When a cross-border transaction breaks down, establishing the legal position is often only the beginning. Sanctions can interrupt payments and restrict dealings with counterparties, while assets may be held through complex structures or spread across several jurisdictions. By the time a dispute arises, decisions taken during the transaction may already have shaped the available options for enforcement and recovery.
With this in mind, legal rights, asset intelligence and commercial realities become closely connected. A successful strategy depends not only on the strength of the claim, but also on knowing where the assets are, understanding how they can be reached and acting early enough to preserve them.
Bringing together legal, investigative and industry perspectives, the panel follows the dispute from the breakdown of the underlying transaction through to asset tracing, enforcement and recovery. Perspectives from the Middle East, the CIS and the wider international trade environment add a practical dimension to the conversation, particularly where different legal systems, sanctions regimes and commercial relationships overlap.
The shipping and trading sectors provide a particularly relevant setting for this discussion. Transactions frequently involve multiple parties, jurisdictions, payment structures and movable assets, while geopolitical developments and operational pressures can quickly alter the risk profile. The session connects these commercial realities with the legal and investigative steps required to protect a party’s position and improve its prospects of recovery.
Key Discussion Points:
• The impact of sanctions on contractual performance, payments and enforcement
• Cross-border disputes arising from changing trade conditions
• Identifying and tracing assets across multiple jurisdictions
• Practical challenges in asset recovery and enforcement
• Execution risks in complex international transactions
• Operational pressures within the shipping and trading environment
• Coordinating legal, investigative and commercial strategies
• Protecting recovery prospects from the outset of a dispute