Dara Chen

Dara’s professional experience includes:

• Financial Restatement and Investigation – Diamond and High-End Jewelry Company (U.S.): Identified impact of fraud caused by a diamond retailer’s CEO over 3 years through multiple schemes involving fake and inflated sales and inventory, lapping, and misrepresentation and misappropriation of assets. Prepared quarterly and annual restated audited financials.
• FCPA Monitorship – Waste Management Company (Global): Supported court-appointed independent compliance monitor in review of accounting, technology, and internal controls related to compliance with anti-corruption laws. Performed transaction testing and review of third-party vendor due diligence process and assisted in site visit preparations.
• FTC Receivership – Real Estate Development Fraud (South America): Coordinated and managed daily accounting transactions for two large real estate development properties in Belize. Assisted in review of claims investigations through extensive analysis of contracts, payment detail, bank statements, emails, and other documents.
• Expert Witness Support (U.S.): Assisted Ankura expert in writing expert report and preparing for deposition related to a patent contract dispute. Expert was asked to opine on the proper U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) accrual accounting for certain accrued expenses and liabilities related to the facts of the case.
• Disputes Arbitration (U.S.): Assisted Ankura appointed independent neutral arbitrator in multiple merger and acquisition disputes. Reviewed and assessed disputed items and related supporting documents.
• Forensic Consulting Services – University (U.S.): Supported internal general counsel and external counsel to review extensive higher education surveys for an Ivy League university. Compiled data from various databases for over 14 schools within the university. Analyzed and verified data sources and response methodology to ensure compliance with survey guidelines
• Digital Asset Tracing – Major Cryptocurrency Exchange (U.S.): Traced bitcoin and other cryptocurrency from hacked wallet addresses, which initiated over 2,000 unauthorized transactions back to a major cryptocurrency exchange.
• Digital Asset Tracing and Profitability Analysis – Crypto Token (U.S.): Verified and traced an Ethereum Request for Comment 20 token across the Ethereum blockchain and reviewed relevant communications and other documents retrieved from electronic devices to determine wallet ownership and transaction volume. Performed profitability analysis on targeted wallets to determine profits gained by owners through possession and transactions of tokens.
• Forensic Investigation – Digital FinTech Company (South America): Supported internal investigations and outside counsel to address certain allegations presented by a short seller. Reviewed multiple sources of data including bank statements, financial statements and underlying records, electronic chats and emails, internal reports, and interviews with management and staff. Proposed remediation opportunities to address issues around allegations.  
• Financial Restatement and Audit Assistance – Mobile Homes Mortgage Lender (U.S.): Determined impact and adjustments required as a result of fraud that occurred at the company and prepared the company’s restated financial statements for a historical two-year period. Assisted the company and its auditors in preparing and reviewing financial statements for the current year period.
• Forensic Accounting Review – Healthcare Company (U.S.): Supported counsel for a large healthcare nursing home network in understanding expenses incurred related to the COVID-19 pandemic for reimbursement at federal and state levels. Analyzed historical expenses, reimbursements received, and government reimbursement policies to ensure that expenses incurred were appropriately reported for reimbursement and were not already reimbursed from other sources.
• Financial Reporting and Internal Control Build Out – Bitcoin Miner (U.S.): Assisted a bitcoin miner in developing proper internal controls and documentation around key finance functions, including revenue recognition. Worked with management to prepare quarterly financials.
• External Auditing – Asset and Wealth Management: Performed substantive audit procedures and analytical procedures over financial statement line items, including capital activity, investments, management and incentive fees, leases, prepaids, receivables, cash and cash equivalent, fixed assets, payables, debt, and expenses under US GAAP and International Financial Reporting Standards for hedge funds, private equity funds, and asset management companies.