Specialization: An advisory firm helping investors and enterprises design, measure, and verify social and environmental impact across the investment lifecycle.
Restitution empowers countries by recovering their national wealth lost to grand corruption.
Decades of expertise in capacity building, advisory, & asset recovery.
A trusted global network of partners and legal experts
Proven success in helping clients achieve tangible outcomes
Decades of expertise in capacity building, advisory, & asset recovery.
Decades of expertise in capacity building, advisory, & asset recovery.
Decades of expertise in capacity building, advisory, & asset recovery.
Decades of expertise in capacity building, advisory, & asset recovery.
A trusted global network of partners and legal experts
Proven success in helping clients achieve tangible outcomes
Billions of dollars of assets are lost annually through corruption, complex fraud, bribery and theft. It is believed that less than 1% of these illicit financial flows are ever restituted back to their countries of origin.
Development disparities between countries are further reinforced by corruption and illicit financial flows. If corruption was eliminated or even curtailed, the significant amount of additional capital available to fund infrastructure and various forms of entitlements spending would enable countless individuals, communities and countries to realize their full potential. If illicit financial flows were stemmed outright, it is believed Africa would be a net creditor continent.
The criminal justice approaches currently favored by countries to recover assets lost to grand corruption do little to reduce and return illicit flows of assets. Therefore, the international corporations and adviser enablers that engage in fraud and malfeasance have learnt that being found ‘guilty’ as individuals in courts of law is unlikely, and there is little chance of being sued in courts with venue.
With a much lower burden of proof than in criminal procedure, civil litigation is a promising path forward.
To-date countries have not had access to litigation and the tools of litigation funding themselves—until now, courtesy of the ‘Restitution Solution’.
Leverage financial tools to combat corruption and recover assets efficiently
Transforming Claims into Valuable Assets
Maximizing Returns with Strategic Methods
Leverage financial tools to combat corruption and recover assets efficiently
Transforming Claims into Valuable Assets
Maximizing Returns with Strategic Methods
Leverage financial tools to combat corruption and recover assets efficiently
Transforming Claims into Valuable Assets
Maximizing Returns with Strategic Methods
We empower organizations with the knowledge, tools, and frameworks necessary to handle asset recovery and achieve justice
Our experts provide tailored consultation services, addressing specific challenges to ensure effective recovery strategies
Specializing in recovering misappropriated assets, we offer end-to-end support to sovereign clients, ensuring cost-effective solutions
Restitution Impact levels the playing field providing governments with a service that brings together a combination of legal, investigations, finance, development and management expertise under one roof thereby offering a truly unique and comprehensive recovery solution for countries.
Working with democratic governments, Restitution Impact reverses corruption-based illicit financial flows. We do this through a holistic, civil enforcement solution that leverages highly experienced, world-class investigators and litigators who develop claims. In turn, litigation impact funding is deployed to expediently litigate in the courts and to drive settlements and judgments against bad actors such as international extractive companies and their adviser-enablers.
We at Restitution believe:
If the global context and environment in which countries who combat grand corruption and complex fraud is effective and enabling in repatriating assets lost to IFFs;
And if those countries have access and support to world-class litigation in courts ‘with venue’ where ill-gotten assets are held and/or those wrongdoers who have stolen or defrauded are located, including in the Global North;
And if, over the longer-term, government ministries, departments and agencies and national- level civil society become even more effective in supporting the provision of information, investigations, case work preparation, litigation, etc. related to assets lost to IFFs;
And if such means and approaches are accessible and effective in recovering lost assets, gaining just compensation and/or reversing IFFs and international companies and adviser enablers are held to account for the wrongdoing they undertake, aid and abet;
Then countries will see their national patrimony restituted, thereby enabling them to meet their duties and responsibilities to individuals and communities and to contribute to a world that is fair, just, and sustainable; And, in the future, wrongdoers will be less inclined to engage in grand corruption and grand corruption will be further deterred.
