. The company headcount has grown by 25% and we have been increasing both revenue and production month over month. We were named for the second year in a row to the Inc. 5000 list of fastest growing companies in America, and as one of the fastest growing investigations companies. We’ve been featured in other publications for the work we are doing across multiple industries. We opened a new office in the Rosslyn neighborhood of Arlington, Virginia, adding to our existing office footprint, which includes offices in Boston, New York, and our Headquarters in LA. Talented new hires with a diverse range of experience and skills have joined the the team in investigations, sales, management, finance, and tech. We have added high level new product offerings, and we are continuously on-boarding brand recognizable clients, including financial institutions, multinational firms, and tech companies. There are many other things in the works; it’s a very exciting time for the company and the momentum continues.
- What do you enjoy most about your role? I love working with all of our teams and helping ensure that our employees are constantly growing in their knowledge, skills, and engagement. “Compliance” can sound intimidating, but increasing our knowledge about how we can effectively operate within constraints increases accuracy, while also increasing employee skills and client satisfaction. Learning new things is part of successful career growth.
- What advice would you give to recent new hires? I would encourage all new hires to set up time with their coworkers to chat about their roles, responsibilities, and learn more about other teams and new areas of expertise. We have a great team of engaged and knowledgeable employees who are more than happy to share their personal stories, career paths, and skills gained from varied experience. There may be an area or work product that a new hire is not familiar with and will want to grow towards.
- What is the best career lesson you have learned thus far? I had an inspiring female leader and supervisor during a position in college. The advice she gave her employees was: it’s OK not to know something, but it’s not OK to tell someone you do not know the answer to a question and end there. Your response should always be “I don’t know, but I will find out for you.” That advice, to find out, follow up, and follow through is one of the best pieces of advice I have received. To demonstrate care, empathy, willingness to help, and the importance of someone else’s concerns benefits both parties in their learning, growth, and relationships. It’s great customer service, whether your “customer” is a friend, a coworker, or a paying client.
- What advice do you have for prospective Vcheck candidates? I highly encourage prospective candidates to check out our social media pages, LinkedIn, Instagram, and our website. Research the profiles and experience of our existing employees, and reach out to current employees to ask them about their experience and express your interest! Everyone knows what it’s like to be a candidate interested in a new role, and our team is happy to speak with prospective hires about the work we do and company culture. Interested candidates should not be intimidated to apply – in our industry, an eager, go-getter attitude can outweigh tailored experience. If we do not have the exact position open, and a candidate loves the company and can offer a new idea, reach out and pitch it! I would also mention our flex work, bonuses, benefits, generous PTO, nice office spaces, great managers, and company snacks, lunches, and team outings.