James Ellender and the International Fraud Group
James Ellender is the Co-Founder and CEO of Futurum Risk, bringing twenty-six years of experience in intelligence, investigations, and risk management. He spent thirteen of those years as a specialist detective in UK law enforcement, leading intelligence-led investigations into financial crime, fraud, insider threats, and counterfeiting.
Since co-founding Futurum Risk in 2014, James has led the firm’s global investigation and training strategy, delivering specialist programs for government, corporate, and security organisations across Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and the Asia Pacific. He is regularly engaged to support complex, cross-border matters requiring rapidlydeveloped, legally defensible intelligence and forensic evidence; he has testified as a witness or expert witness in more than fifty cases in courts worldwide.
“The majority of my career in law enforcement focused on covert intelligence. Since Futurum’s inception in 2014, our business has been driven by developing the intelligence landscape to help progress asset and fraud investigations.”- James Ellender
What the International Fraud Group actually is
The International Fraud Group (IFG) is a global network of lawyers specialising in fraud investigation and asset recovery, with members across more than sixty jurisdictions worldwide.
The group was established in 1994 when Mishcon de Reya, while advising a bank client, required immediate access to skilled, like-minded lawyers in other jurisdictions following the cross-border disappearance of assets. The IFG was built directly from that need and has operated on three core principles ever since: responsiveness, expertise, and commerciality.
Speed is central to the group’s operations. Securing a court order without notice to the responsible parties, before they realise they have been identified, is often the decisive factor in recovering stolen assets. The network is also designed for practical utility rather than just credentials; IFG members ensure that clients receive a tangible return on their investment in asset recovery, rather than legal advice for its own sake.
Beyond its core network, the IFG features five specialist sub-groups covering cryptocurrency, white-collar crime and investigations, arbitration, shipping, and insolvency. Ranked Band 1 in the Chambers & Partners Global Guide, the group conducts significant pro bono work alongside its commercial practice. This includes along-standing partnership with Stop the Traffik and the Traffik Analysis Hub, as well as an annual hackathon that uses data analysis to identify victims of trafficking and exploitation. The group is chaired by Gary Miller, a partner at Mishcon de Reya, the firm where the IFG originated.
A Strategic Advisory Board operates alongside the core network, comprising a select group of senior figures from law enforcement, financial crime, and international legal practice. This board was established specifically to help shape the IFG’s direction and ensure it remains at the forefront of global asset recovery.
“We look forward to newcollaborations and to seeing our community continue to grow stronger, more global, and increasingly active.” – Gary Miller
James’s involvement
James has worked with Gary Miller and Mishcon de Reya for several years, building a strong professional relationship. This partnership led to Gary observing and participating in specialist training for the Indonesian Government in 2022.
James was keen to engage with the IFG due to his extensive network of lawyers and professionals across Asia and Africa. He actively promotes the IFG’s work throughout his network and assists in identifying prospective new members.
The most recent IFG conference in London provided valuable insights into AI and technology within the legal sector, alongside exploring concepts regarding social media content and data access during investigations. The conference also welcomed new members from Turkey, Egypt, Chile, New York, and Cameroon, providing ample networking opportunities for both new and existing members.
Why this matters for our clients
The questions IFG lawyers pursue daily, where assets are located and whether they can be frozen before they vanish, mirror the objectives of Futurum’s own asset-tracing work. James’s ongoing engagement with this network keeps that connection current and practical, providing a direct line into the strategies of leading cross-border asset recovery specialists.
This collaboration ensures that Futurum’s pre-litigation work is informed by extensive global experience. Working alongside lawyers who handle complex cases across dozens of jurisdictions sharpens the instincts our clients rely on: knowing where to look, how fast to move, and what evidence will remain robust in court.
“Asset discovery is the primary concern for any client or lawyer initiating a case. Ascertaining an asset profile at an early stage provides claimants with the confidence that there is something to secure if an award is granted. Similarly, having a detailed asset picture when an award is issued, and enforcement is imminent, significantly fast-tracks the recovery stage.” – James Ellender
Find out more
The International Fraud Group brings together specialist lawyers from more than sixty jurisdictions, all working toward the same outcome: tracing, freezing, and recovering stolen assets, regardless of where they have been moved. Visit internationalfraudgroup.com to learn more about the network, or read on for more from James on what this relationship means for Futurum Risk.
Asset Tracing: https://futurum.asia/asset-tracing-page/
