Checklist: structuring a transactional financing

Identify precisely the goods being financed, their value, their liquidity and their place of storage or transport.
Obtain and verify the documents of title — bill of lading, inspection certificate — with their issuers, and make sure that they are unique.
Check that there is no multiple pledging by making enquiries with other financiers and, where they exist, with collateral registers.
Analyse the creditworthiness and reputation of the trader, the seller and the final buyer, together with the country risks.
Verify the compliance of all parties, the vessel, the ports and the goods with sanctions regimes and with anti-money-laundering and anti-corruption rules.
Set the haircuts, the margin calls and the mechanisms for controlling payment flows.
Document the credit in accordance with the applicable uniform rules and provide for termination clauses in the event of sanctions or fraud.

For general information only. This article does not constitute legal or tax advice, does not replace advice on an individual case and creates no lawyer-client relationship. It reflects the legal position as of September 2025.

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Dr Alexander Ressos, TEP

Rechtsanwalt/Attorney-at-Law

I am a Swiss attorney-at-law and also admitted as a solicitor in Hong Kong and in England & Wales, with almost 25 years of experience.

Together with my multilingual team, including Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Russian, Ukrainian and French native speakers, I advise companies and their owners from around the world on the full range of banking, corporate, commercial and tax law matters in Switzerland, including international tax planning, fiduciary services, and legal family office services including immigration & relocation or real estate investments. My practice has a particular focus on clients from growth and frontier markets in Greater China, Central Asia and the Caucasus, the rest of Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America, and I equally advise clients from Europe and North America. Through an affiliated Swiss trust company, we also take care of the incorporation and ongoing administration of their companies and other structures, including accounting, tax returns and corporate secretarial services, and I serve as a professional director where required. With the support of a network of first-class cooperation partners, I also implement solutions worldwide.

My approach is to act as a trusted advisor who works directly with decision-makers, on an equal footing: I start from what you want to achieve and shape every structure, contract and tax decision around your commercial goals and how it improves your after-tax return. As “lawyers who make it happen”, my team and I stay involved until your company is set up, your structure is in place and your transaction has closed, and we remain available for any follow-on work that may be required. You benefit from bespoke solutions and personal attention, and sound, friendly and practical advice. We are not the lowest-cost provider in the market, nor do we intend to be; our aim is to deliver well-founded, proper solutions and excellent value for money.

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