Crypto Asset Recovery
Cryptocurrency fraud is one of the fastest-growing forms of financial crime, yet many victims think that once digital assets leave their wallets, recovery is impossible. While many crypto scam lawyers stop at obtaining injunctions or providing advice, at Edmonds Marshall McMahon, we focus on one objective: recovering stolen assets.
Our specialist crypto recovery lawyers deploy a combination of civil, criminal and hybrid recovery strategies, based on the Serious Fraud Office’s Roskill model, to identify, trace, freeze and recover digital assets across jurisdictions.
We regularly obtain disclosure of critical information and asset preservation from offshore exchanges and third parties through agreement or compulsion. That enables us to obtain the transfer of digital assets back to their rightful owners.
It’s the depth of our experience, expertise and intelligence that distinguishes EMM from traditional crypto-asset recovery lawyers. We regularly review and update our intelligence on crypto exchanges. That enables us to quickly assess whether an exchange is likely to cooperate, which jurisdictional levers are most likely to be successful, and whether a civil or criminal strategy will create the greatest leverage and deliver the best outcome for our clients.
We combine that intelligence with the advanced tracing and enforcement capabilities of our specialist crypto scam lawyers and investigators. That enables us to act swiftly and strategically to identify perpetrators, preserve critical evidence and implement coordinated recovery strategies.
Our crypto recovery lawyers do not rely on a single legal strategy. Instead, we combine multiple legal and technical routes simultaneously to increase pressure on fraudsters, exchanges and third parties. That’s particularly the case in cross-border crypto fraud, where standalone litigation is often ineffective. In simple terms, where most firms issue claims, we deliver enforcement.
Here is how our unique hybrid approach combines civil, criminal and private prosecution to recover stolen crypto assets.
At Edmonds Marshall McMahon, we apply a structured, outcome-driven model to cryptocurrency asset recovery rather than generic litigation. That process usually starts with intelligence.
Our crypto recovery lawyers act for domestic and international victims whose losses are high-value, complex or offshore-routed, and where the scale of the losses or jurisdictional barriers require specialist enforcement. We also act for some of the largest exchanges in the world, as well as DeFi protocols, crypto gaming and software companies.
Crypto fraud is inherently cross-border. Our crypto fraud lawyers routinely engage with exchanges in:
In these cases, success often depends less on where the exchange is based and more on how willing it is to cooperate. Our experience dealing with large and smaller exchanges worldwide, along with our understanding of their compliance practices and response strategies, enables us to act quickly and apply the most effective recovery approach from the outset.
Where police resources are stretched or delayed, we do not simply refer matters and wait. We build a recovery strategy that can run parallel to or ahead of law enforcement. Then, when it’s time to seize assets or take legal action, our work connects with the authorities’ enforcement powers.
The Sutton case and the case of Mr A v Persons Unknown, described below, show how our crypto asset recovery lawyers can work with investigators, exchanges, courts and police to effectively recover stolen cryptocurrency.
In what is believed to be the first case of its kind, our crypto scam lawyers worked alongside law enforcement to secure a full recovery under the recently enacted s.303Z51 of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (POCA). We made the recovery on behalf of our client, Mr A, an 80-year-old man who lost more than £520,000 to a sophisticated crypto scam.
Read more about the caseOur client’s assets were dissipated into wallets held by a Seychelles exchange by an unknown fraudster. In a legal first, we traced the assets, obtained a worldwide freezing order and transferred them to the English Court so they could be returned to our client.
Read more about the caseOur crypto recovery lawyers deployed a combined civil and criminal strategy, supported by public and private coordination, to secure and return an elderly victim’s entire life savings, despite the platform’s initial refusal to cooperate. The case is now referenced as a model for future recoveries.
Read more about the caseWe helped develop and implement a new method for recovering certain stolen crypto assets when platform or wallet holders do not cooperate. Simply, the stolen or compromised tokens were destroyed (‘burnt’) and replacement tokens were issued (‘reminted’) to the rightful owner.
Read more about the caseContact us immediately if:
Crypto AI Legal Agent
Our state-of-the-art Crypto AI Legal Agent will obtain the key facts from you and initiate a Trace and Exchange Co-operation Check. That will enable us to determine whether we can compel the exchange to disclose, freeze or transfer the assets back.
The initial assessment is rapid, focused and designed to support immediate recovery action.
If you would like to discuss a potential cryptocurrency fraud case, our specialist crypto recovery lawyers are here to help you navigate the legal process and achieve justice.
Email us at enquiries@emmlegal.com or call +44 (0)20 7583 8392.
