Expertise
My experience spans forensic investigations, financial crime compliance advisory, and third-party risk management. I have built this expertise over nearly two decades at leading global advisory firms such as Alvarez and Marsal, Kroll, and Ernst and Young to name a few, with engagements across the Middle East and North Africa, Central Asia, Europe, and the Americas. I currently advise corporations and law firms on cross-border financial crime matters, complex litigation matters, compliance remediation, and third-party risk.
Areas of Expertise
- 01
Prevent
Proactive measures before problems emerge.
- Pre-acquisition financial crime due diligence in elevated-risk jurisdictions.
- Continuous third-party risk monitoring across sanctions, PEP, adverse media, and beneficial ownership signals.
- Vendor fraud analytics and accounts payable disbursement review.
- AML and BSA compliance program assessment, independent testing, and validation.
- Anti-bribery and corruption risk assessment for companies operating across the GCC, MENA, Latin America, and the Americas.
- 02
Identify
Early detection when something looks wrong.
- Forensic data analytics to surface anomalies in financial, transactional, and counterparty data.
- Vendor master hygiene and conflict-of-interest screening.
- Internal control assessment and red flag triage reporting.
- Funds flow pattern analysis to identify irregularities before they escalate.
- Structured scoping to determine whether a full investigation is warranted and what form it should take.
- 03
Investigate
Fact-finding when a problem is confirmed or suspected.
- Cross-border financial crime investigations spanning fraud, embezzlement, bribery, and sanctions evasion.
- Asset tracing and funds flow reconstruction in support of civil, criminal, and regulatory proceedings.
- FCPA and ABAC investigative support.
- Forensic accounting and damages analysis for litigation and international arbitration.
- Expert witness support and litigation advisory, including preparation of expert reports, damages analysis, and deposition support.
- 04
Remediate
Resolution and recovery when the investigation is complete.
- Compliance framework redesign following regulatory action or investigative findings.
- Voluntary self-disclosure advisory and regulatory engagement support.
- Loss quantification and recovery strategy.
- Outside counsel support and referral coordination.
Engagement Highlights
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Assisted in the uncovering of hundreds of millions of dollars in embezzled funds in one of the world’s largest private equity industry failures.
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Recovered USD 9 million in embezzled funds from a fraudulent accounting scheme at one of the GCC’s largest construction companies.
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Assisted the personal counsel of the Crown Prince of an Arabian Gulf country with one of the largest sanctions evasion cases in history by transaction value.
Geographic Experience
- MENA
- UAE · Saudi Arabia · Qatar · Bahrain · Kuwait · Egypt · Oman · Morocco · Lebanon · Palestine · Iran · Iraq · Sudan
- Sub-Saharan Africa
- Uganda · Kenya · Tanzania · Rwanda · Angola · South Africa · Mozambique · DRC · Seychelles · Madagascar
- Asia
- Turkey · Kazakhstan · Afghanistan · Kyrgyzstan · Pakistan · India · Nepal · Bangladesh · Singapore
- Europe
- United Kingdom · France · Russia · Germany · Italy · Ireland · Netherlands · Portugal · Greece · Latvia · Estonia · Cyprus · Malta · Georgia
- Americas
- United States · Canada · Mexico · Guatemala · Honduras · El Salvador · Nicaragua · Costa Rica · Panama · Colombia · Venezuela · Ecuador · Guyana · Dominican Republic · Cuba · Haiti · Jamaica · Trinidad & Tobago · Bahamas
Selected Engagements
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Global private equity group collapse
Investigated the conduct of fund managers at the largest private equity group in the MENA region following its insolvency and court-ordered liquidation, with allegations of embezzlement in the hundreds of millions of dollars against senior management, including the group’s CEO.
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Sovereign wealth fund embezzlement — expert report
Planned and performed the investigation and prepared the expert witness report into the alleged embezzlement of public funds earmarked for a Kinshasa development by the former head of a Gulf sovereign wealth fund. The report was used at trial and the client received a successful ruling.
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Cross-border sanctions evasion and money laundering
Managed the investigation and supported the experts preparing for arbitration at The Hague in a matter of systematic, executive-level sanctions evasion and money laundering — the largest of its kind performed in the Middle East by value of funds transfers involved.
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Construction company embezzlement and corruption
Investigated corruption and embezzlement allegations against the chief executives of a construction company within a politically exposed family conglomerate, identifying embezzlement of over QAR 35 million.
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Bank sanctions look-back and AML review
Led a three-year sanctions look-back and AML transaction review for an Indian bank with major UAE operations, performed in response to an OFAC deferred prosecution agreement and mandated independent third-party review.
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National construction company investigation
Investigated embezzlement allegations against board members and senior executives at the country’s largest construction company, leading the workstream across more than twenty-six entities owned by the company.
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Black Sea port transaction — expert witness report
Investigated potential self-enrichment of the seller’s agent in the USD 200 million sale of one of the largest ports on the Black Sea, reviewing thousands of documents and interviewing parties to produce a findings report for a government investment entity.
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Auditor negligence defense — litigation support
Supported counsel and the testifying expert for a major accounting firm in commercial disputes arising from misstatements and identified fraud, reviewing multiple years of audit procedures against PCAOB standards.