Strategic Advisory and Dispute Support for General Counsel and In‑House Legal Teams
Counsel Connect
Clarity and confidence when legal risk, regulatory scrutiny and complex disputes converge.
Independent expertise and integrated insight to help General Counsel protect value, manage risk and make critical decisions with confidence.
Independent expertise. Integrated insight. Measurable impact.
HKA provides independent advisory, disputes and forensic expertise for General Counsel and in‑house legal teams. We help organisations manage legal risk, respond to regulatory scrutiny and resolve complex disputes across industries and jurisdictions.
From early case assessment and investigations through to expert witness testimony and arbitration support, we deliver clear, defensible insight when it matters most.
Our experts combine regulatory, technical and financial expertise to help you anticipate risk, strengthen legal strategy and act decisively in high‑stakes situations.
How HKA supports General Counsel
We work as an extension of your in‑house legal team, helping you to:
- Assess and quantify legal and commercial risk
- Strengthen disputes strategy and case positioning
- Provide independent expert witness testimony
- Support regulatory investigations and enforcement responses
- Deliver forensic accounting and quantum analysis
- Advise on ESG, climate and geopolitical risk exposure
- Leverage data, digital forensics and analytics in legal matters
Explore HKA services
News & insights
Financial Crime Risk in the Appointed Representative (AR) Model: Key Legal and Compliance Challenges
28 April '26 | The Appointed Representative (AR) model remains central to UK financial services, but increasing FCA scrutiny is exposing firms to heightened financial crime and compliance risk.
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What Makes a Strong Construction Claim? 10 Principles for Credible Dispute Claims
23 April '26 | A well-prepared construction claim is critical to success in disputes. This article outlines ten practical principles to strengthen claims in engineering and infrastructure projects.
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Maritime Sanctions Risk: Rethinking Red Flags in Conflict-Affected Shipping
20 April '26 | In high-risk shipping corridors, traditional sanctions red flags are becoming less reliable. We explore how legal and compliance teams can reassess maritime sanctions risk.
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FCA Regulation of the Legal Sector: What Expanded AML Oversight Means for Law Firms
24 Nov '26 | Proposed expansion of FCA oversight signals major change for AML compliance in the UK legal sector. We examine the implications for General Counsel and law firms.
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Fire Safety and Digital Records in Dispute Resolution: Implications of the Building Safety Act
07 Apr '26 | The Building Safety Act is reshaping how fire safety evidence and digital records are used in disputes across construction and real estate.
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Organisational Culture Risk: Why Culture Failures Lead to Legal and Regulatory Exposure
19 Jan '26 | Organisational culture is increasingly recognised as a driver of legal, financial and reputational risk. We explore why culture failures create serious consequences for businesses.
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Environmental Risk and Recovery in Conflict Zones: Legal and ESG Implications in the Middle East
25 Mar '26 | Conflict in the Middle East is creating significant environmental and ESG risk. We examine the legal, financial and recovery challenges for affected organisations.
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Crypto Forensics in Legal Investigations: Tracing Digital Assets and Financial Crime
16 March '26 | (This article was first published in Commercial Dispute Resolution Magazine.) Cryptocurrency is transforming financial investigations. This article explores how crypto forensics helps legal teams trace assets and support dispute resolution.
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FCA Enforcement Trends: What Increased Fines and Supervision Mean for Compliance
18 March '26 | Rising FCA enforcement activity is increasing pressure on firms. We analyse key trends and what they mean for compliance, governance and legal risk.
Read moreNews & insights
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Work with recognised experts
Our experts are regularly appointed as independent expert witnesses in international arbitration, litigation and regulatory investigations.
Nick Panes has 25 years of experience in the investigations and risk management industry. He has worked alongside the testifying expert on numerous occasions providing forensic analysis and investigative support.
