Jason M. Short represents high net worth individuals with global business interests in matters related to cross-border government investigations, regulatory enforcement actions and related civil litigation spanning the Americas, Asia, Europe and major offshore financial centers. He focuses on matters involving asset forfeiture and confiscation proceedings, where he regularly performs asset stress tests, clean funds analyses and asset tracing and recovery initiatives, often with hundreds of millions of U.S. dollars at stake.
Additionally, Jason has experience representing clients that may be subject to primary or secondary sanctions imposed by U.S. regulatory agencies, including the Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, as well as other non-U.S. agencies responsible for economic and trade sanctions. Jason regularly advises on the legal and financial impact such sanctions designations may have on both business and personal interests, including intrafamily wealth succession and corporate continuity.
Prior to joining Kasowitz, Jason clerked for the Honorable Richard M. Berman of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.
Work Highlights:
- Jho Low, an international businessman, in global legal matters arising out of the “1MDB” matter, which involve criminal charges and civil asset forfeiture proceedings brought by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), as well as additional legal action from authorities located in Switzerland, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Singapore and various other countries, involving several billions of USD in controversy. We have resisted ongoing forfeiture and confiscation efforts for several years, and engaged in counter-offensive litigation in the Cayman Islands and New Zealand to secure more favorable positioning for the family’s assets.
Prior to joining Kasowitz:
- Members of a high net worth Latin American family in coordinating defensive strategies to preserve assets and conduct “clean funds” analyses of financial holdings in the context of asset forfeiture and confiscation proceedings initiated by the U.S. Department of Justice and Swiss authorities.
- A South American high net worth individual in criminal investigation and civil asset forfeiture proceedings led by the U.S. Department of Justice, stemming from allegations of money laundering and sanctions violations.
- A high net worth individual in exploring whistleblower actions alleging money laundering and tax evasion.
- An Asia-based high net worth individual in undertaking risk assessment of financial holdings, including performing a “stress test” of asset structures, in aid of anticipated asset blocking and forfeiture efforts arising from U.S. sanctions regimes.
Updated July 2023
