Ep. 25: Bridging Public and Private Asset Recovery

In this episode, Aidan speaks with Carmel King, Partner at Grant Thornton UK, about the role of insolvency practitioners and liquidators in recovering assets lost to fraud and financial crime, especially in the context of digital assets. They discuss how these powers work alongside law enforcement efforts and why collaboration, trust, and clear communication between the public and private sectors are key to delivering better outcomes for victims. Want to go deeper? Join our upcoming webinar, ‘Closing the Asset Recovery Gap’, on 14th October at 2pm UK | 9am EDT, where former law enforcement professionals draw on their cross-sector experience to explore how civil recovery routes work alongside law enforcement and how specialised technology platforms are strengthening coordination across sectors. Timestamps00:00 – Introduction and Background 04:00 – The Hidden Powers of Liquidators 09:00 – Bridging Public and Private Sector Efforts 16:00 – Real-World Cases & Lessons Learned 24:00 – Tackling Law Enforcement & Victim Challenges 30:00 – Crypto Recovery: Success Stories & Civil Routes 38:00 – Navigating Jurisdictional & Valuation Hurdles 45:00 – The Future of Asset Recovery & Collaboration About our Guest Carmel King is a Partner at Grant Thornton UK, where she leads the digital asset recovery team. With extensive experience in insolvency and asset recovery, Carmel specialises in combating financial crime and recovering assets for victims. Her work often involves collaboration with law enforcement and private sector professionals to navigate the complexities of cross-border asset recovery and the evolving landscape of crypto assets.Key Takeaways Insolvency as a Recovery Tool: Insolvency and liquidation powers provide a unique mechanism to recover assets lost to fraud, complementing traditional law enforcement efforts. Collaboration Between Public and Private Sectors: Effective asset recovery relies on coordination between law enforcement, investigators, and private practitioners to overcome legal, technical, and operational challenges. Digital Asset Challenges: Cryptocurrencies and other digital assets introduce new complexities, requiring specialised approaches to trace, value, and recover funds. Preventing Re‑Victimisation: Awareness and education are critical to protect victims from fraudulent recovery schemes and ensure fair outcomes. Evolving Landscape of Asset Recovery: Case studies and ongoing developments illustrate how the field is constantly changing, highlighting the importance of innovation, technology, and co‑operation. Resources Mentioned Crypto Fraud and Asset Recovery Network (CFAAR) Grant Thornton UK Met Police | Two people convicted following world's largest crypto seizure Stay Connected Dive deeper into the world of asset recovery by subscribing to Seize & Desist.Disclaimer Our podcasts are for informational purposes only. They are not intended to provide legal, tax, financial, and/or investment advice. Listeners must consult their own advisors before making decisions on the topics discussed.   Asset Reality has no responsibility or liability for any decision made or any other acts or omissions in connection with your use of this material. The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. Views and opinions expressed by Asset Reality employees are those of the employees and do not necessarily reflect the views of the company.  Asset Reality does not guarantee or warrant the accuracy, completeness, timeliness, suitability or validity of the information in any particular podcast and will not be responsible for any claim attributable to errors, omissions, or other inaccuracies of any part of such material.  Unless stated otherwise, reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by Asset Reality.