Our approach to reverse illicit financial flows through civil enforcement-initiated asset recovery is based on three pillars:
At the same time, we act in solidarity with independent civil society and leading national-level activists, in their work for economic justice, domestic resource mobilization and the advancement and safeguarding of human rights and fundamental freedom.
More specifically, our approach to reverse IFFs through civil enforcement-initiated asset recovery is based on three core pillars.
Restitution works closely with governments to identify, investigate and develop claims that can be litigated before courts in jurisdictions with ‘venue’ (e.g, London, New York, et al.) and in which damages can be awarded in binding judgments. We assess cases of corruption and the feasibility of developing claims which can be brought to these courts on the basis of whether or not there is a high probability of success, large and clear collectability of awards and damages, and the work can be undertaken in a relatively speedy manner.
Restitution’s support for governments consists of the following:
Drawing on the team’s deep investigatory experience, we work hand in hand with government partners and civil society organizations to expose corruption and build high-value claims in our target jurisdictions. Our network and trusted relationships with relevant actors, including prosecutors, investigators and ministries, gives us an unmatched ability to access and develop these valuable claims which others cannot. By strategically assembling portfolios of claims early in the process, we enhance
the efficiency and impact of asset recovery efforts.
Restitution brings together 120+ years of litigation experience and 90+ years of experience executing complex cross-border recoveries. Through exclusive agreements with governments, we take control of claims with a strong probability of success, structuring them into portfolios that create economies of scale and maximize returns, delivering greater value for governments and investors. We often aim for early reasonable settlements which accelerate returns, often within three to four years, while donor grants and pro bono support allow us to expand the pipeline of viable cases.
An independent Advisory Committee of seasoned litigators, investigators, and damages experts regularly reviews our strategy, ensuring we remain at the cutting edge of asset recovery.
Restitution also strengthens government institutions and civil society organizations by providing ongoing capacity-building at every stage of the asset recovery process. Through close collaboration and specialized training delivered by our team of expert lawyers and investigators, we equip officials and civil society with the skills to investigate, litigate, and enforce claims independently.
As cases progress into litigation, we ensure that government officials and civil society gain the expertise to navigate complex legal proceedings, enforce judgments, and recover stolen assets effectively. This structured support fosters long-term institutional and national resilience, strengthening legal frameworks and policies to combat illicit financial flows. We provide governments with ongoing access to expertise, ensuring they not only recover lost assets but also build the necessary infrastructure and legal tools to prevent future financial crime, reducing reliance on external actors over time
Restitution ensures that recovered assets are reinvested transparently and effectively, aligning with national development priorities and breaking the cycle of corruption. Working in partnership with governments, development agencies, and financial institutions, we align asset returns with national development plans and UN Sustainable Development Goal 16 (Peace, Justice & Strong Institutions).
With a future-proof approach that withstands political changes, Restitution ensures recovered assets drive lasting development. We bring back the funds for governments to invest into critical sectors like infrastructure, health, and education while strengthening governance and deterring future corruption. Our structured return programs enable governments to sustain long-term impact through recovery funds that continue restitution efforts and attract investment.
At the same time, Restitution provides governments with regular tailor-made capacity building with learnings which can be used by government to support their own asset recovery work, including but not limited to civil enforcement.
Restitution’s trainers are amongst the world’s most seasoned, experienced lawyers and investigators specialized in recovering assets with direct experience working on landmark cases (e.g., Tuna Bonds, Sani Abacha, et al.).
Speedy recoveries are key. Governments require financial resources for national development, entitlement spending, balance sheet repair, et al. Further, civil enforcement can be undertaken more expediently and with a lower burden of proof than criminal enforcement.
National-level civil society are invaluable partners by, e.g.,:
Civil society provides first hand insights and information on grand corruption, and they support our work to develop claims which can be brought before courts where such cases are litigated.
Across the regions where we work, Restitution has been privileged to receive strong support from civil society leaders every step of the way.
Restitution enjoys broad and deep ties to civil society at the international, regional and national levels across Africa, the Asia Pacific, the Americas and Europe.
