On the evening of May 3, several colleagues from HKA and newly acquired Credibility International attended Equal Representation for Expert Witnesses (ERE)’s Meet the Female Expert Event in Washington, DC.

The three-hour event, hosted by Nicole Silver of Validity Finance, LLC, allowed some of HKA’s experts to get to know their new colleagues and meet other industry professionals in an informal setting. The venue, a beautiful rooftop space, was small enough to allow for meaningful conversations. Approximately 75 people – both women and men – showed up to demonstrate their support for the ERE initiative.

The ERE was launched in 2022 to improve the representation and visibility of women as expert witnesses in all forms of dispute resolution globally. The initiative drives both individuals and organizations to take the ERE Pledge, encouraging action and advocacy among supporters.

“Providing a signature in support of furthering the ERE cause directly demonstrates your recognition of disparity in the dispute resolution industry.”

Seyran Celik, Partner

The pledge aims to increase the number of women experts to achieve proportional representation and, eventually, full parity and to overcome the challenges faced by women who work, or aspire to work, as expert witnesses. “Providing a signature in support of furthering the ERE cause directly demonstrates your recognition of disparity in the dispute resolution industry,” says HKA Partner Seyran Celik.

As a woman in the dispute resolution industry and chair of HKA America’s ED&I Committee, Celik shares her perspective on why it is so important for corporations to join the initiative: “[W]hile individual pledges are important, it’s almost more important to be a corporate signatory to demonstrate that professionals at the leadership level are also in support of equal representation.”

As an ERE Pledge signatory, HKA has long advocated for improving the visibility and representation of women as expert witnesses. Our cohesive company culture is sustained through our prioritized and unwavering commitment to raising all voices and perspectives and using our differences as a strength.

HKA also encourages all colleagues to continue to elevate our focus on equality, diversity, and inclusion (ED&I) within our business.

“ED&I at HKA focuses on proportional gender representation across all of our levels of experience, and as such, it is important for HKA to be recognized in the industry as a proponent of women appearing as experts as they gain proficiency and interest,” says Celik. “It strengthens our firm’s capabilities by diversifying our culture, and it strengthens our industry by contributing to the growing breadth of talent.”

For HKA, ED&I goes beyond a statement of purpose – it reflects our proactive approach and authentic commitment.

To take the ERE Pledge: https://www.expertwitnesspledge.com/take-the-pledge

Pictured (L to R): Kirsten Goldenberg, Stephanie Johns, Rebecca Vélez, Cheryl LeeVan, Timothy Hart, Caitlyn Crook, Katherine Baron Martinez, Seyran Celik, Tyler Smith Khoury, Laura Connor Smith

ABOUT HKA

HKA is the world’s leading consultancy of choice for multi-disciplinary expert and specialist services in risk mitigation and dispute resolution within the capital projects and infrastructure sector. We employ more than 1,000 consultants, experts and advisors in more than 40 offices across 18 countries. We also have extensive experience advising clients on the economic impact of commercial and investment treaty disputes and in forensic accounting matters. HKA also supports companies that conduct business with the US Federal Government, providing consulting services on complex government contracting matters.

Media contact

Name	Andrew Katz
Title	Americas Marketing and Communications Director
Number	+1 215 692 1136
Email	andrewkatz@hka.com

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