English solicitors often view the US as a highly regulated legal environment that is to be avoided, if possible. One area where this may not be true is anti-money laundering regulations, as they apply to the intake of clients by lawyers.
The regulatory procedures that a US lawyer must comply with before accepting a new client are negligible when compared with his UK colleague. We are not required to check the identity of new clients or to meet them in person, to check their dates of birth or their national insurance numbers. Neither are we generally required to identify the source of funds either deposited with us in trust or used for the payment of our fees.