Addressing the steep declines in development cooperation and aid funding require new thinking and innovative solutions. Now more than ever donor governments are seeking innovative approaches to improve and optimise their grant funding to achieve even greater impact with development partners. By partnering with Restitution, donor governments can support an asset recovery solution that is positioned to bring back large sums of national patrimony, which can be re-purposed to advance human development and national economic development.
Restitution Impact Limited (“Restitution”) is a non-profit ‘company limited by guarantee’ that works with emerging, democratically elected and transparency-focused governments in the development and execution of claims vis-à-vis complex fraud, breach of contract and related against bad actors, and the recovery and restitution of assets and illicit financial flows lost to grand corruption.
We work in close partnership with governments and other international partners to identify, quantify, develop and realise claims and seek judgements for the benefit of countries who are victims of corruption. At the same time, we work side-by-side with government officials, civil service and civil society to equip them to support, engage in and eventually undertake this highly complex work.
Restitution believes that the contribution of grant funding, on the one hand, and commercial capital, on the other, is essential to the success of our vision and mission and the change we wish to deliver. Restitution brings together impact and sustainability-focused private capital with similarly minded governments, donors and other providers of concessionary capital to maximize the success of our shared vision and mission.
After undertaking thorough investigations using the latest cutting-edge techniques, Restitution develops litigation strategies and oversees complex multijurisdictional litigation to win judgements and/or drive settlements against these wrongdoers in an effort to bring funds back for use to fund countries’ own national development priorities.
In some cases, funds can begin to be restituted only a few years after a country partners with Restitution. Thus, countries can quickly benefit from early advances toward discernable positive development impacts.
Restitution believes that the contribution of commercial capital is essential to the success of our vision and mission and the change we wish to deliver. Restitution brings together impact and sustainability-focused private capital with similarly minded governments, donors, and other providers of concessionary capital to maximize the chances of success for our shared vision and mission.
Restitution’s Mission is to support, work side-by-side with, and act on behalf of countries towards the recovery and restitution of their assets and wealth lost to grand corruption and other wrongdoing by deploying an end-to-end solution that brings together highly skilled, expert practitioners for purpose.
Restitution’s Vision is of a world where:
Countries receive and benefit from holistic end-to-end investigations, litigation strategy formulation, capacity enhancement, and structured restitution support that is both speedy and practical.
Strategies:
Development of claims and litigation strategies tailored to recover assets and monies as a result of successful judgments against and settlements with international corporations and adviser enablers.
Engagement with litigation teams.
Countries develop strengthened capacity and resilience to support and manage investigations and civil litigation in courts themselves as another tool in their toolkit to reverse IFFs.
Strategies:
Stronger legal frameworks and practices are developed to support countries in recovering their assets lost to grand corruption and reversing IFFs.
Strategies:
We work with a trusted network of esteemed law firms renowned for their expertise in asset recovery, international law, and compliance. These firms bring unparalleled knowledge and a global reach to every case.
Specialization: A global law firm providing comprehensive legal services across multiple sectors with a strong focus on complex international matters.
With a proven track record in handling complex international cases, Global Recovery Law LLP ensures effective strategies and results.
Specialization: The largest firm focused on business litigation, representing Fortune 500 companies in high-stakes disputes, with over 86% trial success and $70 billion secured for clients.
Known for their rigorous investigations & ability to navigate legal frameworks globally, International Legal Group is a key partner.
Specialization: A global law firm serving major corporations, financial institutions, and funds, Mayer Brown handles complex transactions and disputes across multiple jurisdictions.
Sovereign Advocacy Partners combines expertise and diplomacy to resolve disputes effectively
Specialization: A high-end litigation boutique handling complex disputes, including financial litigation and white-collar defense, with offices in London and New York.
With a proven track record in handling complex international cases, Global Recovery Law LLP ensures effective strategies and results.
Specialization: A global firm known for high-stakes litigation and regulatory matters, specializing in white-collar defense, sanctions, trade policy, and patent litigation
With a proven track record in handling complex international cases, Global Recovery Law LLP ensures effective strategies and results.
