What to Do When Your Assets Are Stolen: Proven Legal Strategies in New York

When assets disappear - whether from a business account, personal portfolio, or through fraud - you’re left trying to make sense of what just happened. The numbers don’t add up. Property is missing. Access is gone. And behind it all, someone acted deliberately to take what wasn’t theirs.

Our commercial litigation attorneys at Horn Wright, LLP, take these cases seriously because we know what’s at stake. This isn’t just about lost money. It’s about getting control back, protecting your interests, and holding the right people accountable.

Whether you're facing internal theft, embezzlement, or fraud wrapped in a business dispute, we’re ready to step in with strategies that get results. Our top New York lawyers are here to help you make the next move count.

Lock It Down Fast, Freeze the Assets Before They Disappear

Thieves don’t wait. As soon as something’s taken, it’s already in motion - wired, sold, or buried under layers of shell accounts. That’s why one of the first legal tools we use is a freeze.

In New York, we can file for temporary restraining orders (TROs) and prejudgment attachment orders. These allow us to freeze bank accounts, stop transfers, or secure property before anything else gets lost. When timing is critical, we file ex parte, so the other party isn’t warned before the court acts.

To secure these fast protections, we need to show:

• There’s solid evidence of theft or fraud
• There’s a real risk that the assets will disappear without action
• Standard damages wouldn’t be enough to fix the situation

Because New York sits at the heart of the financial world, many cases have a clear tie to banks or institutions in Manhattan, making quick legal action possible, even if the parties are out of state. Here’s how these emergency filings work.

Follow the Money: Let Forensic Experts Track Every Dollar

Stolen assets rarely stay in one place. They’re moved, renamed, reclassified, or split across accounts. That’s where forensic accountants come in.

We work with investigators who know how to dig into transaction records, spot irregularities, and trace even the most carefully hidden transfers. Whether the money went offshore or through a fake vendor, we follow the trail.

In many of our New York-based cases, we uncover:

• Shell companies created to disguise personal enrichment
• Phony vendors or contractors issuing fake invoices
• Wire transfers through Manhattan financial institutions
• Payroll fraud or unauthorized internal transfers

This work does more than locate the money. It strengthens your legal position. With clear evidence, we can push for punitive damages, prejudgment interest, and expanded recovery. 

And if the theft was part of a broader breakdown, like a founder dispute or executive misconduct, we’ll bring in a partnership dispute attorney to address both the theft and the internal conflict fueling it.

Go Global If You Have to Because Stolen Assets Don’t Stay Local

Asset theft doesn’t respect boundaries. In high-value cases, money may land in Delaware, Dubai, or a crypto wallet held in complete anonymity. Fortunately, New York gives us a strategic place to take action.

If the stolen assets passed through a New York bank, or the wrongdoer has a connection to the state, we can often bring a case here and reach across borders to follow the funds.

We rely on:

• The Uniform Voidable Transactions Act to unwind fraudulent transfers
• International tools like letters rogatory to access foreign records
• Legal coordination with financial institutions abroad and crypto tracing tech

This matters if the fraud stems from a broken deal, internal business breach, or a bad-faith transaction that left you exposed. A business dispute resolution lawyer from our team can help assert your rights while protecting your reputation and corporate structure.

Don’t Just Recover. Maximize What You Get Back

Finding the stolen money is one step. Getting the full value back means building a case for the entire harm you suffered - financial, legal, and operational.

Our recovery strategies aim for more than the baseline:

• Compensatory damages to reimburse what was taken
• Punitive damages to penalize willful or egregious fraud
• Prejudgment interest to reflect lost time and access
• Attorney fee reimbursement, when supported by the law or contract

If the loss involved a breach of contract claim, we’ll use that to expand the relief available. And when there’s more at stake - brand damage, business disruption, regulatory exposure - we engage our commercial lawsuit representation team to widen the legal angle.

For complex matters, high-dollar theft, or institutional misconduct, we leverage the resources of our full corporate litigation firm to go after corporate entities, fiduciaries, and financial handlers involved in the theft.

Work with Horn Wright, LLP, to Recover What Was Stolen

Our business fraud litigation attorneys at Horn Wright, LLP, understand how disruptive asset theft can be, especially when someone you trusted is involved. 

When the time comes to take action, it helps to seek representation from one of the best law firms in America. Our team takes fast, strategic steps to preserve what’s left, uncover what was lost, and fight for a recovery that reflects the full scope of what was taken. 

Contact our office today to schedule your FREE consultation. We’re ready when you are.