Masha Shvetsova, co-founder of Vantage Intelligence, co-authored an article "Following a Trail Of Breadcrumbs: The Challenges of Enforcing International Insolvency Cases" alongside Ivan Gordienko (Partner) and Alex Green (Associate) Steptoe Johnson that was published by ThoughtLeaders4 FIRE Magazine, Issue 14.
Corporate investigators form a key part of the value chain for asset recovery, yet misconceptions remain. What can investigators do? How do they really operate? This webinar aims at debunking common myths and explaining how asset recovery lawyers can leverage corporate investigation for optimized outcomes.
Speakers:
Gretchen King - Co-Founder - Vantage Intelligence
Nicolas Leroux - SFC Swiss Forensic & Compliance (Switzerland)
Roy Pollitt - Forensic Risk Alliance
Edward H. Davis Jr. - Sequor Law
Alison Jones - Greyhawk
Vantage was ranked for the fourth consecutive year for Asset Tracing & Recovery and Business Intelligence & Investigations. Chambers and Partners conducts in-depth market research to select the top investigations firms and individuals from the sector to rank in their annual Chambers Litigation Support Guide. The founders of Vantage, Gretchen King and Masha Shvetsova, were also highly ranked in 2023. We sincerely thank our clients and peers for providing references and feedback!
Since 1996 Who’s Who Legal has identified the foremost legal practitioners and consulting experts in business law based upon comprehensive, independent research.
Gretchen, co-founder of Vantage, has nearly twenty years of experience in intelligence and asset recovery.
She began her career in Washington DC with a leading international intelligence firm; during her seven-year tenure with this firm, Gretchen became a Director in the New York office of the firm and helped establish one of the firm’s European offices.
Gretchen then joined an oil company to establish and lead an in-house intelligence unit; the primary focus of the unit was to provide intelligence and evidence in support of multiple high-value legal disputes. The unit helped preserve more than USD 1 billion in assets, as evidence gathered by the unit contributed to multiple legal victories.
In 2012, Gretchen co-founded Vantage with the stated aim to focus on disputes, complex commercial issues, asset protection and asset recovery.
Since 2012, Vantage has grown from its headquarters in London to New York, Miami and Dubai; Gretchen is leading Vantage’s expansion in the MENAT region and in that capacity is based between Dubai and London and oversees MENAT-focused matters.
Peers and clients say:
"Gretchen is a very diligent expert"
"She has many years of experience in complex and high-value asset recoveries"
Vantage NYC relocated to 60 Columbus Circle, 20th floor, New York, NY 10023, a building within the iconic Deutsche Bank Center. We look forward to welcoming clients and friends!
Masha Shvetsova, Co-Founder of Vantage Intelligence, explored the consequences of the conflict in Ukraine on the global legal and investigative community during this challenging time on a panel alongside other distinguished speakers at OffshoreAlert Miami Conference which took place on April 24, 2023. Other panel members included:
Fraud investigators and journalists rely heavily on digitally-stored information, but its provenance and use can trigger legal grey areas. Eugene Dizenko of Vantage Intelligence discusses complexities of open-source intelligence. | PDF Version
Vantage Intelligence joined ThoughtLeaders4 FIRE Community: Fraud, Insolvency, Recovery, Enforcement. The global Asset Recovery community bringing together key practitioners across contentious insolvency, fraud litigation and international enforcement.
Little can make or break the outcome of a corporate dispute as much as the participation in legal proceedings of an informed, credible witness providing on-the-record testimony in the form of an affidavit or, should the case advance to trial, testimony in court. Whether or not a testifying witness can be identified is often one of the first and most critical requests lawyers pose to investigative firms. Yet, as every investigator faced with such a request knows, convincing someone to testify on-the-record can be mired in challenges both expected and unforeseen... Full Article | PDF Version
Arseny Barkovskiy, Head of Cyber and Field Operations attended IDEX in February 2023. IDEX is a Tri-Service Defence Exhibition in Abu Dhabi attended by international decision-makers from the defence industry, governments, armed forces and military personnel.
The discussion panel considered the roles of investigators – what can they do legally, what is illegal, is there a grey zone and does this differ from jurisdiction to jurisdiction.
