Considering the growth of the worldwide white-collar criminal practice, we saw a need to bring together hardcore litigators to foster skills and allow court access when the case needs to be decided there.

A foundation for maintaining the rule of law is a strong and independent bar. The Academy ‎will seek to foster our strength and independence through collegiality, nonpartisanship, inclusiveness, internationalism and learning.

We are a collegial fellowship of academics and litigation service professionals seeking to enrich skills, lead critical thinking, share experiences, and expand our knowledge related to the world of financial crime.

The Basel Institute encourages prosecution agencies to engage The Academy's litigators to represent them in foreign courts against financial institutions facing money laundering and corruption.

Gretta Fenner was the Managing Director of the Basel Institute on Governance and Director of its International Centre for Asset Recovery. She led the organisation from 2005–2008 and from 2011 to April 2024.

What makes The Academy unique is not simply the calibre of its members, although that is undeniable. It is the culture of openness, collegiality and genuine intellectual curiosity that brings together lawyers, academics and professionals from across the world who are involved in some of the most complex financial crime, corruption, asset recovery and cross-border litigation matters.