Infospectrum offers a range of consultancy services, which draw on our specialist insight into the marine, commodity trading and financial risk markets. We have a strong track record in providing practical advice and analytical services for a range of companies active in the ship finance, maritime transport and commodities sectors. We have access to a unique intelligence network, allowing us to penetrate deep into the often complex and less than transparent structures of businesses.

Our consultancy services have helped clients in the past in such projects as:

• Port development and expansion studies
• Identifying and assessing joint-venture or long-term business partners
• Identification of new markets and business opportunities and the viability of a new business plan
• Advise on the acquisition of distressed assets
• Benchmarking analysis of specific markets and companies
• SWOT analysis for company restructuring purposes
• Feasibility Studies

Our work in these areas can be used in support of merger and acquisition considerations, business development and strategic development for business growth.

Our understanding of the maritime and commodity trading markets, coupled with our strategic research capacity, has enabled us to apply our skills equally to consultancy services covering various types of project work in the wider international industrial/manufacturing sectors.

Our consultancy work is fully disclosed with out client, and quoted, before proceed. See how our legal support services have previously benefited our clients in this case study.

Counterparty risk

A comprehensive pre-fixture report mitigates potentially damaging trade risks. Without detailed initial analysis, you might enter into binding agreements with financially unstable parties. Should transactions fail, you could find yourself bound by terms of agreement to such parties. Counterparty risks include companies that fail to comply with bonds, insurance policies, or other contracts.

Due to the nature of credit risks, it is often difficult for you to reclaim collateral from your counterparties, leaving you exposed to financial losses. In addition to operational damages, poor counterparties can result in legal and reputational damage with lasting repercussions for your future transactions. This can be avoided with a detailed, up-to-date pre-fixture report, providing you with all the insights you need to make timely and accurate trade decisions.

Infospectrum’s pre-fixture reports

Infospectrum has supported the dry bulk and wet freight markets since we started trading in 1999. Our pre-fixture service aims to help our clients make the rapid, but high value, decisions required in chartering, where time and information are often extremely limited. Drawing from our extensive global resources we source and compile the precise business analysis you need to help you choose your chartering counterparties with more confidence.

Our detailed assessment reports deliver this information fast according to your schedule while minimising the risk of regulatory and operational problems further down the line. Our global positioning enables us to address the industry’s key issue of timing through our ability to start rapidly (we have various offices worldwide), our immediate access to company information, and our experience in understanding the complex structures used in the freight markets.

We continue to work on very urgent projects for highly demanding clients in the commodity trading, ship owning and operating sectors.

See how our pre-fixture reports have previously benefited our clients in this case study. For key insights into your industry and competitors, choose from our three service packages here.

Credit Risk

Without the security of counterparty and credit risk assessments, you might enter into trade agreements with financially unstable parties. Should transactions fail, you could find yourself bound by terms of agreement to such parties. Counterparty risks include companies that fail to comply with bonds, insurance policies, or other contracts.

Due to the nature of credit risks, it is often difficult foryou to reclaim collateral from your counterparties, leaving you exposed to financial losses. In addition to operational damages, there are a number of other risks associated with unreliable counterparties.

Credit, legal, and reputational risks

Credit risk is the damage to your own credit rating as a result of uncooperative, inefficient, or inadequate counterparties. This kind of damage is lasting and can complicate future transactions when potential counterparties carry out their own counterparty and credit risk assessments on your company.

A legal risk can exist if your transaction fails, if you are liable to another party for losses incurred as a result of being able to fulfil transactions, or if you fail to properly protect assets owned by a counterparty. Liability and subsequent litigation can incur expensive costs, especially for global companies.

Reputational risk covers losses associated with damage to your company’s reputation. Corporate trust is crucial to securing trade partnerships; with increasing digitisation of performance records and communication, damage of this kind is accessible and lasting. Reputational risks include lost revenue, capital, regulatory costs, and damage to your shareholder value as a direct result of improper counterparty conduct.

Counterparty and credit risk assessment

Counterparty and credit risk assessments offer the expert analysis and business intelligence you need to properly assess potential partners. Review your counterparty’s credit history and market performance. Understand their management structure and accountability. Investigate their financial references and payment processes. Know who you are entering into trade discussions with before committing to potentially damaging contracts.

Whether you’re entering into trade discussions with a new party or are setting up a new transaction, our comprehensive reports detail the precise information and analysis you need to make fast, confident trade decisions with minimal regulatory, operational, legal, and reputational risk.

See how our counterparty and credit risk assessments have previously benefited our clients in this case study. For key insights into your industry and competitors, choose from our three service packages here.

This legal support is usually critical for ensuring the desired solution. Cases reinforced with comprehensive evidence, accurate data, and forensic analysis are stronger and more likely to lead to a win. Commercial investigations are similarly dependent upon the availability and accuracy of company knowledge to inform, evidence, and drive the success of their cases, making comprehensive legal support a vital resource for large business of all kinds.

What does legal support typically provide you with?

The purpose of legal support is to provide companies embroiled in disputes with information and guidance. Disputes can arise for any number of reasons, from incomplete transactions, failed credit, and failed terms of agreement to contractual breaks, lawsuits, and territorial disputes.

The role of your legal support is to provide you with correct legal information, forensic investigation, evidence preparation, legal briefings in advance of actions, debriefing after actions, representation in court, and other forms of court support. They may also advise you on best courses of action prior to disputes, in order to avoid potential legal action.

World-class legal support with Infospectrum

Whether considering the merits of pursuing or defending a legal case or preparing for dispute resolution, our clients come to us for analysis that is in-depth and independent. In particular, we excel at asset tracking and corporate veil investigations, enabling us to both identify assets and certify correct ownership.

Our experience of forensic investigations and evidence preparation has been put to work for a wide variety of organisations including law firms, P&I clubs, shipowners and charterers, energy companies, and commodity traders.

See how our legal support services have previously benefited our clients in this case study For key insights into your industry and competitors, choose from our three service packages here.

The importance of KYC due diligence

The objective of KYC due diligence guidelines is to establish verifiable means by which the integrity of companies can be assessed. This level of intelligence offers a number of advantages:

• It ensures the business meets your performance requirements
• It reveals the legal standing of the business, including its legal history
• It gives you an insight into its operational processes
• It reveals the financial dealings of the business, including credit history
• It helps you to better understand the business and its values It enables you to manage risks more effectively

Whether it’s for commercial due diligence or to meet KYC compliance requirements, you can never have too much information on your potential partners.

How our KYC due diligence can benefit you

The global commodity trading and freight markets are no exception to the increasing need for KYC due diligence. Over the last 30 years, the need for transparency in these sectors has risen as traditional layers of trust and industry relationships have deteriorated. This has been caused by a flood of new industry entrants, including opaque physical or derivative market speculators, and longer term investors from outside the industry who wish to enforce more established KYC and compliance procedures. This process has accelerated more recently, as external compliance requirements have been enforced, in particular anti-bribery and sanctions avoidance.

Our analysts are known for their ability to source difficult to reach information and turn it into meaningful intelligence, such as on limited public disclosure, operations details, and offshore corporate structures.

We can challenge your brief and deliver the comprehensive level of detail you need. Infospectrum’s long experience in the commodity trading and freight sectors, and its familiarity with the highly complex and often unconventional corporate structures used in these sectors, helps our clients meet their KYC and due diligence obligations, even for some of the most low-profile, offshore-registered companies.

Read our case study

See how our KYC due diligence has previously benefited our clients in this case study. For key insights into your industry and competitors, choose from our three service packages here.