Welcome to our new colleagues – November and December 2024
29th January 2025
In November and December 2024, we welcomed 27 new colleagues to our global team.
This included strengthening our team in the Construction, Claims and Expert Services department, including Partners Stephen Rae, Richard Edwin and Chris Clark and in Forensic Accounting and Commercial Damages, including Partners Joseph Spinelli, Scott Wright and Patrick Westerhaus.
We’re always looking to expand our team; please take a look at our current vacancies to see our latest opportunities.

Fatema Almazrouei
Analyst | Construction, Claims and Expert Services
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Fatema recently graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering and Artificial Intelligence from Khalifa University in Abu Dhabi. Her interdisciplinary knowledge empowers Fatema with a unique blend of skills, allowing her to approach engineering challenges with a holistic and innovative perspective. As well as being excited to start her working career with HKA, Fatema is also currently pursuing a master’s in engineering systems and management. Outside of work, Fatema enjoys travelling and reading.
Dhruv Bhavsar
Associate Director | Advisory
Sydney, Australia
Dhruv joins the Advisory team as an Associate Director and is based in the Sydney office.
Dhruv is a results-driven Project Management Professional with 15 years of expertise in digitalised project management across rail systems, tunnel-viaduct construction, high-rise buildings, and major infrastructure. He has a proven ability to manage complex projects, leveraging digital tools and Power BI for enhanced performance. He is adept at leading diverse teams, strategic planning, and stakeholder engagement. He is skilled in Primavera (P6), project controls, claims management, scheduling, and risk analysis.


Eloi Bourgin
Associate Director | Forensic Accounting & Commercial Damages
Paris, France
Eloi has over eight years of experience in corporate finance and economic consulting. He holds a masters in Corporate Finance from the NEOMA Business School in Rouen.
His experience includes working on and managing a wide range of projects, notably in international arbitration, across sectors including energy, construction, mining, and hospitality. He has also worked on financial due diligence, state-aid, and economic regulation projects.
He is a native French speaker but fluent in English and has Spanish speaking capabilities. In his free time, he enjoys cycling, playing padel, tennis, and football, and listening to disco music.
Jon Chan
Director | Construction, Claims and Expert Services
London, UK
Jon Chan is a Chartered Engineer with over a decade of experience in the design, procurement, and management of engineering and construction projects across Europe, the UK, the Middle East, Mexico, and West Africa. Beginning his career as a Structural Engineer in the energy sector, Jon advanced to construction management on major EPCI projects worldwide. His extensive on-site experience includes the construction of offshore structures and pipelines in Porto Amboim, Angola, where he oversaw planning, fabrication, coating, inspection, testing, and offshore transportation of oil and gas structures.
Jon’s technical expertise is further enriched by consulting work, with a firm foundation in structural analysis and design of offshore sub-sea structures and pipelines. Jon is skilled in the analysis of delay, identification of the critical path, and independently managing complex engagements from start to finish, including supporting legal teams and counsel during arbitration hearings.


Belinda Clark
Senior Data Analyst | IT
London, UK
Belinda initially studied to be a biologist, graduating with an BA in Natural Sciences focussing on Zoology and Evolutionary Genetics from the University of Cambridge but has since transitioned into the world of data.
She has spent the last four years specialising in advanced data analytics, insights, and reporting, particularly using Power BI, Excel, and R. She also brings expertise in modelling, statistical analytics, and dashboarding.
Outside of work, Belinda plays violin in her local symphony orchestra and enjoys travelling, cooking, strength training, and watching live music and sport.
Chris Clark
Partner | Construction, Claims and Expert Services
Perth, Australia
Chris Clark is a Chartered Civil Engineer with over 30 years of experience in construction contracting and consulting. Chris has gained experience with major contractors on large engineering and infrastructure projects including energy, airport, road and rail.
As a consultant, Chris has provided expert witness and advisory services on a wide range of complex construction and engineering projects including public buildings, high-rise/mixed-use developments, energy (thermal and renewables), transport infrastructure (road, rail, and airport), mining infrastructure, process plant, utilities, and oil and gas. Chris’ field of expertise is in project planning and the analysis of delay and dealing with issues of prolongation costs, disruption, EOT entitlement, and concurrent delay. Chris’ expertise has also been recognised by Lexology Index (formerly Who’s Who Legal) as a leading expert in the field of construction delay.


