The Panama City law firm of Mossack Fonseca, exposed by the Panama Papers as an organization in business to hide the identities of their clients, and their dirty money, behind the shield of bearer share corporations, and bogus foundations, does not proudly share the names of its lawyers (except the two name partners) with the public. Go to the firm's large website, and while the firm extols the training, experience, legal education, and purported professional reputation, it does not, curiously enough, name its lawyers.
I have, in the past, been to the firm's offices, and there were no shingles posted, proudly naming the partners, associates, and of counsel who practice there. Given that these attorneys assist the firm's clerical staff in forming those non-transparent BVI companies, as well as corporations in far-flung, and often obscure, tax havens, for dodgy clients, they are a problem for compliance. Compliance officers should be aware of the names of these MF lawyers, for should they encounter one, while conducting a due diligence investigation, it is a major red flag, given the firm's long and sordid history of facilitating money laundering, tax evasion, and potentially, terrorist financing. As the gatekeeper, you know the dangers these individuals potentially pose to North American and EU financial institutions.
Therefore, since there is no official firm roster of MF lawyers, we will be extracting their names from publicly-available documents and web resources, and publishing them here. Finding any one of these lawyers' names on documents presented at account opening should set off alarms in your head, if not throughout your entire office.
Valentin Ureña III
Josette Roquebert
Li An Chong Vieto
Luis Eduardo Concepción
Ana Morales
Edison Teano
Ramses Owens
Daphne Durand
We shall endeavor to obtain the balance of the names and publish them here, as a public service. Remember, when the firm closes, these individuals will all be out there looking to lateral into another Panama law firm. Would you hire a lawyer who formed offshore companies for criminals at his or her last job ?
Contributed by Kenneth Rijock
Chronicles of Monte Friesner
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