Nick’s work has focused on investigative assignments, political risk, business intelligence and regulatory compliance, with postings in Mexico City, New Delhi, Sydney and London. He has been involved in arbitral tribunals and court proceedings providing expert witness support and in FCPA related investigations and alter ego assessments.
Nick’s expertise includes fraud and money laundering investigations, anti-corruption risk assessments and consultancy, regulatory compliance system design and audits, business intelligence assignments, pre-transaction due diligence, asset tracing and recovery and digital forensics. He has specialised in complex, cross-border investigations on matters ranging from strategic market entry work and due diligence to sensitive employee misconduct investigations in multiple jurisdictions.
Priya helps organisations stay ahead of financial crime risk, advising on POCA, AML, sanctions, fraud and bribery. She delivers skilled person reviews, forward‑looking frameworks and investigative insight.
A chartered accountant and accredited counter‑fraud specialist, she works across regulators, corporates, and financial institutions.
Dr Alexander Lee is a Chartered Geologist and Scientist with over 25 years’ experience, appointed as a technical expert on more than 20 occasions. He acts as an expert on environmental matters including contamination, risk assessment and remediation, with disputed values of up to £700 million, and has been cross‑examined in litigation.
Alexander specialises in contaminated land investigation, liability assessment, human health and environmental risk assessment, and soil and groundwater remediation. He has provided expert opinion on environmental damage, professional negligence, enforcement and regulatory matters, and currently leads HKA’s environmental offering. He holds a number of senior industry chair and advisory roles and is a regular contributor to guidance, standards and thought leadership in the UK and internationally.
Olesya Prantyuk is a Chartered Certified Accountant with over 15 years of experience in finance and accounting, including more than a decade in disputes. She has been appointed as a named and shadow expert, and has assisted named experts on more than 50 occasions in forensic accounting and commercial damages matters.
Olesya has worked across litigation and arbitration forums, including LCIA, ICSID, ICC and SIAC, on high‑value matters with disputed sums exceeding $5 billion. Her experience spans sectors including energy, aerospace, TMT and financial services, and includes complex valuation, fraud and corruption‑related cases. She is fluent in Ukrainian and Russian and advises on matters across Central and Eastern Europe and the Middle East.
Matt Ösund‑Ireland is a Chartered Environmentalist with over 30 years’ experience advising commercial organisations, governments and financial institutions on environmental strategy, compliance, impact assessment and due diligence. His expertise spans air quality, climate change, carbon footprinting and climate‑related risk.
Matt has provided expert evidence at planning appeals and to the House of Commons Select Committee, and has led technical reviews for major infrastructure and development projects valued at up to £15 billion. He works across energy, infrastructure, transport, industry and the built environment, supporting clients in complex regulatory and dispute contexts.
He holds a doctorate in local air quality management and climate change and is a Member of the Institution of Environmental Scientists and the Institution of Air Quality Management.
Darren Mullins is a Certified Computer Examiner with over 20 years’ experience in digital forensics, cybercrime and complex investigations. He has provided expert testimony in litigation and arbitration across Europe and the Middle East on matters with disputed values of up to $9 billion.
Darren specialises in fraud, financial crime, cyber incidents, electronic discovery and data analytics, with particular expertise in AI‑enhanced document review and defensible AI adoption. Formerly of Deloitte, EY and KPMG, he now leads AI‑driven investigative capabilities at HKA, embedding audited, reproducible workflows aligned with disclosure and expert‑evidence obligations.
HKA: Strengthening Your Legal Team
Why General Counsel choose HKA
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Independent and conflict-free expert advice
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Proven expert witnesses in global disputes and arbitration
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Integrated legal, financial and technical expertise
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Global experience across complex, high-value matters
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Trusted by leading organisations facing critical decisions
Your partner in high-stakes legal decisions
When risk escalates and scrutiny intensifies, independence matters.
HKA provides the clarity, analysis and expert support General Counsel need to navigate complex disputes, regulatory challenges and critical strategic decisions with confidence.