Specialization: A global firm providing strategic legal services in corporate transactions and financial regulatory matters, serving a diverse range of clients.
With a proven track record in handling complex international cases, Global Recovery Law LLP ensures effective strategies and results.
Specialization: A firm offering due diligence, risk analysis, and intelligence services to financial institutions and corporations, combining open-source research with human insights.
With a proven track record in handling complex international cases, Global Recovery Law LLP ensures effective strategies and results.
Specialization: A firm specializing in due diligence, background investigations, and risk assessments across Africa, leveraging human and open-source intelligence.
Known for their rigorous investigations & ability to navigate legal frameworks globally, International Legal Group is a key partner.
Specialization: An advisory firm helping investors and enterprises design, measure, and verify social and environmental impact across the investment lifecycle.
With a proven track record in handling complex international cases, Global Recovery Law LLP ensures effective strategies and results.
Specialization: A global firm providing fund administration and compliance services, managing over $750 billion in assets across 25 jurisdictions.
Known for their rigorous investigations & ability to navigate legal frameworks globally, International Legal Group is a key partner.
A UK-based consultancy supporting NGOs, donors, and investors in developing sustainable finance models and impact strategies to address global challenges.
Known for their rigorous investigations & ability to navigate legal frameworks globally, International Legal Group is a key partner.
Specialization: An international firm providing integrated solutions in cybersecurity, risk management, and strategic communications, assisting clients in navigating digital, economic, and reputational challenges.
With a proven track record in handling complex international cases, Global Recovery Law LLP ensures effective strategies and results.
Specialization: A global firm engaged in trading, refining, and transporting energy and commodities, with investments in related assets and a focus on sustainable energy solutions.
Known for their rigorous investigations & ability to navigate legal frameworks globally, International Legal Group is a key partner.
Our team comprises seasoned professionals with extensive experience in asset recovery, legal affairs, and international relations
Katherine is a senior lawyer and former law firm partner with significant development and investigation experience. Katherine was an investigator for the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission and had been a senior law firm partner for leading international firms such as Freshfields and Hogan Lovells. She was the Chief Executive Officer of leading human rights and development organisations, including the International Senior Lawyers Project (ISLP, USA/UK) and the Institute for Human Rights and Development in Africa (IHRDA, The Gambia). Katherine has advised on transactions for governments both as a law firm partner and as CEO of human rights and development organisations. In her various roles, Katherine has advised on transactions worth upward of US$ 40 billion.
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Having spent 27 years investigating some of the most corrupt world leaders, Debra has been instrumental in the seizure of more than a billion dollars. For the past seven years, she has been a Senior Investigator for The Sentry, an NGO, co-founded by George Clooney and John Prendergast. Debra worked to disable multinational predatory networks that benefit from violent conflict, repression, and kleptocracy. She led complex investigations into financial crime, corruption and atrocities in East and Central Africa. Prior to joining The Sentry, having retired after 20 years with the FBI, she served as a Supervisory Special Agent on the International Corruption Unit at FBI Headquarters and was instrumental in initiating the FBI’s Kleptocracy program, which seized more than $1 billion dollars from foreign corrupt officials. Debra is currently the Executive Producer and co-host of the award- winning podcast, “A Nation for Thieves”
Dr. Eva Thorne is a policy and development expert with extensive experience advising governments and international organizations on economic growth, resource management, and digital transformation. As the former Director of Policy and Innovations at the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, she led initiatives on inclusive economic growth in Sub-Saharan Africa. She has provided strategic policy guidance to governments worldwide, including Liberia, Sierra Leone, Ethiopia, and Honduras, on issues ranging from petroleum sector reform to land rights and digital strategy. Eva has also advised on high-value mining and infrastructure projects and has worked closely with senior government officials, including heads of state.