Tim Cradock
Principal | Construction, Claims and Expert Services
Hong Kong SAR, China
Tim Cradock is a Chartered Quantity Surveyor with over 20 years of experience. He has been appointed as a quantum expert on six occasions and has assisted the named expert multiple times.
Tim specialises in the assessment of acceleration, prolongation, variations, and disruption matters. He also supports clients and legal counsel as an expert advisor for a variety of international disputes and provides support to testifying experts during alternative dispute resolution (ADR) proceedings.
Tim holds a master’s in construction management and construction law. He is a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors, a member of the Institute of Civil Engineering Surveyors, an associate member of The Academy of Experts, and a council member of the Society of Construction Law (Hong Kong).
Scott Darroch
Senior Consultant | Construction, Claims and Expert Services
Glasgow, UK
Scott holds an MSc in Construction Economics, and has developed excellent experience over 14 years working for a large international consultancy, two main contractors, and three major clients in the Power, Water and Aviation sectors based in the UK. Scott has extensive experience in developing, presenting, and negotiating claims and working through complex escalated & disputed matters with Clients, Contractors, and Subcontractors across a range of Contracts, including NEC, SBCC, FIDIC, and bespoke framework Contracts.
Scott is a member of the Chartered Institute of Civil Engineering Surveyors (CICES) and recently achieved Associate Status With the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb).


Chet Dominik
Director | Forensic Accounting & Commercial Damages
Chicago, IL, USA
Chet Dominik joins HKA’s Chicago office as a Director in the Expert Services practice. Mr. Dominik has over 16 years’ experience as an intellectual property consultant with a focus on financial analysis in support of damages as well as the economic prong of domestic industry at the International Trade Commission (ITC). Mr. Dominik holds an MBA from the University of Chicago as well as a Masters in Aerospace Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech).
Richard Edwin
Partner | Construction, Claims and Expert Services
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Richard Edwin is a Chartered Civil Engineer with over 40 years’ experience as a programme and construction professional. He has been appointed on over 60 occasions to provide independent programming and delay advice and expert witness services to clients, assisting them to resolve their complex construction, process, rail, oil and gas and offshore disputes.
Richard is adept at providing independent expert witness opinion in formal proceedings, presenting both written and oral evidence. He has also participated as a witness in international arbitration and Dispute Arbitration Board (DAB) hearings. His renowned meticulous approach to producing detailed, fact-based, and insightful analysis and opinion ensures disputes are concluded in a timely, efficient, and cost-effective way.
With over 25 years working in dispute resolution, risk management, design and engineering, procurement and construction management, Richard is highly regarded by clients for his comprehensive, accessible and incredibly thorough reports, and for securing successful project outcomes. He has worked across a wide range of sectors, including but not limited to, major road, rail, and airport infrastructure, energy and natural resources, and residential and commercial builds.


Robert Feng
Senior Engineer | Forensic Technical Services
Sydney, Australia
Robert Feng joins HKA as a Senior Engineer in the Forensic Technical Services team and is based in Sydney, Australia. Robert is a highly skilled Chartered Structural Engineer with a comprehensive 10-year track record spanning multiple sectors, including infrastructure, residential and commercial buildings, sports venues, data centres, and airports.
Robert excels at delivering structural engineering solutions for complex challenges. His expertise goes beyond executing high-quality designs; he also provides subject matter expert advice to interdisciplinary teams and has a proven record in reviewing and enhancing designs for new, high-risk assets, ensuring compliance with relevant standards and specifications
Manuela Gfrörer
Senior Managing Consultant | Forensic Accounting & Commercial Damages
Madrid, Spain
Manuela is a chartered accountant with over nine years of experience in advising clients on damages in international arbitrations, focusing on accounting-related topics, and in forensic investigations.
A German national, Manuela is fluent in German, English, Spanish and French and has good skills in Italian and earned a bachelor’s degree in International cultural and business studies from the University of Passau, and a German-French Master’s degree in international business from the University of Eichstatt-Ingolstadt and Tolouse Business School.
Manuela joins HKA from Alvarez & Marsal (Mexico and Germany), where she was a Senior Manager in the Munich office (for seven years) and in the Mexico City office (for two years). Her assignments included not only disputes and investigations but also cases in asset management and restructuring. Outside of work Manuela enjoys dancing salsa, travelling, hiking and playing the violin.


