Tom Wendel and Arun Rao Assume Leadership of IGI and The Lenzner Firm at Time of Growth

WASHINGTON, Aug. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- As the preeminent risk advisory and corporate investigations firm IGI and its adjunct law practice The Lenzner Firm enter their 35th year in business, CEO Jonathan F. Lenzner is leaving the company to assume an executive leadership position in the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Maryland, where he will serve as First Assistant to United States Attorney Robert K. Hur. Lenzner's departure comes at a time of growth across IGI's business, staff, and offerings.  Expanding their leadership roles, President Tom Wendel will become CEO, and Arun G. Rao, who joined the firm last year as executive vice president, will become president.

Founded by Terry F. Lenzner in 1984, IGI has maintained its position of leadership in the industry even as the business has evolved over time, and in recent years the firm has expanded its presence and client base throughout the United States and abroad. Since its creation, IGI has distinguished itself through its use of an expert team of analysts, investigators, accountants, and public relations specialists - supervised by experienced trial lawyers - to gather facts, produce sophisticated analyses, and provide technical expertise to help clients while always adhering to the rules of professional conduct.

"After five years at IGI and The Lenzner Firm, I am honored to have the opportunity to return to public service and work with such an impressive group of prosecutors at one of the best U.S. Attorney's offices in the country," said Jonathan Lenzner. "From the firm's perspective, the timing could not be better, considering the strength of the team and the trajectory of IGI's business."

Since 2013, Jonathan Lenzner and Wendel have led the firm through a transition that has strengthened the sophisticated investigative and research expertise the firm has historically provided to its clients, while also broadening the firm's offerings to include regulatory intelligence, strategic and crisis communications, and online reputational services. IGI has also deepened strategic relationships in the areas of digital forensics and cyber research. 

IGI has expanded its work for corporate and university clients, which has included vetting candidates for executive, leadership, and board appointments. The firm also has continued to develop its expertise in gathering regulatory intelligence and helping corporate clients defend against litigation brought by predatory plaintiffs' lawyers. IGI's increased capabilities in internet and social media research have proven effective in a wide range of reputational risk situations for businesses, organizations, and individuals. Finally, the firm's expertise in public relations and communications strategy has further enhanced IGI's fact-finding efforts in both supporting and executing responses to threats and crises. 

"Over the last five years, we have become even more responsive and client-focused as we have developed wider and deeper capabilities to find facts and help our clients use them to solve their problems," said Wendel.  "Jon is a big part of the legacy our firm is built on, and our team, with diverse backgrounds and experience, is committed to living up to that legacy. We are grateful for his leadership and accomplishments – in particular, his role in improving our capabilities over these past five years."

Rao, who previously worked with Lenzner at both the New York County District Attorney's Office and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Maryland, said, "Speaking from personal experience, Jon demands excellence – both from himself and his team – and has consistently delivered results - both for the public and for his clients.  The citizens of Maryland are fortunate to have gained the services of a talented lawyer with a longstanding commitment to public service.  While I will miss working with Jon, I am pleased that he is returning to the Department of Justice and that he will be working alongside someone as well-regarded as my former colleague Rob Hur, the United States Attorney for Maryland."

Wendel joined IGI twenty years ago with extensive background and expertise in financial and forensic accounting gained through years as a partner at a major accounting firm and as a financial manager. At IGI, he has led complex internal and litigation support investigations and helped public companies navigate regulatory scrutiny, while also leading the firm through periods of transition and in its current growth.

Rao joined the firm last November from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Maryland, after having been selected by then-United States Attorney Rod Rosenstein to serve as the Chief of the Southern Division. Drawing on his experience at the U.S. Department of Justice, as well as in the White House, the New York County District Attorney's Office, and in private practice, Rao now directs due diligence and corporate internal investigations, advises clients on crisis and risk management, handles white-collar matters, and leads business development initiatives.

Before joining IGI in 2013, Jonathan Lenzner served as a federal prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Maryland and as a state prosecutor in the New York County District Attorney's Office. Lenzner also brought to IGI his unique expertise in strategic and crisis communications acquired through experience on Capitol Hill and as a press advisor to Senator Bill Bradley during his presidential campaign in 2000. IGI's founder and chairman, Terry F. Lenzner, retired in 2015.

About IGI & The Lenzner Firm

Founded by former Senate Watergate Committee counsel Terry F. Lenzner in 1984, IGI is a preeminent risk advisory and corporate investigations firm with core specialties in internal investigations, regulatory and competitive intelligence, due diligence, executive background investigations, and litigation support. By combining seasoned attorneys with sophisticated analysts, investigators, accountants, and public relations specialists, we provide our clients with unparalleled strategic counsel and technical expertise. Whether for a Fortune 500 company, Ivy League university, investment firm, or prominent political figure or entertainer, we help clients solve complex problems, mitigate risks, navigate developing crises, and prevail in adversarial situations.

SOURCE IGI

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