Ankura Strengthens London Office with Three Senior Appointments

New Senior Managing Directors significantly bolster the Firm’s Expert Forensic Accounting, Financial Investigations, and Anti-Financial Crime offering in the EMEA region and globally

Ankura Consulting, LLC (“Ankura”), a leading global expert services and advisory firm, today announced that Lee Hale, Jonathan Brown, and Richard Indge have joined the Firm as Senior Managing Directors in London with a remit to significantly augment Ankura’s Expert Forensic Accounting, Financial Investigations, Sanctions, and Anti-Financial Crime offerings in the United Kingdom (UK) and internationally. These new hires further underscore Ankura’s strong growth trajectory, following the recent acquisition of McLarty Associates, the world’s leading commercial diplomacy firm, and launch of the European Turnaround and Restructuring practice in London.

“We are delighted to have Lee, Jonathan, and Richard join us at such a critical time for the business, said Kevin Lavin, Chief Executive Officer at Ankura. “Ankura’s accelerating growth story allows us to continuously attract some of the industry’s best talent and we are certain our new colleagues’ excellent reputations in the market, rooted in their deep expertise and experience, will take our offering to the next level, providing our clients with unmatched forensic accounting support.”

“The importance of a strong senior team of forensic accounting, sanctions, and anti-financial crime experts in our business has never been more important at a time when business risk and complexity has increased, added Steve Richards, Senior Managing Director and Ankura’s Global Leader of Risk, Forensics & Compliance. “Combined with the deep expertise in our global platform, as well as the commercial diplomacy experience of McLarty Associates, our team can help engage with all stakeholders to solve their biggest challenges.”

“Ankura delivers leading analysis and testimony in the world’s most complex disputes, investigations, and arbitration,” said Mary Beth Edwards, Senior Managing Director and Ankura’s Global Leader of Disputes and Economics. “The addition of Lee, Jonathan, and Richard will strengthen our industry-leading position in helping clients solve complex problems in the marketplace.”

About the new Senior Managing Directors:

• Lee Hale is an anti-financial crime expert who joins the business from Deutsche Bank, where he was Global Head of Anti Money-Laundering and Sanctions. Over the past 25 years, he has held roles in anti-financial crime, audit, sanction matters, and project management, including long-term assignments in Africa and the Middle East. His experience includes leading international teams, overcoming cultural differences, and successfully delivering large-scale, complex initiatives. He is particularly proficient in developing and implementing end-to-end financial crime controls, which involve complex technology deployments.
• Jonathan Brown is a forensic accountant and has supported clients exposed to acute reputational and regulatory risk for over 20 years. He specializes in multi-jurisdictional matters, relating to fraud, corruption, and complex accounting issues. Jonathan has undertaken investigations and compliance projects in over 50 countries and has worked for enforcement agencies, including the Serious Fraud Office and the UK’s insolvency regulator.
• Richard Indge is a highly experienced forensic accounting specialist having worked on some of the largest and most complex cases. He advises clients and provides expert testimony on accounting, valuation, and damages quantum in dispute resolution. This includes acting in commercial litigation, international arbitration, and expert determinations for clients across a range of industry sectors and jurisdictions.