HKA welcomes new Partners Joseph Spinelli, Patrick Westerhaus, and Scott Wright
4th December 2024
HKA announces the addition of three partners in the Americas to bolster its fraud investigations, anti-bribery and corruption, cybercrime prevention, and data privacy services.
These new partners include the first-ever Inspector General of New York, a former FBI Special Agent, and a former Central Intelligence Agency Senior Executive and member of the Senior Intelligence Service. Together, they bring in-depth experience in integrity monitoring, digital crime prevention, geopolitical risk assessment, and crisis management, further strengthening our team of Forensic Accounting and Investigations experts.
Joseph Spinelli, a globally recognized thought leader and practitioner in integrity monitoring, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), anti-bribery and corruption, and complex white-collar crime investigations, joins HKA as a Partner. His extensive consulting and advisory project experience spans Asia Pacific, Europe, Latin America, and the United States.
Joe has been a trusted advisor to boards, governors, mayors, international dignitaries, and chief executive officers (CEOs) throughout his career. He has also provided expert witness testimony on several occasions. His notable achievements include leading integrity monitoring for the cleanup at Ground Zero following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, designing and implementing anti-bribery and corruption compliance programs for Fortune 500 companies, and conducting FCPA investigations in multiple countries.
Joe was appointed Deputy Secretary and Senior Advisor by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, selected as the first-ever Inspector General (IG) in New York State, and served as a special agent in the Criminal Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). He has also assisted in establishing IG offices for Louisiana, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.
Joe holds a JD from John Marshall Law School and a BA from Ricker College. He is a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE), a member of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE), and the Association of Inspectors General (AIG).
Patrick Westerhaus joins HKA as a Partner, bringing over 23 years of experience in advisory, investigative, financial services, and entrepreneurship with a distinguished career in federal law enforcement and the U.S. Intelligence Community.
Patrick is a recognized expert and thought leader in fraud prevention, white-collar criminal investigations, cybercrime prevention, and national security. His impressive background includes a 12-year tenure with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) as a Supervisory Special Agent in the Cyber Division. While at the FBI, Patrick developed innovative techniques to combat cyber threats and led significant investigations into corporate fraud, government fraud, money laundering, and public corruption.
Before joining HKA, Patrick established a Digital Crimes Prevention Practice within a global consulting firm, creating new service offerings to prevent fraud, theft, and human digital exploitation. He also founded a company that combined traditional investigative approaches with innovative cybercrime prevention software solutions, scaling the business to serve Fortune 500 and Fortune 100 clients across various industries.
Patrick holds an International Security Graduate Certificate from Stanford University, a Master of Forensic Sciences degree from George Washington University, and a BBA from Gonzaga University. He is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE), and Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS). His professional memberships include the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE), the Association of Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialists (ACAMS), and the Cybercrime Investigation Body of Knowledge (CIBOK) Editorial Committee.
View Partick’s full expert profile.
Scott Wright joins HKA as a Partner with over 35 years of experience in geopolitical risk assessment, domestic and international investigations, and crisis management. He has a proven track record of managing complex, sensitive issues with senior officials from both friendly and adversarial foreign governments.
Scott’s expertise spans a wide range of critical areas, including risk, business intelligence and threat mitigation, physical and personnel security resilience, supply chain due diligence, digital and physical crime, and fraud prevention and counterterrorism. His experience in the U.S., EMEA, APAC, and LATAM regions, combined with his proficiency in English and Arabic, positions him as a valuable asset to HKA’s global operations.
Scott joins HKA from a global consulting firm, where he served as Senior Managing Director of Global Investigations. His distinguished 35-year federal government career includes Senior Intelligence Service rank and senior leadership roles in the Central Intelligence Agency’s (CIA) Directorate of Operations (DO), where he served in the C suite as the Associate Deputy Director for Operations/Mission and as a multi-time Chief of Station in the foreign field. As the third in command of the DO, Scott oversaw global operations, foreign intelligence collection, tradecraft, and counterintelligence/insider risk, among other disciplines. He managed large, diverse teams of operators, support personnel, and multi-billion-dollar budgets. Before joining the CIA, Scott served for three years in the United States Secret Service.
He holds a BA from the City University of New York, is a member of Business Executives for National Security, and is an Arabist.
View Scott’s full expert profile.
“We are thrilled to welcome Joseph Spinelli, Patrick Westerhaus, and Scott Wright as new partners at HKA. Their unparalleled expertise in fraud investigations, anti-bribery and corruption, cybercrime prevention, and data privacy will significantly enhance our capabilities. With their extensive backgrounds in federal law enforcement, intelligence, and global consulting, they bring a wealth of knowledge and experience that will be invaluable to our clients. We look forward to the innovative solutions and strategic insights they will contribute to our team so that we can better serve our clients.”
Ave Tucker, Partner, Strategic Growth Advisor
HKA’s Forensic Accounting and Investigations experts help corporate counsel, boards of directors, audit committees, government entities, compliance officers, and outside counsel navigate the financial complexity of alleged fraud, misappropriations, sanctions, or other regulatory violations.
In addition to welcoming our three new partners, HKA has recently announced the appointment of Ramon “Ray” de Legorburu and Jenny Dominguez as partners of the firm. Ray brings a wealth of knowledge to HKA’s FACD team with over 20 years of experience in forensic accounting, dispute resolution, and financial investigations. Jenny brings over 24 years of accounting experience, with the last 22 focused on forensic accounting, fraud investigations, and litigation consulting.
The firm’s experts undertake fraud, forensic, and regulatory investigations around the world. They are experienced in investigating allegations of bribery and corruption, performing investigations and compliance reviews related to the FCPA, assessing allegations of mismanagement, and investigating corporate fraud.
Learn more about HKA’s Forensic Accounting & Investigations expert services.
Media contact
| Name | Andrew J. Katz, CPSM |
| Title | Marketing and Communications Director, Americas |
| Number | +1 215 962 1136 |
| AndrewKatz@hka.com |
