Services
A focused set of services for legal, banking, and corporate clients in the UK and internationally.
Asset Tracing & Recovery
When an asset has been moved, concealed, or unlawfully retained, Groome International locates it and — where instructed — takes the necessary steps to recover it. Engagements have been conducted across the UK, Europe, the Gulf, West Africa, and Asia, covering motor vehicles, heavy plant and machinery, forestry equipment, aircraft, and property.
Working with GPS tracking providers, law enforcement contacts, and established networks built over three decades, we identify the whereabouts of assets in cases where other avenues have failed. Where appropriate, we arrange secure recovery, transportation, and storage through specialist third parties, co-ordinating the full process on behalf of the instructing client.
All recoveries are paid directly to the client. Groome International does not hold or route client funds.
Examples from case files
- Over £1 million in prestige vehicles seized following investigation of corrupt broker activity within the UK motor trade.
- £750,000+ of forestry equipment located in Estonia and sold in situ to a buyer in Stockholm.
- £2 million of forestry equipment located and recovered from the Baltic States.
- £1.4 million of yellow plant and machinery traced from Europe to West Africa.
- Fairground rides located and repossessed in Saudi Arabia on behalf of a UK lender.
- Corporate jets recovered for a Qatari fund following counterparty default.
- Property taken in lieu of secured loans recovered in the UK and the Republic of Ireland.
Investigations
Our investigative work covers asset and person tracing, fraud investigation, commercial intelligence, and counterfeit goods enquiries. We conduct both database-based and field-based enquiries, producing clear written reports to evidential standard — suitable for use in legal proceedings and regulatory submissions.
Where there is evidence of criminal activity — including broker fraud, document falsification, and organised theft rings — we prepare and present files to the relevant police authorities. We have provided reports to agencies including SOCA, Interpol, the Metropolitan Police Vehicle Fraud Unit, the Garda, Policia Nacional Spain, Monaco CID, and several European embassies. We have also briefed UK Government departments where our investigations have intersected with matters of wider public interest.
Sensitive matters — including celebrity defaults, high-profile family proceedings, and surveillance work — are handled with complete confidentiality. Discretion is an operating condition, not an optional extra.
Examples from case files
- Investigation of prestige car rental firms in London, Bradford, and Manchester with links to organised criminal activity — resulting in co-ordinated UK Government briefings.
- Intelligence operation on the manufacture and sale of counterfeit goods in mainland China for a major golfing accessories manufacturer.
- Asset and liability searches supporting proceedings in one of the largest bankruptcy cases in the world.
- Confirmation of concealed assets of a spouse in a high-profile divorce matter.
- Covert surveillance and intelligence-gathering for private clients requiring peace of mind.
- Locating Indian nationals in the USA on behalf of UAE-based banking clients.
Process Serving
We serve legal documents in the UK and internationally — statutory demands, non-harassment orders, return-of-goods orders, and court documents. Our process-serving capability extends across Europe and into the Gulf, with established contacts and experience in jurisdictions where routine service can be difficult or contested.
We hold the necessary certifications to serve process in the UK, and have acted with Notarised Power of Attorney in a number of European countries on behalf of instructing clients. We are experienced in the sensitivities involved — including the risk of asset conversion by a third party in possession, third-party ownership claims, and the requirement to gather evidence of service to a standard suitable for court.
We have served documents on individuals across multiple continents, including subjects initially known only through social media identities.
Examples from case files
- Legal papers served across Europe from the UK within 24 hours.
- Statutory demands and court orders served at traced addresses across the UK and abroad.
- Court documents served on a subject initially known only as a social media pseudonym, subsequently identified and served on behalf of an international finance company.
- Return-of-goods orders served in connection with insolvency and asset finance disputes across multiple jurisdictions.
Asset Inspection
Before an asset finance transaction completes, we carry out physical inspection of the asset to confirm its existence, accurate description, and fair valuation. This service is provided directly to banks and asset finance lenders, and to their legal advisers.
Experience in this sector has demonstrated that assets are occasionally misrepresented to lenders — in some cases, the asset does not exist at all, and in some cases, the borrower does not exist either. Physical inspection prior to funding is a straightforward and effective safeguard.
We prepare written inspection reports suitable for underwriting and legal teams. Inspections can be arranged at short notice across the UK.
International Instruction Support
We handle cross-border instructions for UK clients operating internationally, and for international clients with matters in the UK or requiring co-ordinated action across multiple jurisdictions.
We have direct operational experience in the UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the Baltic States, the Republic of Ireland, mainland Europe, Hong Kong, mainland China, West Africa, and the USA. We work with Gulf-based banks, law firms, and corporate clients and understand the commercial and cultural requirements of instructing parties in the region.
We can act under Notarised Power of Attorney in a number of jurisdictions and maintain working relationships with law enforcement, professional contacts, and specialist service providers internationally. We operate without geographic limits and without the time-zone constraints that can frustrate cross-border instructions.
Gulf and Middle East
Groome International welcomes direct instruction from clients in the UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Oman. We have experience of the type of cross-border recovery and investigation work common to the region's banking and legal sectors, and are actively expanding our practice in the Gulf. We are available by phone at all hours and can meet clients in the region on request.
Examples from case files
- Corporate jets recovered for a Qatari fund across international jurisdictions.
- Fairground rides located and repossessed in Saudi Arabia.
- Director and asset tracing for an insolvent UK multinational into the UAE.
- Location of a sleeping address for children unlawfully taken to the UAE by their father, on behalf of a UK client.
- Confirmation of the whereabouts of individuals in the USA for UAE-based banking clients.
- Yellow plant and machinery traced from Europe to West Africa, supporting successful legal proceedings.
- Notarised Power of Attorney engagements in multiple European countries on behalf of Blue Chip clients.
Frequently asked questions
Common questions from instructing solicitors, banks, and corporate counsel.
What does Groome International do?
Groome International is a UK-based firm specialising in asset recovery, investigations, and process serving for legal and financial clients. Established in 1996, it acts for banks, law firms, insolvency practitioners, corporate clients, and private clients in the UK and internationally.
What is an enquiry agent?
An enquiry agent conducts factual investigation work — tracing assets and persons, gathering evidence, serving legal documents, and producing reports of evidential standard. Enquiry agents typically work on behalf of solicitors, banks, insolvency practitioners, and corporate clients.
Do you operate outside the UK?
Yes. Groome International has conducted engagements across Europe (including the Baltic States), the Gulf (the UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Oman), Hong Kong, mainland China, West Africa, and the Americas. The firm operates without geographic limits.
What is process serving?
Process serving is the formal delivery of legal documents — statutory demands, court orders, witness summonses — to a named recipient, with evidence of service provided to the instructing party. Groome International serves documents in the UK and overseas, often within 24 hours of instruction.
Are reports prepared to evidential standard?
Yes. Reports and evidence files are prepared to the standards required for legal proceedings, regulatory submissions, and law-enforcement briefings. Mike Groome is available to give evidence at hearings where required.
How are fees calculated?
Fees are agreed before instruction and held to. Most engagements are on a fixed-price basis. Any recoveries are paid directly to the instructing client — Groome International does not hold, route, or retain client funds.
Speak to us confidentially
All enquiries are handled directly by Mike Groome and treated with complete discretion. For urgent matters, the 24-hour line is answered at all times.