HKA boosts its Forensic leadership team with 5-person team hire

Global consulting firm HKA has provided its Forensic team in Australia a major boost with the hire of five new senior practitioners.

The team hire sees Andrew Ross, Anh Nguyen, John Temple-Cole, and Sally Davitt all join HKA as partner in its Forensic Accounting and Commercial Damages (FACD) practice, while Elizabeth Buchanan joins as a director. All five cross from KordaMentha and operate out of Sydney.

The hires bring a wealth of knowledge and experience in the forensic domain. Jonathan Humphrey, Asia Pacific leader of the FACD practice, said that the arrival of the quintet will bolster HKA’s services across various fields of disputes and investigations, such as shareholder class actions, loss and damage assessments, valuations, major project disputes and tax and high-net-worth disputes.

Their forensic experience also extends to areas such as breach of contract, mergers and acquisitions, class actions, intellectual property, fraud, and regulatory investigations.

“The addition of Andrew, Anh, John, Sally, and Elizabeth to our team is a significant milestone for HKA. Their diverse backgrounds and extensive experience will complement our existing capabilities and help us continue to deliver high-quality services to our clients,” said Humphrey.

Stuart Ells, the firm’s global FACD lead, meanwhile said that the extensive experience of the new leaders across different jurisdictions will not just enhance HKA’s capabilities in the Australian market, but also across Asia-Pacific and internationally. He highlighted their international and cross-border experience, having worked in Australia, New Zealand, the UK, the US, and Singapore.

The five new leaders

Andrew Ross has over 35 years of experience in chartered accounting firms, assisting Australian and international clients in complex commercial disputes. He works with legal teams to prepare claims or determine case strategy. Alternatively, he acts as an independent expert, preparing expert reports and giving evidence in courts and tribunals.

Anh Nguyen has 15 years of experience in forensic accounting and valuation services. He is an expert in quantifying damages, class actions, valuation and taxation engagements. Nguyen has appeared as an expert in numerous legal matters, including cases in the Supreme Court of NSW and the Federal Court of Australia and has also been appointed as a Court Referee by the Supreme Court of NSW.

John Temple-Cole is a forensic accounting specialist who has close to 30 years of experience in the field. His expertise includes leading large-scale and complex financial and accounting investigations and disputes, and loss and damage assessments. He has given evidence in various Australian Courts and tribunals, the High Court of Singapore, and domestic and international arbitration proceedings.

Temple-Cole has a working proficiency in both spoken and written Chinese (Mandarin) and is also a Director of the Justice and Equity Centre (formerly the Public Interest Advocacy Centre).

Sally Davitt has over 20 years of experience in forensic accounting. She specialises in financial investigations and quantifying economic loss, as well as dispute analysis, business valuation and damages calculations. She works with a wide range of clients – from lawyers and corporates to government regulators and not-for-profits – across various industries.

Davitt has worked on a number of high-profile investigations and court cases within Australia and in the UK, preparing expert reports and giving evidence.

Elizabeth Buchanan has extensive experience in forensic accounting and high-net-worth individual tax in both Australia and the United States. She has assisted with the preparation of expert reports submitted in courts in both countries. Buchanan is a business valuation specialist and specialises in the preparation of business valuations, quantification of loss and damages, and financial investigations.

In Australia, HKA was last year named one of the country’s leading forensic consultancy firms, with the 5-person team hire to further add to its credentials. Welcoming the news out of Australia, UK-based Amanda Clack (who is CEO of HKA’s international footprint), noted: “We’re very happy to have such high-calibre experts on board to help us grow and meet demand.”