Isabela Gonzalez
Associate Consultant | Forensic Accounting & Commercial Damages
Houston, USA
Isabela Gonzalez joins HKA in Houston as an associate consultant in the FACD group. She graduated from Sam Houston State University with a Master of Business Administration and is currently enrolled at the University of Texas at Dallas to obtain her Master of Science in Accounting and Analytics. She recently made a career switch from non-profit to forensic accounting as she is passionate about fraud investigations. She hopes to gain the experience requirement at HKA to obtain the Certified Fraud Examiner credential.
Bellal Hossain
Facilities Assistant
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Bellal Hossain joins the Riyadh office as Facilities Assistant.
Bellal holds 19 years of experience in hospitality and brings a wealth of expertise and passion for service excellence. During this time, he has ensured the smooth operation of office activities and provided excellent service in guest services.
Bellal prides himself on being motivated and is dedicated to making a positive contribution to the business.


Samarth Jain
Associate Director | Construction Claims
Calgary, Canada
Samarth Jain has 15 years of experience working in the construction industry in USA, India and Canada where he worked in the areas of process improvement, PMO office and construction claims.
He has a degree in Construction Management and has joined HKA in the Toronto office as an Associate Director, in the construction claims practice. He is looking forward to developing expert testimony skills with HKA.
Sebastian Lünsmann
Senior Consultant | Construction, Claims and Expert Services
Düsseldorf, Germany
As a Senior Consultant, Sebastian joined our team in the Düsseldorf office. Sebastian studied Business Law at the University of Applied Science in Osnabrück, Germany, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Laws and a Master of Laws.
During his studies, Sebastian gained professional experience in the insurance industry and in auditing. After graduating, he worked in the legal department of a plastic components business specialising in the pharmaceutical, automotive and horticultural sectors. Previously, he worked as a commercial project manager for a company that built waste-to-energy and sludge incineration plants.


Hassan Majid
Associate Consultant | Forensic Accounting & Commercial Damages
Houston, TX, USA
Hassan recently joined HKA as an Associate Consultant in the Forensic Accounting and Commercial Damages (FACD) group. He holds a degree in Management Information Systems from the University of Houston, where he developed a strong foundation in business analysis, financial modeling, and problem-solving. Hassan is excited to contribute his skills to support clients in navigating complex challenges and is eager to grow within HKA’s collaborative and diverse environment.
Bliss Mosko
Business Support Administrator
Washington, DC, USA
Bliss Mosko is a native Washingtonian and a graduate of DePaul University in Chicago with a degree in Public Relations and Advertising. Some of her interests include yoga, makeup artistry, and spending time with friends and family. She joins the DC Office as their Business Support Administrator and is thrilled about her career at HKA.