Patrick is a seasoned investigator with over 17 years of experience in corporate intelligence and due diligence. He has conducted investigations on six continents and in more than 100 countries. Patrick previously served as Managing Director for two leading corporate intelligence firms.
In recent years, Patrick has expanded his focus to include large-scale fraud investigations as well as cryptocurrency due diligence and investment advisory.
Patrick is also the co-founder of Bird Dog Investigator, the collection and reporting app servicing field agents. He is a Member of the Council of International Investigators and serves on the Advisory Board of Echo Ridge Corp.
We have known Patrick for a long time both as colleagues and friends so we are extremely pleased to welcome him to our team.
Arseny Barkovskiy, Head of Cyber and Field Operations at Vantage Intelligence joined experts at a seminar "Search and Recovery of Assets Abroad: New Trends, Hacks and Pitfalls" at Kelia Club Moscow hosted by investment community A1 Class on 16 June 2021.
Vantage was ranked in Band 2 for excellence in Global Asset Tracing and Recovery investigations by 2021 Chambers and Partners Litigation Support Guide.
Industry peers commented that “Vantage have shown themselves to be by far the most accurate firm we’ve worked with, and they punch above their weight compared to larger intelligence outfits and deliver outstanding service".
Eugene Dizenko, Managing Director of Vantage Intelligence, joined other experts on a panel titled "Russia & The CIS: Tips For Conducting Investigations & Gathering Information" during Offshore Alert Annual Conference on 10 December 2020.
Vantage was ranked in the 2020 Chambers and Partners Litigation Support Guide for investigative expertise on a global scale
Vantage was ranked in Band 2 for excellence in Global Asset Tracing and Recovery investigations by Chambers and Partners. Industry peers commented that Vantage has “serious intellectual depth” and that the company is a “top-of-the-class operation”.
Gretchen King was identified as a notable practitioner in the industry. She was described by anonymous sources as “at the top of the game for this work” and “very, very creative and for years has honed her skill in evidence gathering”.
On 21 April 2020, Gretchen King attended the 2020 Board of Trustees meeting for the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation (ICSR), the academic research centre based in the Department of War Studies at King’s College London.
The Trustees received a briefing from Dr. Shiraz Maher, Director of ICSR, on ICSR’s most recent work on far-right extremism and on the Global Network on Extremism and Technology (GNET) project. Vantage will collaborate with ICSR on updating and maintaining ICSR’s open source intelligence (OSINT) capabilities.
Vantage has recruited multiple members of staff from the Department of War Studies at King's College who will continue to support ICSR’s research.
Masha Shvetsova, Co-Founder of Vantage Intelligence, was pleased to join Conyers’ Partner and Head of BVI Litigation & Restructuring and Office, Mark Forte and Head of Cayman Islands Ligation & Restructuring, and Alex Potts QC for a breakfast briefing on Friday, 28 February entitled “Myth Busters – Asset Tracing in Cayman, Bermuda and BVI”.
The briefing was attended by leading insolvency and asset tracing practitioners from around the world at the Asset Recovery International conference in Dublin.
Gretchen King, Co-Founder of Vantage Intelligence, participated in a panel discussion with Joana Rego, Partner at Raedas, and Polly Sprenger, Partner at Katten Muchin Rosenman, at the Offshore Alert Conference in London on November 11, 2019.
The discussion, moderated by Bernard O’Sullivan, Partner at CMS, discussed the issues investigators now face as a result of GDPR legislation and the continuing trend by legal adversaries to target investigators as a way to detract from the core dispute.
Gretchen and Joana discussed mechanisms for defending against ancillary legal action and remaining discreet, while Polly pointed out instances where investigators were perceived to have crossed ethical and / or legal lines and advocated for additional regulation across the industry.
Masha Shvetsova was pleased to join Mikhail Fridman, a founder of Alfa-Group, Mikhail Khabarov, CEO of National Bank TRUST, Alexander Tsipkin, PR expert and Dmitriy Pankov, extradition expert to discuss Comprehensive Solutions for Complex Commercial Disputes during a day briefing on 17 October, 2019 at the Four Seasons Hotel, Moscow hosted by A1 Investment Group.