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One of the fastest-growing crimes in international commerce is the practice of diversion. The scheme usually occurs when consumer products companies are approached by ostensible buyers of large quantities of products allegedly destined for remote foreign destinations. The U.S. manufacturer, unaware that they are dealing with unscrupulous individuals, often offer substantial discounts on such orders, since they need not support advertising, distribution and other costs in the nominal destination. After the goods are shipped, however, the diverters re-import them into the United States, and sell them to large retail chains or their own “underground” networks. This practice seriously disrupts marketing efforts of U.S. companies, but it is extremely difficult to detect.

Don DeKieffer is an internationally renown expert in anti-diversion and anti-counterfeiting, and deKieffer & Horgan has both the expertise and the resources to assist clients that are vulnerable to this sort of attack. In addition to having handled many cases of this type, we have developed the most comprehensive independent database in the country exclusively devoted to identifying known and suspected international diverters. This is a “first line” of defense against diverters, and can alert clients to conduct additional research about suspect customers. It is also a useful tool in litigating cases in which our clients have already become victims of diverters or counterfeiters.