Stephen Neilson
Technical Director | Forensic Technical Services
Glasgow, UK
Steve began his career as a Quantity Surveyor in 1993, gaining extensive experience working across the UK, including London, on fast-track turnkey and refurbishment projects. He later oversaw large-scale construction projects and interior contracting in a Principal Contracting role in Scotland. His work spans the entire project lifecycle, from inception to completion, with a strong emphasis on regulatory compliance and minimising legislative risk for clients, including dispute resolution, negotiation, and strategy.
In 2002, he founded the Make It Worksmart Group, where he served as Co-owner and Managing Director for two decades. Under his leadership, the group secured and delivered projects worth over £100 million throughout the UK and Europe, including many award-winning initiatives across diverse market sectors. Steve is actively involved with the FIS, the Finishes & Interior Sector body, serving as Senior Judge and Committee Member for the FIS Scottish Awards. He also sits on the FIS Scottish Awards Committee and conducts Contracting Member Site Vetting and Auditing for the FIS.
With over three decades of hands-on experience in large- and medium-scale interior refurbishments and fit-outs across the UK and Europe, Steve has developed a notable reputation in the UK construction market and extends his expertise to the structural integrity of buildings, with particular focus on fire safety compliance and RAAC issues.
Valikia Newsome
Senior Business Support Administrator
Washington, DC, USA
Valikia Newsome joins HKA as the Senior Business Support Administrator for the DC office. She has an extensive, award-winning background in government media, having worked for both the Federal and District of Columbia Governments. Valikia is a graduate of Temple University, with a B.A. in Media & Communications. She looks forward to employing her broad organizational and relationship building skills to support the growth of HKA’s DC office.


Stephen Rae
Partner | Construction, Claims and Expert Services
Perth, Australia
Stephen Rae, a Chartered Quantity Surveyor with over 40 years of experience in the construction and engineering industries, will take on the role of Construction Claims and Expert Services lead at HKA.
Throughout his career, Stephen has specialised in cost management, change valuation, and forensic quantum and delay analysis services. He provides valuable support to owners, contractors, and legal advisors across a wide range of projects, including commercial developments, hospitals, roads, railways, airports, tunnels, oil and gas projects, and more. Stephen’s expertise has been recognised in the Lexology Insights (Who’s Who Legal) Guide as a leading expert in the field of Construction Quantum and Delay.
Marco Sedra
Lead Consultant | Advisory
Brisbane, Australia
Marco Sedra has joined HKA’s advisory team in the Brisbane office as a lead consultant. He holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering and several internationally recognised certificates in project management.
With over 14 years of experience in construction management, Marco specialises in project planning, controls, claims and cost management. He played key roles in delivering large-scale projects of different categories across Egypt, Qatar and Oman.
In his most recent role, Marco served as Planning and Cost control manager (Client side) for one of the biggest sustainable mixed-use developments in Oman.


Mohammed Shahdab
Billing Analyst | Finance
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Mohammed holds an MBA in finance and possesses a total of eight years of corporate experience. During his career, he has worked with Marsh & McLennan Insurance in Dubai as a billing specialist, and at Clyde & Co as a working capital specialist where he held a dual role in billing and credit control.
Mohammed’s achievements during his time at Marsh include migrating processes in the Middle East and Africa region and conducting process testing in UAT. He has also trained offshore teams in India on the billing workflow. Additionally, he implemented new billing strategies to improve cash flow and reduce outstanding receivables. His attention to detail and strong analytical skills have allowed him to effectively manage billing discrepancies and streamline processes for increased efficiency. At Clyde & Co, he assisted partners in the dispute resolution and construction sectors with both billing and credit control. He also collaborated with the finance team to develop financial reports and forecasts for management review.
José Soto
Director | Government Contracts
Washington, DC, USA
José is a compliance and subject matter expert with almost 25 years of experience in government contracting across various industries. His expertise encompasses extensive knowledge of government rules and regulations, including the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS), and Cost Accounting Standards (CAS).
José guides clients through cost and pricing strategies and transformation initiatives. He prepares and analyzes cost impact proposals, gross dollar magnitude, disclosure statements, incurred cost submissions, and forward pricing rate proposals. José also supports clients with large enterprise resourcing planning (ERP) systems such as Deltek Costpoint, Oracle NetSuite, and SAP.
Earlier in his career, José spent over six years as a senior auditor at the Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA) and is well-versed in DCAA requirements. His subsequent experience includes working in various compliance roles for some of the federal government’s largest contractors.


Joseph Spinelli
Partner | Forensic Accounting & Commercial Damages
New York, NY, USA
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
Partner | Forensic Accounting & Commercial Damages
Raleigh-Durham, NC, USA
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.
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.


Scott Wright
Partner | Forensic Accounting & Commercial Damages
New York, NY, USA
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.
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.