Under the Legal Profession By-law (‘Verordening op de advocatuur’), we are obliged to verify a client’s identity as well as the legality of the assignment upon acceptance of an assignment.
Identification takes place as follows:
➤ In the case of natural persons: using a valid proof of identity (passport/driving licence/identity card).
➤ In the case of legal entities: by means of an extract from the Commercial Register of the Chamber of Commerce and a valid proof of identity (passport / driving licence / identity card) of the representative of that legal person.
Under the Prevention of Money Laundering and Financing of Terrorism Act (Wwft), we are also obliged to identify any ultimate beneficial owners (UBOs) of all our clients. In addition to the obligation to identify the client and any UBOs for certain services (client due diligence), the Wwft contains the obligation to report (intended) unusual transactions to the designated authority.