David Pollitt

The new app is being piloted in the firm’s eight offices in England and Wales but will subsequently be rolled out to its offices across the remainder of the UK and internationally, including its Belfast and Dublin offices.

The automated process allows new clients to quickly and easily be able to upload the necessary documents, with verification and fraud checks then carried out by an FCA-regulated security technology supplier.

Managing partner David Pollitt said: “The client due diligence process can be time consuming for everyone involved. Through automation, we can save our clients the time and effort it takes to come into our offices to get their ID certified or to visit another qualified professional, who will likely charge a fee for the service. This technological innovation will save our clients time and money and enable us to start work for them even faster.”

The third-party supplier uses document scanning and facial recognition technology to streamline the essential checks usually carried out by DACB’s lawyers. Through the app, clients are asked to take a photo of their ID along with a selfie and a video.

The supplier matches the client to the ID and verifies its authenticity. Clients can then easily upload additional documents such as proof of address, which are again checked for authenticity. Once the verification process is complete, a comprehensive summary of the evidence and an audit trail of anti-money laundering (AML) compliance is provided.

Andrew Keith, DACB’s chief operations officer, added: “We are continually striving to find digital solutions to improve client experience and are acutely aware that our ways of working will be forever changed post-pandemic.

“We, along with our clients, are likely to be less office-based in the future, so relying on face-to-face meetings in the office to obtain and certify ID will become increasingly inconvenient. With this new technology, our clients have more flexibility and choice when it comes to engaging with us.”