FTI Consulting launches Forensic & Litigation division in South Africa
FTI Consulting has expanded its offerings in South Africa with the addition of a Forensic & Litigation Consulting practice. With the move, FTI South Africa now offers three of the firm’s main expertise areas.
The launch of the new service offering follows “growing demand for local specialist knowledge in complex cases of fraud, financial disputes and corruption”, said Kevin Hewitt, Chairman of FTI Consulting’s Europe, Middle East and Africa (‘EMEA’) region. To lead the operation the US-headquartered global business advisory firm brought five highly senior on board, led by Petrus Marais, previously KPMG’s Global Forensic Leader since 2011 and an advocate of the High Court of South Africa. He established KPMG’s South Africa Forensic division in 1993, and later on served as the regional leader of KPMG Forensic in EMEA and the Chairman of KPMG Forensic for South Africa and Africa.
Marais is joined by three other former KPMG consultants and one alumnus of the firm. Johan van der Walt was previously the Head of Dispute Advisory Services at KPMG Forensic South Africa, handling criminal and civil investigations and matters in the area of litigation support services in Africa and other jurisdictions across the world. He has also worked for the Commercial Crime Unit of the South African Police Service, followed by consultancy work with the then-Office for Serious Economic Offences.
Helena Potgieter joins FTI Consulting after leading KPMG Forensic’s Africa Telecoms group, where she had overall responsibility for coordinating the firm’s efforts across the sector. She has a wealth of experience in fraud, corruption and transaction reviews and valuations. Prior to joining KPMG in 2006, she practiced as a civil and criminal litigation attorney in the Magistrates and High Courts of South Africa, as well as being a qualified accountant. Kajen Subramoney previously was an Associate Director with KPMG Forensic, where for more than 15 years he specialised in advising clients on fraud and misconduct cases and the use of technology in such investigations. He is particularly skilled in data analysis and visualisation, cyber investigations, digital evidence recovery and electronic discovery.
Calvin Isaacs headed KPMG’s Western and Eastern Cape forensic practices between 2006 – 2012, the past years he served MMI Health, the largest administrator of medical aid across Southern Africa. At the company, Isaacs led the implementation of a fraud, waste and abuse system to prevent and detect fraudulent claims across the healthcare industry.
Kevin Hewitt, Chairman of FTI Consulting’s Europe, Middle East and Africa (“EMEA”) region, said, “Companies doing business in Africa require both the local expertise and the support of a global team to help them effectively navigate this challenging and complex regulatory, financial and legal environment. Petrus, Johan, Calvin, Helena and Kajen are recognised experts who will provide that local insight for clients based in Africa as well as those looking to do business in South Africa and throughout the continent.”
Speaking on why he and his team exchanged KPMG for FTI, Marais said, “FTI Consulting is internationally recognised as a truly independent investigations and litigation practice, focused on the large and complex challenges and disputes which clients increasingly face. Its entrepreneurial spirit and ambition to grow, both regarding its geographic footprint as well as its range of specialised service offerings, was the key attraction for me in joining.”
FTI has been active in South Africa since 2005 through its Strategic Communications practice and since 2015 with its Economic & Finance Consulting practice.
