Rodney Ramsden

Institution: Mercatoria Group (Legal & Trustee Services)

Period of stay: September 2025

Contact: r.ramsden@mercatoria.com

Profile: 

Rodney Ramsden is a practising lawyer with over 25+ years of experience in the fields of international private wealth and succession planning, cross-border tax structuring, anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing, corporate law, and international financial services regulation.

Admitted to practise in multiple jurisdictions, Mr. Ramsden holds qualifications as a solicitor in England & Wales, Ireland, Northern Ireland, and the British Virgin Islands; as a barrister & solicitor, and notary public in Ontario, Canada, and St. Vincent & the Grenadines; and as an attorney in Trinidad and Grenada. He holds a B.A. (Hons), LL.B. (Hons), and LL.M., and is a Fellow of the International Bar Association.

Mr. Ramsden’s academic credentials, combined with his extensive cross-border transactional practice, equip him with the practical expertise in his continuing legal research that is deeply informed by real-world experience. His approach to current legal projects transcends mere theoretical analysis, offering nuanced and practical insights that are grounded in the complexities of contemporary legal practice.

Research Area:

Asset Freezing & Cross Border Legal Impediments

Research Title:

Development of a Framework for a Global Asset Freezing Database

Research Outline:

Rod's research aims to develop a Global Asset Freezing Database (GAFD) to address the challenges of cross-border asset freezing and tracing, focusing on both high-value assets (e.g., yachts, financial holdings) and everyday assets (e.g., stolen vehicles, trafficked goods). While progress has been made, significant challenges remain, especially when assets are moved across borders to evade detection. For example, stolen vehicles are often hijacked and shipped overseas to jurisdictions with minimal oversight.

The study will compare Ontario, Ukraine, and the UK, as well as offshore jurisdictions like the British Virgin Islandsand Cayman Islands, to highlight the legal and practical challenges in asset freezing and enforcement. Ontario’s common law framework, Ukraine’s transitional system, and the UK’s offshore legal complexities provide insight into issues like sovereignty, jurisdictional conflict, and cross-border cooperation. Offshore jurisdictions present additional barriers, including privacy laws, limited cooperation, and difficulty in enforcing foreign judgments.

A key innovation of the GAFD will be the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to enhance asset identification, predictive modeling, and automated tracking. AI will enable faster analysis of vast datasets, identify high-risk assets, and predict movements, optimizing cross-border enforcement actions.

Through a comparative analysis of these jurisdictions and the application of AI technologies, this research will propose a practical framework for the GAFD, enhancing international legal cooperation, improving enforcement efficiency, and ensuring compliance with human rights standards

Publications:

Isle of Man Trusts: The European Market Awaits, Trusts & Trustees

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