/ Expertise
Mutual Legal Assistance
When States deploy mutual legal assistance (MLA) mechanisms as instruments of cross-border interference, the consequences for individuals and entities can be severe and fast-moving. Amadeus advises clients who face, or seek to resist, State action conducted through MLA channels, drawing on deep expertise in public international law and the domestic procedural frameworks through which MLA requests are executed.
Such interference may extend to the gathering of evidence such as bank records, the taking of statements from suspects or witnesses, and the freezing or forfeiture of assets. Our advice encompasses the full range of issues that arise in this context, bringing together expertise in treaty interpretation, jurisdictional frameworks and the practical realities of cross-border enforcement. We advise on both the contestation of incoming MLA requests and the development of risk management strategies where disclosure to a foreign authority cannot be avoided.
We have recently advised government ministers and prominent business figures, among others, across a range of matters engaging MLA frameworks.