HKA grows its Forensic Accounting and Commercial Damages Team with four senior hires

LONDON and PHILADELPHIA, June 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- HKA, a leading global consultancy in risk mitigation, dispute resolution, expert witness, and litigation support services, has welcomed four senior hires to its Forensic Accounting and Commercial Damages (FACD) practice.

The addition of these new colleagues will bolster the firm's FACD service offering and improve HKA's ability to assist clients in a broad range of matters. These colleagues' certifications include three Certified Fraud Examiners (CFE) and a Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS).

Jae Ellis joins HKA as a Business Development Principal with more than twenty-five years of experience. Jae creates and nurtures relationships with partners in global and regional law firms as well as general counsel and heads of litigation for major corporations. He advises and assists attorneys in identifying experienced testifying and consulting expert witnesses for quantifying commercial damages, forensic accountants, fraud examiners, and other experts who support financial investigations and provide compliance and risk management services.

Before joining HKA, Jae was a Vice President of Business Development at StoneTurn. He earned his Juris Doctor (JD) from the University of Texas School of Law and his Bachelor of Arts in Government from Harvard University. Jae is licensed to practice law in the State of Texas.

Melyana Melyana joins HKA as a Principal with nearly two decades of experience in fraud investigations, forensic accounting, data mining and analysis, litigation support, and business valuation. She has provided clients with forensic accounting and consulting services, led internal controls and time and expense report audits, performed compliance attestation audits for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and conducted money laundering investigations. Melyana has performed compliance reviews and assisted clients with internal audit and corporate governance, including Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) readiness and compliance enterprise risk management, risk assessment, and SAS 70 examinations.

Before joining HKA, Melyana was a Managing Director at StoneTurn. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Finance and Hotel Administration from Oklahoma State University and is a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE).

Veronique Chauveau joins HKA as a Principal with over 25 years of experience in fraud investigations, forensic accounting, data mining, and analysis, with a focus on litigation advisory and business disputes. She has built sophisticated damage models to estimate damages arising from various disputes, prepared expert witnesses for deposition or testimony, written expert reports, and rebutted opposing expert testimony. Veronique has also been instrumental in developing and participating in mock trials and expert testimony training programs.

Before joining HKA, Veronique was a Managing Director at StoneTurn. She received her Master of Business Administration from the University of Oklahoma, a Bachelor of Science in Economics from Université d'Auvergne, and is a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE).

Brad Dragoon joins HKA as a Director with more than a decade of experience in business intelligence, fraud investigations, anti-money laundering, sanctions and export controls, and anti-bribery and corruption compliance. He has responded to regulatory inquiries and enforcement actions, prepared expert testimony, led complex multi-disciplinary investigations, provided financial analyses, and advised on risk management strategies across various industries.

Before joining HKA, Brad was a Principal in the Risk, Investigations & Analytics practice at Charles River Associates. He earned his Master of Business Administration from Duke University and holds a Bachelor of Arts from American University. Brad is a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) and a Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS). 

"We are excited to welcome Jae, Melyana, Veronique, and Brad to HKA as we continue to expand our FACD team across the Americas," said Ave Tucker, Partner, Strategic Growth Advisor. "Their expertise and years of experience in a wide range of forensic accounting and commercial damages matters will significantly supplement the capabilities of our current practice and allow us to continue to provide high-quality expert services to our clients."

HKA's FACD experts have extensive experience advising clients on the accounting, economic, and financial impacts of complex matters. The firm's experts serve clients by analyzing issues related to various disputes, including breach of contract, intellectual property (IP), shareholder, mergers, and acquisitions. Additionally, HKA undertakes fraud, forensic, and regulatory investigations.

HKA's IP consultants and experts work worldwide to value intangibles in most industries – from advanced technology to education, healthcare to e-commerce, and transport and consumer goods. The team is experienced in analyzing issues related to IP damages, such as apportionment of profits, manufacturing and sales capacity, available alternatives, customer demand, company and product profitability, competition, cost savings, and enhanced earnings related to licensing IP. The firm's IP experts have evaluated and determined reasonable royalties for a broad range of products and industries, reviewing and analyzing thousands of license agreements.

ABOUT HKA

HKA is the leading global consultancy in risk mitigation, dispute resolution, expert witness, and litigation support services.

HKA brings a proud record of excellent service and high achievement to bear on today's challenges. As trusted independent consultants, experts, and advisors, we help clients manage disputes, risk, and uncertainty on complex contracts and challenging projects. Our advice is impartial, incisive, and authoritative.

We work with government agencies, local authorities, contractors, legal firms, and other professional service providers, as well as owners and operators, financial institutions, and insurers. HKA's global portfolio includes some of the world's largest and most prestigious commissions across a wide range of industries.

HKA has in excess of 1,000 experts, consultants, and advisors across 45+ offices in 17 countries with the skills and experience that are essential to get to the heart of even the most complex issues.

For more information about HKA, visit hka.com and connect with us on LinkedIn, X (formerly Twitter, @HKAGlobal), and Facebook.

Media contact
Andrew J. Katz
Marketing and Communications Director, Americas
+1 215 962 1136
[email protected]

SOURCE HKA Global