Welcome to our new colleagues – March and April 2025
28th May 2025
In March and April 2025, we welcomed 11 new colleagues to our global team.
This included strengthening our team with the hiring of Partners Mark Smith and Michael Lasinski.
We’re always looking to expand our team; please take a look at our current vacancies to see our latest opportunities.
Abeed Ahmad
Associate Director | Forensic Accounting & Commercial Damages
Sydney, Australia
Abeed is a leader in data analytics and modeling within the forensic accounting industry. He has extensive experience in processing raw data and performing ETL operations to support the preparation of expert reports for litigation purposes. Abeed has contributed to numerous large-scale data processing projects for financial investigations, quantifying economic losses, dispute analysis, business valuations, and compensation calculations.
Abeed has a bachelor’s degree in computer science and several industry certifications in the related fields.
Damien Beven
Associate Director | Forensic Accounting & Commercial Damages
Sydney, Australia
Damien brings a background in forensic accounting and insolvency, with experience ranging complex financial investigations, loss quantification, and dispute resolution. He has given evidence in the Supreme Court and various tribunals, and understands the importance of presenting clear, well-supported opinions under pressure. Known for his practical approach, Damien works closely with legal teams, business owners and stakeholders to unpack complex financial issues.
Mark Boehm
Associate Director | Construction, Claims and Expert Services
Perth, Australia
Mark brings significant experience on major projects, including power generation, mining and resources, as well as commercial and luxury residential construction. He uses skills in data analysis and contract interpretation to provide strategic advice to contractors and clients on major projects. His experience includes preparing quantum and delay expert reports for use in arbitration and litigation.
Mark holds a Bachelor of Construction Management, Trade Certificate, Diploma of Building and Construction, and will complete a Master of Laws in Construction Law & Practice in 2025. He is a Registered Building Practitioner with the Department of Energy, Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety in Western Australia.
Kirsteen Cacchioli
Principal | Construction, Claims and Expert Services
London, United Kingdom
Kirsteen has over 20 years’ experience in construction dispute resolution, specialising in analysing contractual obligations, conducting commercial reviews, drafting reports and position papers, supporting quantum experts, and preparing documents for all dispute resolution forums. Her experience includes assisting in disputes involving remedial cladding schemes, hospital projects, commercial office developments, motorways and road improvement projects, rail projects and flood alleviation schemes.
Kirsteen has played a pivotal role in managing complex contractual disputes on a variety of construction and infrastructure projects. From residential developments to major hospital projects and infrastructure schemes, she has meticulously reviewed the contractual matrix and project documentation provided in respect of various substantial cost claims and has supported quantum experts in the preparation of expert reports and joint statements for adjudication, arbitration and litigation. Whether working on buildings, industrial & manufacturing, transportation & infrastructure, or power & utilities, Kirsteen has demonstrated a keen analytical ability and a methodical approach to resolving claims. Her contributions ensure well-supported assessments that help shape fair and commercially sound outcomes.
Josh Huff
Director | Forensic Accounting & Commercial Damages
Washington, DC, United States
Josh Huff is a seasoned cybersecurity professional with deep expertise in cyber threat intelligence, digital forensics, and open-source intelligence (OSINT). Before joining HKA, Josh served as Senior Cyber Security Research Consultant at Wells Fargo for 7 years as part of the Cyber Crime Intelligence Unit (CCIU) and Threat Disruptions team. In that role he investigated fraud, threat actors, and cybercrime tactics targeting the financial sector. With prior experience as a Digital Forensics Analyst and expert witness, he has supported criminal and civil investigations at both private and state levels.
Josh holds multiple GIAC certifications, including GOSI, GCTI, GPEN, and GREM, and he has served as an associate SANS instructor for SEC487: OSINT Gathering and Analysis. He is also an active contributor to the infosec community through his advisory role with the OSINT Curious Project and as co-organizer of ColaSec.org. Known for bridging technical depth with practical investigation skills, Josh continues to educate, mentor, and engage through public speaking at security conferences
Trent La
Consultant | Forensic Accounting & Commercial Damages
Sydney, Australia
Trent joins our Sydney office as a consultant in the Forensic Accounting and Commercial Damages practice. Prior to starting at HKA, he was an experienced analyst in audit & assurance services at a Big Four accounting firm before taking a gap year as a Working Holiday Visa holder in Japan. From his time as an auditor, Trent has gained extensive accounting and financial reporting knowledge on audit engagements across various industries, working with clients in the private and global market space.
Trent has a Bachelor of Business (Accounting)/Bachelor of Science (Medical Science) from the University of Technology, Sydney and is a full member of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand.
Michael Lasinski
Partner | Forensic Accounting & Commercial Damages
Chicago, IL, United States
With over 30 years of experience, Mike brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the firm’s IP practice.
