Cross-Border Risk Advisory
China · Hong Kong · Southeast Asia · Europe · Russia · Middle East
Pre-deal due diligence, fraud investigation, and dispute resolution for companies operating in Greater China, Southeast Asia, Europe, Russia, and the Middle East. 12+ jurisdictions.
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About
Steigenberger Consulting is a boutique practice headquartered in the Greater Bay Area, operating across Southeast Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. We do not provide legal representation; we work with licensed attorneys in each jurisdiction.
Since 2023: 137 investigations conducted, $57.5 million recovered, 85% resolved pre-litigation.
We verify against primary sources — corporate registries, site inspections, payment trails, carrier confirmation. Contracts are drafted under PRC law, not the client's home jurisdiction. The factory signs in Chinese; the contract must speak its language.
«A website can be designed. Documents forged. A factory rented for a day. But you cannot fake a database. I collect crumbs from different sources — and reconstruct the full picture.»— Stanley Steigenberger
What We Do
Pre-deal Due Diligence
Counterparty verification before the deal. Primary sources only.
- Corporate registry verification (SAIC, offshore)
- Site inspection and production capacity audit
- Beneficial ownership tracing
- Banking reference and reputation checks
- Deliverable: written report with risk matrix
Contract & IP Protection
Contracts under PRC law. IP, trademark, and mold protection.
- NNN, OEM, Supply — drafting and audit
- IP protection for molds, designs, unique developments
- Trademark registration monitoring in China
- Bad faith registration cancellation
- Payment structuring and escrow advisory
Fraud Investigation
Post-incident tracing across multiple jurisdictions.
- Payment tracing through affiliated company chains
- Shell structure mapping and beneficial owner identification
- Transport document forgery verification
- Direct carrier and bank confirmation
- Evidence package preparation for court
Dispute Support
Arbitration and pre-litigation strategy. Coordination with local counsel.
- Evidence preparation for arbitration tribunals
- Asset tracing for freezing orders
- Coordination with licensed Hong Kong and PRC attorneys
- Pre-litigation settlement strategy
- Law enforcement coordination
How We Work
Inquiry
You describe the situation: deal, suspicions, loss of funds, or need for verification.
Analysis
We review documents, payments, registrations. Risk assessment and strategy.
Investigation
Asset tracing, evidence gathering, direct verification.
Outcome
Report, negotiations, arbitration, or pre-litigation settlement.
Selected Matters
Tracing through 6 jurisdictions
Payment to a Shanghai intermediary dispersed across 6 shell companies from south to north China, consolidated in Malaysia. 24-month cross-jurisdictional trace. Beneficial owners identified. Funds recovered.
Prevention: non-existent servers
Hong Kong seller provided forged shipping documents for a server batch. Direct verification with the carrier confirmed forgery. Deal terminated before payment.
Counterfeit industrial electronics
For two years, the supplier sold counterfeit electronics as original, using fake serial numbers in original packaging. Damage: $811K. Working with a Chinese law firm, secured 60% compensation.
Bank account unfreezing in Hong Kong
Corporate account frozen after a suspicious transaction from mainland China. Evidence package prepared, negotiations with bank compliance, legal support. Account unfrozen within 14 days.
Prepayment recovery via demand letter
Factory in Foshan received a prepayment and ceased communication. Formal legal letter (律师函) through a PRC law firm with contract and law references. 100% prepayment recovered without litigation.
NNN redraft: protecting development
Original product development contract contained loopholes: factory could steal the mold, pay a 500K CNY penalty, and start independent sales. Contract redrafted. IP protection enforced.
Bad faith trademark cancellation
Counterparty registered the client's trademark in China under its own name, despite prior registration in the client's home jurisdiction. Bad faith proven. Registration annulled.
Server procurement
100% upfront to a Cayman Islands shell company. Partial refund routed through an affiliated Hong Kong entity. Asset tracing, evidence preparation for freezing order, Hong Kong arbitration.
Remote audit for New Zealand client
Client from Auckland ordered a cosmetics batch. Remote factory audit in Guangzhou conducted: video inspection, CFDA license verification, production capacity check. Factory confirmed. Batch shipped with quality control.
PRC law contracts: zero refusals
Supply, NNN, and OEM contracts drafted under PRC law, not the client's home jurisdiction. Zero factory refusals to sign. Zero post-signature disputes on quality or delays.
Case Studies & Investigative Notes
Detailed case analyses will be published here after client approval. Every case is reviewed for compliance with confidentiality agreements.
Client Feedback
«Recovered full amount in 6 weeks without litigation. Direct, no bureaucracy, measurable outcome.»
«At first we didn't understand why we needed an NNN for 4,640 CNY. The factory was already 'verified.' But Stanley insisted on checking beneficial owners — and we found out a third company behind the factory had already copied formulas for another brand. Now we have total shipment control and our shampoo formula is protected.»
«We lost $200K on forged certificates of origin. We contacted Steigenberger 6 months after the incident — thought it was over. They said honestly: chances are 40%, but we'll try. Recovered 60%. Not 100%, but honest. No empty promises.»
«We engaged Steigenberger for pre-shipment verification. Their report identified inconsistencies in the factory's registration documents that our previous due diligence provider had missed. We terminated the engagement before any funds were transferred.»
«Our Hong Kong account was frozen after a transfer from a new supplier. We didn't know what to do — the bank wouldn't explain why. Steigenberger prepared a full document package, explained the transaction to the compliance department, and unfroze the account within two weeks.»
«It was very difficult to start working with you. We thought we had wasted our money because initially you said things that were absolutely unacceptable to us. But thanks to you, we now have a strict contract with the factory, total shipment control during production, and a guarantee that our formula won't be stolen.»
«They rewrote our NNN agreement under PRC law. The factory signed without changes. First time in three years that a factory didn't try to renegotiate the IP clause.»
«A factory in Indonesia took our prepayment and disappeared. We were already preparing for court. Steigenberger sent a formal legal letter through local partners, and within 10 days the money was in our account. No court, no arbitration.»
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Terms of Service
Steigenberger Consulting provides investigative and advisory services. We do not provide legal representation; we coordinate with licensed attorneys in relevant jurisdictions.
All disputes arising from the use of this website or our services shall be governed by the laws of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Nothing on this website constitutes legal advice.
Contact us for a formal engagement letter and scope of work.