How a listing affects you
Databases used under anti-money-laundering (AML) and countering-the-financing-of-terrorism (CFT) regimes can have severe consequences. People often learn of a listing only when their bank writes to say their accounts are being closed, or when a business transaction stalls. Other consequences can include frozen assets, travel restrictions or detention at borders, denied financing or insurance, and damage to reputation and employment prospects.
The databases involved
We regularly work with clients whose names appear in major risk-intelligence databases, including LSEG World-Check, LexisNexis Risk Solutions (such as WorldCompliance and Bankers Almanac), OpenSanctions, Dow Jones Risk & Compliance, ComplyAdvantage and Moody’s (including Bureau van Dijk’s Orbis). These services consolidate official sanctions lists, media reports and other sources for KYC and AML screening, and their data is shared widely — by banks, fintech and payment platforms, and even logistics companies — so a single flagged entry can trigger alerts across an entire network.
What we do
We prepare and submit formal remediation requests to data providers, citing the applicable legal standards and evidence. For private databases we work through their internal review processes, gathering documentary proof — court judgments, official statements, identity documents — to show that a listing lacks a factual basis. Where government lists are involved (UN, EU, UK or U.S. sanctions), we guide clients through official delisting channels, such as the petition process of the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and the procedures of UN sanctions committees. We coordinate all communications and follow up until a decision is reached.
Grounds for removal
- Inaccurate or obsolete information. Entries drawn from old or unreliable sources can be disproven; databases often fail to update profiles when facts change.
- Disproportionate use of sensitive data. Listings based mainly on political, religious or ethnic background, or on family ties, may breach data-protection rules.
- Change in legal status. If charges were dropped, overturned or never pursued, we compile court records and official notices showing that the allegations no longer apply.
- No connection to unlawful conduct. We show that the client has no credible link to the flagged offense or sanctions criterion. Data-protection principles, including the GDPR’s right to erasure, support deleting data that is no longer relevant.
Process and timeline
Private database providers typically respond within a few weeks to a few months, depending on the complexity of the case and the evidence. Government delisting can take longer. Overall, clients should expect roughly 1 to 12 months, depending on the database, the need for inter-agency cooperation and the responsiveness of the provider or regulator. We keep you informed throughout and advise on interim measures, such as alternative banking arrangements, where possible.