Mike has been appointed as an expert on hundreds of engagements, providing invaluable insights into transactions, valuations, and damages analyses. He has testified in various prestigious courts, including U.S. District Courts, the International Trade Commission, the High Court of Justice of England and Wales, the Chancery Division, state courts, and arbitration proceedings.
Mike is a recognized leader in standard essential patent licensing, willing licensor and licensee analysis, and fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory (FRAND) economic analyses. He has performed licensing and FRAND analysis for cellular, Wi-Fi, video and audio codecs, streaming, and many other standards. Mike has been both a licensing advisor and named expert on dozens of matters concerning standards and FRAND licensing practice and FRAND determination.
Gangjin Li
Director | Forensic Technical Services
Dallas, TX, United States
Dr. Li is a geotechnical engineer with 15 years of consulting and academic research experience in civil infrastructure. He has worked on over 60 large-scale transportation projects throughout North America, requiring in-depth expertise in geotechnical analysis and design, forensic investigation, opportunity and risk assessments, peer review, and technical report preparation.
Dr. Li’s experience extends to numerical modeling, slope stabilization, and landslide mitigation. He is knowledgeable in the design of spread footings, driven piles, and drilled shafts for bridge and retaining wall foundations; the geotechnical design of earth-retaining structures, including cast-in-place concrete walls, mechanically stabilized earth walls, and sound walls; and short- and long-term settlement analysis for foundations and earth fills.
Additionally, he has conducted seismic hazard evaluations and structural vulnerability assessments and is experienced with constructability reviews, the selection of construction means and methods, and temporary works design.
Sahand Rasouli
Technical Director | Forensic Technical Services
Birmingham, United Kingdom
Sahand is a highly accomplished Chartered Professional Engineer with a 17-year career in fire engineering. His experience spans across different countries giving him a diverse perspective on fire engineering practices and regulations.
Sahand’s technical skills are wide-ranging, including performance-based fire engineering design, where tailored fire safety solutions are developed to meet unique project needs. He is also adept at consequence modelling, a critical area for assessing the impact of fires on people, property, and the environment. Furthermore, Sahand excels in risk-based analysis, a crucial aspect of fire engineering that involves identifying and mitigating potential fire hazards and vulnerabilities.
In addition to his consultancy work, Sahand has a strong academic background in fire science research, holding a PhD in Fire Engineering that underscores his deep expertise in fire dynamics and behaviour. His research has been shared through peer-reviewed publications and at major scientific and industrial events. Dedicated to knowledge-sharing, Sahand has served as a lecturer of fire safety courses at Masters level and participated at various industry panels.
Wendy Robinson
Director | Forensic Accounting & Commercial Damages
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Wendy Robinson is a seasoned leader in eDiscovery, having built and developed practices from the ground up at Deloitte, KPMG, and Accuracy, positioning teams for strong competitive success in the Middle East. She has worked in Forensic Technology for more than 19 years and has assisted legal teams on some of the regions’ most significant commercial disputes and investigations, helping to collate and review vast troves of electronic documentation and communications to pinpoint the relevant material.
Committed to staying at the forefront of technological advancements, Wendy completed a Post-Graduate Certificate in Artificial Intelligence in 2023-2024, enhancing her technical knowledge and gaining formal recognition in this evolving field. The practical, up-to-date skills acquired enable her to drive sales and deliver innovative AI-based solutions. She has also successfully led diverse teams of up to 25 professionals, fostering excellence in execution and delivery.
Mark Smith
Partner | Advisory
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Dr. Mark Smith is a senior infrastructure and construction advisory partner with extensive multinational experience and over 30 years of consulting expertise at the Big 4 firms. He has delivered strategic solutions across a broad range of client needs, including shaping the direction of mega infrastructure programmes, assessing major capital project funding options, and developing analytical frameworks for effective control of large-scale construction projects. Mark has advised governments, fund investors, real estate developers, construction contractors, and multinational conglomerates, providing expert guidance on complex infrastructure challenges.
A recognised leader in infrastructure and capital projects advisory, he has established and led practices across the Americas, Asia-Pacific, Africa, and the Middle East, leveraging his expertise in emerging markets to drive global success.
Over the past four years alone, Mark has played a pivotal role in shaping major infrastructure initiatives across the Middle East. As a Senior Advisor, he has driven the growth of Deloitte’s Infrastructure & Capital Projects practice across seven GCC countries. He has also served as a Strategic Advisor to one of the world’s largest sovereign wealth funds, ensuring effective investment and delivery of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030. Recognised as a leading expert in mega-projects, Mark has built capabilities and designed organisations to manage large-scale programs. His experience spans global engineering firms, governments, investors, and multinational conglomerates across diverse sectors.