Deborah Martin is a seasoned executive with over 20 years of experience, specializing in administrative leadership and high-level support in legal and financial sectors. Since 2018, she has been the Head of Administration at Restitution Impact is an organization focused on providing support and resources for the restitution of assets and funds, often in the context of humanitarian aid and crisis management.. Deborah has a proven track record of success as an executive personal assistant in prestigious firms, including Hogan Lovells LLP, Proskauer Rose LLP, and Kaye Scholer LLP, where she honed her skills in transactional support, document management, diary coordination, billing, and event planning. Her leadership was evident during her time as Senior Executive PA for the London capital markets department, managing a team of PAs in a demanding environment.
Liz Mehigan is a detail-oriented Project Coordinator with a knack for bringing structure and clarity to complex projects. She has a background in film, wellness, policy research, brand communication, and operations, helping teams stay organised and on track. With experience across various industries, Liz is skilled at problem-solving, managing budgets, and making information easy to understand. She enjoys working with people, finding creative solutions, and ensuring everything runs smoothly behind the scenes.
A founding director of Restitution, Chris is a senior governance, rule of law and human rights professional with lengthy experience focused on strategy and development, working for and with civil society organizations in Africa, Asia and the Americas, including the International Service for Human Rights (ISHR), International Commission of Jurists (ICJ), Asia Pacific Forum of National Human Rights Institutions (APF), TRIAL International, Norwegian Human Rights Fund, and 20 others. He has originated relationships many ongoing, grant acquisitions and in-kind gifts valued at over US $120M. Chris is a member of the board of directors of Reprieve (London) and sits on the advisory council of the West African Human Rights Defenders Network (Lomé), amongst others.
Restitution is or has been supported by the following generous ministries, development cooperation agencies and charitable foundations:
Restitution Impact is dedicated to assisting democratic, anti-corruption-focused governments in their fight against corruption by providing funding and support for civil enforcement and the recovery of their own national patrimonies.
At the same time, we act in solidarity with independent civil society and leading national-level activists, in their work for economic justice, domestic resource mobilization and the advancement and safeguarding of human rights and fundamental freedom.
More specifically, our approach to reverse IFFs through civil enforcement-initiated asset recovery is based on three core pillars.
Our organisational strategy is focused on providing an end-to-end partnership for and with countries to restitute their assets and IFFs lost to grand corruption and achieve compensation for wrongdoing. Bringing together investigations, litigation and other services, we seek to equip countries’ own officials,
civil servants and national-level civil society with the tools to participate in the process via ongoing training and capacity building.
By partnering with Restitution, countries are provided with a holistic and comprehensive partnership approach to advance and positively impact the lives of their people (i.e., individuals and communities), enabling them to benefit from and enjoy their integral human development, and economic and social rights.
We source, organise, and manage the investigators, litigators, specialist lawyers, structurers, strategic communications specialists, and development experts responsible for progressing asset and IFF restitution, providing a duty of care for our country partners.
We want to leverage the demands and voices of governments who have been victimised for far too long by predatory and usurious international companies and adviser enablers to deliver economic justice for their people (i.e., individuals and communities). We work closely with our partner countries to help them shape the most effective strategies for restitution of IFFs. We capacitate their present and future leaders within government and civil society in the fight against corruption.
We want to leverage the demands and voices of governments who have been victimized for far too long by predatory and usurious international companies and adviser enablers to deliver economic justice for their people (i.e., individuals and communities). We work closely with our partner countries to help them shape the most effective strategies for restitution of IFFs. We capacitate their present and future leaders within government and civil society in the fight against corruption.
By partnering with Restitution, countries are provided with a holistic and comprehensive partnership approach to advance and positively impact the lives of their people (i.e. individuals and communities), enabling them to benefit from and enjoy their integral human development, and economic and social rights.
We source, organise and manage the investigators, litigators, specialist lawyers, structurers, strategic communications specialists and development experts responsible for progressing asset and IFF restitution, providing a duty of care for our country partners.
We want to leverage the demands and voices of governments who have been victimised for far too long by predatory and usurious international companies and adviser enablers to deliver economic justice for their people (i.e., individuals and communities). We work closely with our partner countries to help them shape the most effective strategies for restitution of IFFs. We capacitate their present and future leaders within government and civil society in the fight against corruption. leaders within government and civil society in the fight against corruption.
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