Edinburgh startup provides anti-money laundering capability to search firm First Scottish

Professional searchers firm First Scottish has announced a partnership with Leith-based Amiqus Resolution to conduct secure anti-money laundering checks online for conveyancing clients as the latest offering for the Scottish legal market.

First Scottish has added Amiqus’ Amiqus ID product to its platform delivering a list of fast and accurate search services using intelligent document management solutions to increase accessibility to critical business information.

First Scottish said the Amiqus team is working to make civil justice more accessible and Amiqus ID makes client intake and onboarding compliance “simple, efficient and secure”, having been designed and built with changing regulations, legislation and data privacy taken into consideration from conception.

Amiqus ID aims to reduce the risk and hassle associated with conducting ongoing identity and anti-money laundering compliance checks, by moving manual processes, such as passport or bank statement checks, to one easy-to-use and encrypted online platform - away from unsecured email exchanges. This makes it significantly easier for regulated professionals, such as lawyers and estate agents, to onboard new clients whilst improving client experience.

Bringing compliance checks online not only contributes towards reductions in operating costs, which First Scottish describes as a “core objective”, but also reduces the risk of the heavy penalties that go along with non-compliance. The latest set of anti-money laundering regulations come into force on 26th June.

Amiqus CEO Callum Murray said, “We’re delighted to collaborate with First Scottish, a respected leader in the legal search market in Scotland. By working together, we’ll be able to help more Scottish law firms compete by making complying with ever increasing levels of regulation easier and more secure.”

First Scottish Group Managing Director Ian Fraser said, “We took notice when Amiqus ID joined the approved suppliers list of the Law Society of Scotland and we were interested in finding out how Amiqus ID might complement our current range of services. By working with Callum and the Amiqus team through this partnership, we’re now able to offer additional services to our clients at a time when compliance and data privacy are at the forefront of our minds.”